Hot electric heater cord

[kjoh75]

I own a 2005 Cherokee 27L. I have already taken it out for use this year. Recently we stayed at a place that had electric hookups. I used an electric (Small) space heater to heat the camper to save on propane. I had adjusted the space heater thermostat to keep things comfortable for the wife and I. Usually it is set at the 1500 amp setting. It was also running frequently.

After several hours of overnight use I decided to unplug it while we were away. The cord to the space heater (near the outlet) was so hot that it burnt my fingers. So I set it at 1200 amps hours later and noticed the cord was not as hot.

I am wondering now if electric wires in the walls leading to this outlet are also getting this hot. Could this be damaging the hidden wires and possibly cause an electric fire. Is 1500 amps to much if kept running for long periods of time? Maybe buy a second small space heater and keep both set at 1200 amps?

I know the fuse never tripped so I am thinking I am safe. Any comments?

[jtstromsburg]

1500w, is a common electrical heater size. Unless your using an extension cord, which its never recommended with a heater, it shouldn't be a problem. That said, if the cord was that hot, its possible the heater is failing. I use a space heater as well, but usually fire up the furnace to get up to a comfy temp and the electric heater just needs to maintain.
I wouldn't continue to use it if the cord gets that hot. But thats just me.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by jtstromsburg

Unless your using an extension cord, which its never recommended with a heater, it shouldn't be a problem.

This can not be said enough. Never use an extension cord with any space heater. Number one cause of winter house fires.

There ARE "appliance rated" extension cords that only have ONE outlet on them, but they should only be used on wall circuits rated at 20 amps; not 15 like our campers.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by kjoh75

I own a 2005 Cherokee 27L. I have already taken it out for use this year. Recently we stayed at a place that had electric hookups. I used an electric (Small) space heater to heat the camper to save on propane. I had adjusted the space heater thermostat to keep things comfortable for the wife and I. Usually it is set at the 1500 amp setting. It was also running frequently.

After several hours of overnight use I decided to unplug it while we were away. The cord to the space heater (near the outlet) was so hot that it burnt my fingers. So I set it at 1200 amps hours later and noticed the cord was not as hot.

I am wondering now if electric wires in the walls leading to this outlet are also getting this hot. Could this be damaging the hidden wires and possibly cause an electric fire. Is 1500 amps to much if kept running for long periods of time? Maybe buy a second small space heater and keep both set at 1200 amps?

I know the fuse never tripped so I am thinking I am safe. Any comments?

I didnt read where you used a Ex.cord. Dont use (2) 1200w heaters either. I dont think your elec. system will handle the load without tripping the breaker. Youroo!!

[youroo]

I installed a dedicated (20) amp circuit just for elec.heat. Totally seperate from the (30) amp trailer supply. Youroo!!

[kjoh75]

No I did not use a extension cord. The electric space heater I purchased last year. I plugged the space heater above the counter, near the sink and stove. I thought this might be more likely to handle the electric demand since I have used the same outlet to plug the toaster and coffee maker together in.

Not sure if I have a 20 amp going to that outlet or not? Not sure if any of my outlet circuts are 20 amp.

Any chance the wires in the camper wall are getting as hot as the space heater cord when set to 1500 amps?

Has far as using 2 electric space heaters. I was planning on separating them. One in front and one in back. I am hoping that this makes it more likely they are running on different circuts.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by youroo

I didnt read where you used a Ex.cord. Dont use (2) 1200w heaters either. I dont think your elec. system will handle the load without tripping the breaker. Youroo!!

He did not say. However, the cord should never "get hot" unless the heater is malfunctioning.

[trudinator]

Let this be a lesson to never leave an electric heater unattended. A few years ago, when tenting in the fall, we left an electric heater plugged in all night while we were sleeping. I awoke to a burning smell. The heater was smoking, so we immediately unplugged it and threw it outside. We were using a heavy duty appliance extension cord plugged directly into the electric box. We never used one in the tent after that.

