Are Dog bone/Puck Electrical Adapters Safe? - Ask RV Supply Thursday

Question: Are Dog Bone or Puck electrical adapters safe to use?

Answer: First, let's answer the question of what a dog bone or puck adaptor is and what function they serve. These electrical adapters allow you to connect to a power outlet that provides less power than your RV needs but gives you some reduced electrical functions. The adapters will usually allow you to charge your batteries. However, on some 50 amp RVs reduced with a puck adapter for a 110v outlet, it will not allow any power into the RV.

The 50 amp dog bone adapter has two power connections, a ground and a neutral. When you reduce it with the dog bone to a 30 amp connection, the two power connections are reduced into one, with the other two being ground and neutral. The effect of this reduction is that you only have 30 amps of power available. The power reduction means you cannot run both A/C's simultaneously; you will only be able to run one. In addition, you will not be able to run your A/C and microwave simultaneously.

There are some dangers to running on an adapter. There are times when you draw more power than the adapter can handle, but it will not trip a breaker, and it will cause the adapter to melt. If this happens, it could cause a fire. So, you want to ensure you only run the amount of power through your adapter it is rated to handle; anything else can cause a problem.

Electrical adapters give you flexibility, but they need to be used wisely.

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