fireworks from my truck

[mazdarotary]

Well just about 10 minutes ago I was laying on the couch watching TV with my wife when I saw some flashes from the window on the driveway side of our house. I asked the wife if she knew where they were coming from. She looked out and said YOUR TRUCK IS ON FIRE!!!!!!!



I bolted up and looked out to see sparks and flame from the area of where the block heater cord was plugged in. I raced to the basemant to pull the cord from the outlet that it is plugged into,and then out to find the cord cap and extension cord all melted and smoldering. Thankfully the truck was not on fire.



Many of you may remember the problem I had a while back where I drove off with my BH still plugged inWHat a dope I am sometimes). Well that next day i noticed the cord for the BH was pretty frayed just before the molded cord cap. So i cut it off and put a cord cap on it that i had laying around.



Now I am an electrician so I doubt I made loose connections on the cord cap,but I suppose anything is possible. I also know that the extension cord was a brand new 50' 12 gauge unit. Also whenever plugging or unplugging it the connection seemed tight,so I am guessing it was just a faulty cord cap,because I made a note of how the wires in the molded cap and the new cord cap were arranged when I cut it off. Any thought from you guys?



Oh yeah is the cord for the BH still available from Cummins?If so what is the part number so I can order one?



Chris

 

[Tim1]

Kriss, if you just replaced the plug end the white and black can inner change as far as the heating element is concerned. However the green neutral wire is another story, is it possible you got it into the black or white terminal? Just a thought. Also, the cord is, I think like my case backhoe and just screws on at the heater and the cord is availble for 12. 00. Fire on the truck is always scary. Tim

 

[mazdarotary]

Tim thanks for the reply.



I know the black and white are interchangable due to it just really being a heating element which is really nothing more than a short circuit really. There is no way i had the green mixed up. I have had the cord cap on there for about a month and with the cold weather I have had it plugged in all night every night.

 

[prototech]

If I was to guess I would assume that you got some moisture in the cord cap and if your not plugged into a GFI outlet water makes a very good conductor for a short circuit! I had a similar problem except my plug end was getting iced over and I could never get it dry enough, it would kick my GFI on a regular basis. You can check out my solution, look back a few pages for (heater cord solution) I've got pics on my web sitehttp://www.msnusers.com/CTDfans

I haven't kicked out the GFI since!

Proto

 

[CDegner]

The BH cored IS available from Cummins. I just bought one last Saturday. It was about $9.



OK, just went and grabbed my receipt. part # 251919 $9. 77. I haven't put it on yet but it looks just like the other one. Only difference I can tell is it does not have the female cap.



Carl

 

[mazdarotary]

I did have it plugged into a GFCI in the basement. It never did trip. I bet there was some water or mosture in it because it was raning/snowing/freezing raining pretty much all day. I am concerned it never tripped the GFCI.





Chris

 

[skillsaw]

Change the GFCI in the basement (cross that off the list of "might have been the problem"). The GFCI pops on me all the time... ... I've started carrying air in a can (like what they clean the computers with - that aerosal stuff). I just give the plug on the truck & the end on the house a quick shot before I plug in at night & it seems to work good so far



Good Luck - Fire + Truck = No Fun --Sounds like my old Chevy!!

 

[prototech]

with a covered plug mounted in my front bumper I have had Zero problems with the GFI!!!

I am really surprised it didn't blow the breaker in the panel, a melt-down should have pulled at least 15 amps.

any how you can make a covered plug like I did , cost me about 10 bucks or there are several other options mentioned on the (heater cord solution) thread if you're interested.

Proto