[realebill]

the heated cord was probably caused by the plug into the receptacle not being tight. the cord will heat up at the point of least resistance,which is generally where it is plugged into a receptacle. over time the contacts inside the receptacle become loose or worn and there is not a secure contact made. one solution would be to replace the receptacle ( at least the ones you want to plug a heater into) with a "commercial grade " receptacle. these have a heavier contacts inside and don't cost that much more than "household" grade.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by realebill

the heated cord was probably caused by the plug into the receptacle not being tight. the cord will heat up at the point of least resistance,which is generally where it is plugged into a receptacle. over time the contacts inside the receptacle become loose or worn and there is not a secure contact made. one solution would be to replace the receptacle ( at least the ones you want to plug a heater into) with a "commercial grade " receptacle. these have a heavier contacts inside and don't cost that much more than "household" grade.

Excellent observation. I did not think of that possibility; but it is very true.

[jmswms]

I'm by no means an authority but you said you used one to save propane but unless you were already low running the furnace won't depleat your tanks. We left our furnace on for a week and didn't run out of propane or did we even have to switch tanks. Herk-do you know how long a tank will last using a furnace. Space heaters scare me.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by jmswms

I'm by no means an authority... Herk-do you know how long a tank will last using a furnace. Space heaters scare me.

No expert here either.

I think there are too many variables to say with any certainty in any case.
Outside temperatures, insulation of camper, personal preference of how warm is warm...

You see where this is going. We use the 1500 watt fireplace and the 400 watt heater in the bedroom when we have shore power, backed up by the propane furnace (in case the power fails at night).

We use the furnace when we boondock.

[dretired]

We..Have been using a Vornado brand space heater for 2 years now ..very happy with it ..it has the "safety tip over switch" ..usually at state and county park camping we will use all electric..or as much as possible..

[crocus]

We also use the fireplace in the evening, and a space heater overnight.
We are already paying for electricity, may as well use it!
But we bought a high-quality space heater, and have had no worries.
I would not cheap out and buy the least expensive unit out there.

[Rod Johnson]

The hot cord concerns me. I wouldn't use it anymore. Warm, I'm sort of okay with, but not if its too hot to touch.

We have a new air popper that makes the cord get pretty warm, and thats in the house, where the toaster and coffee maker get plugged in. I also used an electric roaster for some wild pig, its cord also got very hot. Appliances that do that scare me, and I would never leave one of them unattended.

The question as to whether your in wall wiring is getting that hot, too. Yes, probably. If not from electrical resistance, the heat in the cord and plug is getting transferred into the outlet and in wall wiring. Its 'probably' not enough to start a fire, but I wouldn't risk it.

[Rod Johnson]

Originally Posted by realebill

the heated cord was probably caused by the plug into the receptacle not being tight. the cord will heat up at the point of least resistance,which is generally where it is plugged into a receptacle. over time the contacts inside the receptacle become loose or worn and there is not a secure contact made. one solution would be to replace the receptacle ( at least the ones you want to plug a heater into) with a "commercial grade " receptacle. these have a heavier contacts inside and don't cost that much more than "household" grade.

most

Totally agree with this.

If any arcing or hot spots have occured in that outlet, it needs to be replaced. It'll only get worse.

[myredracer]

Some points come to mind:

1. Does the heater have a safety standard sticker on it like Warnock Hersey, UL or CSA? I'd want to know first that it was made to NA safety standards.

2. Is it a ceramic type heater? Don't those have a continuous coil in them? So either it works or if the coil fails, it doesn't. I don't think they're built so coils can physically touch and short together, thus increasing the current.

3. The breaker in the panel will be 15 amps so even if the heater is drawing too much current, the breaker will eventually trip.

4. The concealed branch circuit wiring in the camper will be rated for 15 amps, so it will not overheat as long as the breaker is functioning properly.

