Shore power cord recommendation

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by scarlet

What I don't understand is you can't use an extension cord (even a heavy duty one) with a space heater, and yet, the space heaters come with this cords that are lighter weight than the heavy duty cords...

This is a silly rule if you understand why it’s touted.

Most people will buy a generic 100’ 16awg extension cord, plug it into a wall outlet that’s connected to the breaker box with 12 or 14 awg wire, then wonder why it got hot and melted.

Use a 100’ 10awg extension cord plugged into the same outlet and you’ll have no problems.

What’s wiring but a whole bunch of extension cords with proper fusing run through the walls?

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by scarlet

Without getting into all the background info, let me just cut to the chase. I have 2 electrical heaters that I need to heat my boat this winter. I cannot plug them into the boat due to electrical issues. I will need to run them off the pedastal, and I don't know exactly how to do that....

Fix the boats electrical problems. There is no excuse for inadequate wiring. Your safety and the safety of your boat neighbors is no place to compromise. A fire in Bellingham Washington a few years ago killed a live aboard couple and burnt several boats in boat houses. It was an electrical fire.

[PineyWoodsPete]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

Something like this or this?

You could simply cut off the 30A male dockside plug and replace it with a 30A female receptable to plug your cable into at the boat...done that, and it works fine.

[Dave22q]

if the problem is blowing fuses on your boat learn to live with one properly sized heater. If you are set up for 30 amp input 2 heaters will almost certainly blow fuses.
You might run a second heater by long extension to a SECOND power source like a neighboring slip but, IMHO there is no way to make that set up safe. You might be better off investing is insulation.

[motretu]

some marina power pedestals have one (50amp per pedestal) or two (100amp per pedestal) combo outputs consisting of one 240VX50A circuit and one 115VX30amp circuit and one 115VX20Amp circuit. each circuit will have its own breaker. the intention is that each of the circuit combos will serve one boat and that only one of the three possibilities, 50 or 30 or 20, will be used for that boat. it may be possible to use the 20A and 30A circuits simultaneously, since the sum would not exceed the 50amp pedestal allotment (for one of the two combos). the 20amp circuit will typically have a duplex receptacle which can support a total of 20 amps for short periods, say 10 minutes, or 15amps continuous. a 1500 watt heater typically takes about 12 amps max at its highest setting and could safely use one of the 20A circuits.

assuming your boat is currently using one 30A circuit, then it might be possible to use the 20A circuit for one heater. if you have access to three circuit combos, one combo can continue to feed your boat's shore power connection and the two others can serve your two electric, 1500 watt, heaters via 12awg extension cords no more than 50ft in length, one cord per heater.

note that there will not be any GFI protection unless it is provided by the pedestal or you add it before the extension cords. the 30A circuit assumes you have GFI protection inside your boat system.

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by scarlet

Right idea.... But my concern with that is that I would have to use regular extension cords and you aren't supposed to use regular extension cords with heaters because they get so hot..

My vision was that you would run your regular 30A shore power cable between the pedestal and the boat. Plug the splitter/adapter into the shore power cable, then plug your heaters into the splitter. Or one heater directly into the splitter and the other on a short extension cable. That way you're using the 30A shore power cable for the heavy lifting.

And yes, you do have to worry a bit about the 15A protection side of things, that's where a spider box comes in, but for a temporary solution.... Your risk analysis....

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Fix the boats electrical problems. There is no excuse for inadequate wiring. Your safety and the safety of your boat neighbors is no place to compromise. A fire in Bellingham Washington a few years ago killed a live aboard couple and burnt several boats in boat houses. It was an electrical fire.

You probably didn't see my post about working through the issues. It will take weeks, if not months to isolate and repair everything... It's been like peeling an onion... I think we have one problem fixed and then another is uncovered. We have the electrical system stabilized In the meantime... I need heat.

[patprice]

Have you considered installing a diesel heater? very efficient and away from shore power.

[Char99]

By The way I run my 2 heaters at 750 watts or the half way point. I do not want to pull the full 1500 they are capable of. I have seen to many burnt sockets. Main reason to be running heat is to keep moisture and mold at bay. If you are living aboard I would close off part of the boat.

[CarlF]

Do not run any cheap electric heater at full power all winter. They just aren't built for it and there's a substantial fire risk. If you feel their cords near the plug when they are on full power it will be noticeably warm.

And don't run any wire near 100% of its capacity all winter (e.g. don't put more than 25 amps on a 30 amp circuit.

So the simple solution is to get four heaters and run them all on a setting for about 700 watts. Get a splitter and then plug a standard orange workshop "cube tap" into it. And don't use the fan powered heaters. They give out after a month or so (or catch fire). Get the oil filled ones that look like a small radiator.

But if you are just trying to keep the boat from freezing while you're not there an even safer solution is to use 250 watt heat lamps in the aluminum "brooder fixtures" used for raising chickens. You can get these at Home Depot. The fixture has a guard to keep the bulb from touching anything but it's obviously best to secure them at least 3 feet from a surface. Look for a bulb with a 5000 hour rating and it will last through the winter. They are extremely fire safe. Some insurance companies also prohibit portable space heaters but I've never seen one that mentioned heat lamps.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-300-...3PDQ/204684496

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Lighting-3..._t1_B0066L0YJE

Also, you need a thermostat. The thermostats in portable heaters are really unreliable. These work well:

https://www.amazon.com/HEATIT-Freeze...6-8a5c26cd5a14

[AKA-None]

Or you could just buy the parts and make a power cord that runs to a water resistant box with a breaker and sockets?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Or you could just buy the parts and make a power cord that runs to a water resistant box with a breaker and sockets?

+1 The only reasonable and safe temporary solution.

[Cheechako]

much has been covered. I will add: I would run both heaters at the low setting, often 650-800 watts. Even doing that I ate up a 30A shore power cord every year.

[CharlieJ]

From BoatUS’s Seaworthy magazine:

Electric heaters, another hazard Seaworthy has addressed before (see "The Boater's Guide to Winterizing" [PDF 2.57M]), continue to be a major source of AC electrical fires aboard. While safer heaters have been developed that are less prone to being tipped over or to igniting anything combustible that falls on them, they still draw a great deal of power, and any corrosion in the shorepower system (or worse, household extension cords powering heaters) will tend to build up heat somewhere that can result in a fire. BoatUS continues to recommend not using heaters in lieu of winterizing, and never to leave a heater running if there is no one aboard.

[donradcliffe]

Two heaters on Marinco 30 amp plugs is a proven recipe for a disaster. You would be safer heating with a Buddy propane heater plus a CO alarm.