External Mains Input Socket

[mross]

IP44 is totally adequate against rain and splashing.  Unless you are intent on testing your sockets by urinating on them or directing a hose at them why go for IP5x or IP6x?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code

 

[WotEver]

6 hours ago, dmr said:

I do suspect that a fair few generators have a 13 amp plug on the end of a flying lead.

I've mentioned here before that I was helping strike a set at a club in Manchester many years ago and I got a belt from a 13A plug. Some genius had decided that a cool way to make a multi-socket extension was to mount a bunch of surface-mount sockets on a board all wired together and then power them with a 13A to 13A plug-to-plug lead!

[alan_fincher]

1 hour ago, mross said:

IP44 is totally adequate against rain and splashing.  Unless you are intent on testing your sockets by urinating on them or directing a hose at them why go for IP5x or IP6x?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code

 

They weren't on our last boat, and enough water managed to get into the cable that I had to remake the connections on at least two occasions.

Once water gets in, it penetrates down the conductors of Arctic cable, and each time I had to shorten the cable considerably to find copper that wasn't highly corroded.

Maybe my plugs and sockets were particularly poor quality, but others I have had since seem no better.

I think the design is just very poor.

[Giant]

1 hour ago, mross said:

IP44 is totally adequate against rain and splashing.  Unless you are intent on testing your sockets by urinating on them or directing a hose at them why go for IP5x or IP6x?

I think you mean IPx5 or IPx6. The first digit is against solids, the second one is the liquid protection rating.

As to your question, the level 4 liquid test is a gentle spray for a few minutes. Personally I find the level 5 rating is a better predictor for whether something will stand up to hours of heavy rain, especially for something where runoff water can end up running continuously over it.

[mross]

Yes, I got the order reversed.  But an IP44 is rated correctly for outdoor use.  An IPx5 rating is only a hose at 4psi , 10 feet away.

Edited June 28, 2017 by mross

[Bright Angel]

Hi all thanks for all the advice &, as usual, some extra information !!! that I didn't know that I didn't know !

I am in the middle of repainting the boat so cut a 4x2 hole in the back of the cabin and went out and bought a proper box with the "male" socket mounted inside. Job done.

I noticed someone advised making a cover, and for many years I had used a sandwich box with a clip on lid. I took the socket off the back of the boat, stuck the lid on to the outside with a hole for the cable, screwed the socket back on and cut a 2 inch hole in one side of the box to take the plug and then just clipped the box onto the lid. They lasted a couple of years each until the plastic became brittle and the first person to knock into it, smashed the box.

Thanks again.........just re painted the inside of my water tank....worst job ever !!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

This is how I have my shore connection set up these days.

IP44 plug and socket. Bulkhead male side facing upwards so when female shore lead is connected water is less likely to get in by gravity and pool around the pins. Extra water proofing with hot melt glue around the cable entry in to the socket. Shore cable arranged with a loop of wire to reduce the length along which water can collect and then run in to the cable entry gland. The boat is moored so that the whole thing is sheltered from the prevailing south westerlies where the majority of the rain comes. This combination seems to be good against all but several days of wind or sleet coming from the north east. A rare occurrence. The picture seems to be on its side for some random reason.

Jen

 

[alan_fincher]

11 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

This is how I have my shore connection set up these days.

IP44 plug and socket. Bulkhead male side facing upwards so when female shore lead is connected water is less likely to get in by gravity and pool around the pins.

 

 

It doesn't ook like it is pointing upwards - has your boat rolled onto its side?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

8 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

It doesn't ook like it is pointing upwards - has your boat rolled onto its side?

One problem at a time please! I've solved the shore bollard RCD tripping in the rain problem. My next topic will be asking how to roll a narrowboat back upright.

Jen

 

[Neil Smith]

12 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

One problem at a time please! I've solved the shore bollard RCD tripping in the rain problem. My next topic will be asking how to roll a narrowboat back upright.

Jen

 

Or even having your camera fitted with a gimbal.

Neil

[Stormbringer]

On 28/06/2017 at 19:20, Eeyore said:

Yes it would be nice to see steel boats with a proper recessed service connection box/ cupboard. Straight connectors in the "roof" of the cupboard, and cables exiting from a suitably "smoothed" gap below the access door. Just a thought

They do actually exist!

Sadly not common enough though...it just seems too low down the' must have' list for new buyers...and then just gets left as is I guess as the boat gets sold on ......

[Phil Ambrose]

On ‎28‎/‎06‎/‎2017 at 19:20, Eeyore said:

Yes it would be nice to see steel boats with a proper recessed service connection box/ cupboard. Straight connectors in the "roof" of the cupboard, and cables exiting from a suitably "smoothed" gap below the access door. Just a thought.

On my previous boat the connector was tucked away under a overhanging roof, with this in mind when we swapped our cruiser for a NB I got some closed cell plastic and made a shroud to go over the shore power connector, this easy to  make and does a good job keeping water out.

Phil 

[smileypete]

On 27/06/2017 at 23:35, Bright Angel said:

Questions ! My 16 amp mains hook up socket is "male" and facing down at 45 degrees. The plug on the cable is "female" with a shroud, which means that moisture (rain) will run down the outside of the socket and into the plug ! Someone told me that this is the wrong way round and that the socket should be female and the plug male, which make no sense from a safety point of view!

What is the correct configuration ?

Is it a BSS topic and why does the design appear to allow water into the system ?

Someone at a caravan shop suggested mounting the socket facing up so the water runs over the shroud on the plug but I have never seen it this way up.

Any advice appreciated.

First off, you want to get a trailing socket where the connector is a one piece moulding, like the one on the left below, which I believe is made by PCE Austria:

With the one on the right any water that gets in the shroud can easily leak into the gubbins of the socket where the connections are.

Secondly, a small 1/8" drain hole can be drilled through the outer layer (only!) of the lowest vertical point of the shroud, which with an angled inlet I believe will be where the 'D' shaped bump is on the left. That way any rain that gets in can easily drain out without building up.

There's also see through trailing sockets that make it easy to see if water is getting in, but from the pic it's hard to see if the front bit is one piece or not:

http://cpc.farnell.com/walther/31036cl/3p-240v-bs4343-clear-coupler-blue/dp/CN06703

cheers,

smpt

Edited July 1, 2017 by smileypete

[smileypete]

On 28/06/2017 at 06:56, NMEA said:

Why people don't ùse the proper marine inlets like Ratio or Marinco is beyond me, not only are they of the correct IP rating but flush fitting. Actually I do know why, they cost more.

I largely agree, but with a bit of relevant engineering nowse something quite modest can be made perfectly adequate.

[1st ade]

On 28/06/2017 at 20:15, WotEver said:

I've mentioned here before that I was helping strike a set at a club in Manchester many years ago and I got a belt from a 13A plug. Some genius had decided that a cool way to make a multi-socket extension was to mount a bunch of surface-mount sockets on a board all wired together and then power them with a 13A to 13A plug-to-plug lead!

I had a similar experience delving into the innards of a rack of servers. Some bright spark (no pun  intended) had made up a connecting lead "IEC male" to "IEC male" such that one complete rack was still powered up when the incoming mains was switched off as it took it's feed from the adjacent rack. Muggins here pulled all the connecting leads as the rack was being decommissioned then leant on the exposed live end.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for him) the guy who wired it was brought in as a "Mr fix it" some years earlier and had already departed our employment.

[cuthound]

28 minutes ago, 1st ade said:

Unfortunately (or fortunately for him) the guy who wired it was brought in as a "Mr fix it" some years earlier and had already departed our employment.

With wiring practices like that he may have become "dearly departed" by now