5. Many home portable appliances are rated 1500 watts. That's technically a wee bit higher current than the 15 amp wire and breaker is designed to handle (for fixed equip. at least), but that is basically just the way it is. At least with hair dryers, irons, etc. they aren't designed to run non-stop 24/7 so the cord (whatever it might be rated for) and 15 amp breaker are okay. I'm not really sure what gauge wire is typically used for cords on 1500 watt heaters but suspect it *could* be 16 gauge. I can't recall what 16 gauge is good for at 120 volts but it would be much less than 15 amps. This should normally be okay though since the wire is in "free air" and gets some cooling from the air. Wires in "free air" can run somewhat higher currents. If concealed in a wall, it would overheat and be a fire hazard. Hiding the such wire under carpets and the like is not a good idea. If the wire is 16 gauge, it definitely will feel warm or hot if run for long periods.

6. You might also want to check what the voltage is at the point of useage (the heater). The heater output will vary as the square of the voltage. For eg., if the voltage is down by 10% (based on 120 volt nominal) the heater will only be putting out about 1200 watts. But the current will drop and the cord should not heat up as much.

7. I'd be interested in knowing what the rated duty cycle is for your heater. Might not be available though.

8. If the heater is being run at 1500 watt setting for long periods the cord will feel warm to the touch. A lot of RVs aren't all that well insulated and you *may* find that you need a couple of 1500 watt heaters to feel comfortably warm enough in cold weather. You normally don't want a heater to run continuous (unless designed that way) and it should be sized large enough to cycle on and off via a t'stat.

If it were me, I would look at upgrading the supply cord to a 15 amp/14 ga. rated one. If you are still feeling uneasy, use an ammeter to measure the current draw to prove it's operating within it's rating first.

Don't forget to be careful where you place the heater. 1500 watts is a lot of heat and it can damage surfaces and things and even lead to a fire.

I added a permanent 1000 watt heater to our 20' trailer and had it going most of the winter. Even with the thermostat set to as low as I could get it, it ran continuous a lot of the time. I am going to replace the interior with a 1500 watt element and hope it will heat up better so the thermostat functions more like it should. It really surprised me to find how much heat loss there was. It seems like 2,000 - 3,000 watts is what would really be required to keep the interior space to normal residential room temp. when the outside is really cold, but in our case I only wanted to keep things a little above freezing inside in the winter.

[dretired]

Any power cord that gets hot ..is.. NOT GOOD !

[KyDan]

You've already been pummeled with ideas but here's my thoughts anyway!

IF this had happened to me-- I'd replace the outlet with a normal 20amp
household outlet found at any hardware store or big box home supply.
20 amp outlets have heavier spring pressure on the prongs of any cord
you plug into them.

The outlets found in my RV and most likely yours are wired with cheap
push in wire connections on the back.
This is not nearly as good as stripping a wire and placing it under a screw
which you can securely tighten.

The heat could also have been caused by a defective power cord
on the heater.
The cord end is factory crimped onto the two prongs and then molded
in plastic. If the crimp was defective at the factory, it will get hot as you
say.
It could also have been a weak receptacle as others have already said.

Change the outlet and try again.

By the way, the heat will be generated at the point of MOST resistance
not least.
I'm splitting hairs but that's the way it is.

It's normal for the plug to get warm with a heater on high.
It should NOT get uncomfortably hot to the touch.

I also installed a dedicated outlet for my space heater.
My power panel had extra slots for circuit breakers.
They just plug in. They can be found at most any home supply store.
I put an "old work" box in the toe kick area near my power panel and
plugged in a 15 amp breaker and used about 3 feet of #14 romex wire.

It was a simple one beer job but I've been doing this a few years!

Good luck, be careful out there and Happy Camping!!

KyDan
37 years industrial electrical maintenance
now happily retired 3 and counting

[Barnman1]

First the reason the cord got hot is that it was running for a long time on full load. If you look and voltage and current (in normal house voltage of approx 120V) that heater is pulling 12.5amp. Now with campsite voltage not being reliable, as the voltage goes down your amps go up. For instance if the incoming voltage is down to 109V then your amp draw is 13.7amps. So anything that runs for quite a while at high amps will get really hot. By reducing the setting you reduced the amp draw, so not hot now). DO NOT change the 15 amp outlet with 20amp outlet, unless you change all of the outlets and breaker feeding the outlets to 20amp. A space heater is not intended to be the only functioning heater. It should only be used in cooperation with the gas furnace to save on gas usage.