Need Help - Shoreline Ejector Problems

[PeteBlair]

At our voluntary EMS squad we keep our ambulances connected to shoreline power any time the ambulance is "in the barn," and each ambulance has an automatic cord ejector which actuates when the ignition switch is turned on.

We're having a continuing problem with the inline receptacle burning up as a result of arcing due to loose connections inside the inline receptacle. The connections are becoming loosened due to repetitively hitting the concrete floor when automatically ejected. At one time we were manually pulling the receptacle from the ambulance before start-up but that also caused burnout of the receptacles because of contact arcing.

Has anyone else experienced this sort of problem and if so, how did you fix it?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Flight-LP]

Are you sure it is being caused by the impact with the floor? Could it possibly be that you are attempting to connect the incorrect level of power? That is a very common issue when people attempt to power the ambulances with too much or too little juice. On average, our double receptacle shore lines are auto-ejected 12-15 per day. Add up all of the trucks, thats around 150 times per day. In the 11 years with my agency, impacting the ground has never caused this issue..........................

 

[Ridryder911]

Wow! Sounds pretty serious though. Would not want to awaken to a burning ambulance or hot rig...

R/r 911

 

[PeteBlair]

This will probably wind up like many problems I've seen in the past. When we finally hit the solution, the original cause will become extremely appearant. Until then...

You may have a point about the current rating. I just called down to the squad and had the captain examine one of the fried female recepticals (the one on the end of the extension cord). It's a 20 amp receptical. The male plug (on the side of the ambulance) is also 20 amps.

We don't have problems with the ambulance. It's always the recpticle on the end of the extension cord.

I believe that the last one that fried went south on the common wire. When the maintenance guy took it apart. There was obvious evidence of heat damage and the wire associated with the heat damage was no longer under the terminal screw.

Flight-LP, you mentioned "double receptacle shore lines." Does that mean you are using something different than us? The single recpticle on the end of our shore line is cylindrical, about 3 inches long, and about 1.75 inches in diameter.

Thanks again.

 

[Flight-LP]

1 powers the electrical system, 1 powers the secondary climate control system in the pt. compartment.............................

 

[PeteBlair]

OK, that explains one thing - we don't have climate control powered with shore power.

 

[emtwacker710]

yea..I don't think that the plugs hitting the floor could be causing the shorts, we have them on all of our apparatus at the FD and they are mounted low, right below the driver's side door and they hit the ground all the time for years...as for our ambulances the shorline plugs mid-way up the box and when it ejects it just swings there..you may want to have someone familiar with that type of ambulance or someone from that manufactuer come in and check it out for you..it could cause bigger problems in the future.

 

[BossyCow]

Ours have a cord retractor that hangs from the ceiling, never hits the floor. Also, extra benefit, if the retractor doesn't pull the cord up perfectly, we can't drive over it since its hangin in mid air.