Power cord down hole in bathroom sink

kcaravelli · 10-01-2009, 02:33 PM

Hello,

We are full-times and live near Seattle in a 33u Itasca Suncruiser.

I am wanting to put an extension chord like the type I use outside in the yard down the pipe hole in the bathroom sink. This will allow me to drop one of the dehumidifiers we used to have on our boat down into the holding tank bay and leave it there for the winter assuming it will fit.

I would also like to do the same with the fresh water tank holding area by dropping a chord down the kitchen pipe area. Not sure where I will plug in. Perhaps I should be coming in from the outside into these cabinets instead of using internal plugs for it.

Any thoughts on these ideas?

"007" · 10-01-2009, 02:46 PM

If you have a 110 outlet in a bay on passenger side for TV out side I would wire out of that outlet with #14 wire and place new outlet near where you need it.
It would than be off that circuit breaker in load center if there is ever a problem with dehumidifiers plus will not cause a problems threw floor of coach with extension cords.
A steel fish will get the heavier wire threw your tank bays.

wa8yxm · 10-01-2009, 05:48 PM

I would not recommend going down the drain..better to access via other paths.

Question: Why are you worried about humidity in a waste water holding tank..Just give it a good cleaning (GEO method) and dump what dumps. don't worry about water in an area designed to hold exactly that. The fresh tank I can see an advantage to dehumidifying, but the waste tanks? (Controls/prevents bacteria/alge growth)

pace89 · 10-01-2009, 07:04 PM

Hi Kcaravelli.
You may be interested in our solution. I tied in to service line right where it comes in the coach. From there I went to a light bulb(Hot wire across the socket) socket, in the socket I put in a resetable circuit breaker. Then went to a lighted on/off switch I installed in the bedroom, then back down to the water bay to GFCI. I have a box heater plugged in to the GFCI, & an extension cord. Since the switch controls power to the GFCI I can turn on the Box heater as I see fit (assuming It is turned on) & use the extension cord for use outside the coach on the drivers side as needed. Something like this may work for your application. If interested project photos of that & other projects are at: Picasa Web Albums - Terry & Bev + Cookie

kcaravelli · 10-04-2009, 11:00 AM

I am really only concerned about freezing in the holding tank area. We did not have a problem last winter and it was an especially heavy, cold winter for Seattle here. I'm just thinking ahead for this winter. Any ideas and comments welcome. I'm not actually sure how to get access to the area anyway.

pace89 · 10-04-2009, 01:14 PM

Hi Kcaravelli.
I do not know about the Suncruiser but our Sightseer has access to the basement in:Below the corner cabinet in the bathroom
Below the bottom draw in the front corner of the bedroom shirt
closet.
Galley area front of counter curbside.
There may be other areas. Check all cabinets/draw areas near the floor for places the manufacturer provided for pipe/wire chase and or ventilation/heat ciculation to the basement area. An illustration of such a chase is visible in the photos posted in the web site in my previous post.

Pete & Linda · 11-11-2009, 03:02 PM

I have a 2004 Pace Arrow and my holding tanks are heated. Reason to use your furnaces and not electric space heaters. I bet yours are the same.

DAN L · 11-12-2009, 12:31 AM

we bought 3 wired inside-outside temperature gauges from harbor freight for about $5 each. there are wireless temp gauges available. the wireless installation would have been easier.
we put them in the front water tank/water heater compartment, middle tank compartment and the aft water service panel compartment.
we found that the front compartment does not require supplemental heat as long as the motoraid, electric, or propane water heater is on. we use a 100w light bulb in a trouble light in the other 2 compartments to keep them above freezing.
when the propane furnace is running, it keeps all of our water compartments above freezing.

John Hilley · 11-12-2009, 08:00 AM

You might consider an additional 20 amp shore cord. Just run an all weather extension cord from the 20 amp circuit on your power pedestal to the bay you want to have power in. If you wanted, you could terminate it in a small breaker panel (2 circuit) in the main power bay and run one circuit to each bay you want power in. You could put GFCI in the breaker panel or in the receptacle or just rely on the GFCI receptacle on the power pedestal.