MEP-831A Changing out the not so convenient Convenience Plug

[Navy GiJoe]

Like many other MEP-831A owners, I have found that the Convenience Plug is not very convenient, the GFCI is only 10A. After looking around this site and reading lots of threads, I decided to replace mine with a similar GFCI from the same manufacturer, but rated at 20A. The new unit does not have a manual reset for a thermo overload, but I can live with that. I found the part for sale on line for under $60, and it only took about 30 minutes to swap out including taking the pictures. If you can wire an outlet, you can do this as well. There are only 5 wires involved. Easy Day.

Picture of the original unit outside

Original unit from inside



The two units side by side

The new unit outside

The new unit inside


View attachment GFCI Panel Mounts Product Datasheet.pdf

 

[DieselAddict]

Be sure to evaluate everything in the circuit upstream of the GFI. You could cause damage at 20a. The wires are pretty small.

 

[doghead]

Also, is that outlet rated for 20 amps?

 

[Guyfang]

There is a reason, ALL 110 outlets on ALL army gen sets, are rated at 10 Amps. Take nothing for granted.

 

[Navy GiJoe]

Hello DieselAddict, I will go back through the manual and make sure I did not miss anything. Hi Doghead, yes I had previously switched out my outlet for a standard 20A outlet. The one on the generator was 15A. Greetings Guyfang, I agree there are reasons, and if you know what they are, I would love to know. As far as I have been able to determine, the GFCI the military used is not one that the company normally sells, it was specially made for the government. After 20 years in the Navy, my experience has been that the reason the government does something is sometimes vague at best.

 

[Guyfang]

Hello DieselAddict, I will go back through the manual and make sure I did not miss anything. Hi Doghead, yes I had previously switched out my outlet for a standard 20A outlet. The one on the generator was 15A. Greetings Guyfang, I agree there are reasons, and if you know what they are, I would love to know. As far as I have been able to determine, the GFCI the military used is not one that the company normally sells, it was specially made for the government. After 20 years in the Navy, my experience has been that the reason the government does something is sometimes vague at best.

Greetings right back to you Navy!

Since you changed the outlet, you have negated part of the reason, I was talking about. But the wires from the TB-4, where The GFI is connected at terminals 2&3, still continues on, with a smaller gage wire. Would I worry about it? No, but I would never forget about it also. I have seen one occasion where the GFI, did NOT do its job. There is nothing like the smell of burnt wires, in the morning!

The above words in yellow, are the second most true words ever uttered in the history of the human race. The first is, No good deed goes unpunished.

Yes, the GFI is just for the military. This is version 3. Version 1, had an inline fuse. Version 2 I don't remember why it was superseded.

 

[NEIOWA]

I think MEP803A has same outlet. Plug in and start a small air compressor. Likely did draw more than 10a. Now outlet is dead.

Is there a breaker/fuse inside the control box that will need reset of did I break it?

 

[Guyfang]

Open the control panel. Reach up onto the GFI, and push the switch down. If you have a REAL old GFI, it has an inline fuse. But I think most of them are long gone.

If you look at NAVY's second picture, you will see a switch. Its labeled CB-3. That's what you want.

 

[Navy GiJoe]

Guyfang, my plan is not push the 20A, instead stay closer to the 10A. I have encountered the same issue as NEIOWA, it seems almost everything is over 10A anymore.

 

[Guyfang]

Your good then. The only time I would worry about it is if I was pulling Max Amps, over a long time period. That's one of the problems of a smaller gen set. There is no distribution box you can hook to the output load terminals. Or, for the military anyway. We did what most everyone here does, bought one off the shelf. The nice thing about the GFI, is that it's a GFI! It can save your life. Some people cobble together a "distribution system", a cable and a couple of outlets, and it's good. Well, it ain't got no protection for the end user, should you have a ground fault. Like I posted in another thread, you only have to grab hold of something once and get shocked, to re-orientate your whole way of thinking. That's why I really like the GFI. Foolishly, the military never bought into the idea, of a GFI for the output load terminals.

 

[Navy GiJoe]

Couldn't agree with you more. All the GFI stuff I saw working with the Seabees was bright yellow commercial items.

 

[royerator]

Hey all, first post.

What if you just used 12 gauge wire, from L1 and N on the inverter...directly to a 20a convenience receptacle and GFCI....protected by an inline 20a fuse?? Would this be an alternate method of accomplishing the same thing?? If you did that you could negate the main bus terminals...a convenient way to use 75% of available power. Also, of you installed a 30a fuse at L1 on inverter...then branched off to 2x 12g wires (protected by 2 20 amp fuses) and then went straight to a duplex receptacle with the connecting tabs broke off...then you would have 100% available and still have 30a protection? I am hopeful that these ideas contribute to this post.