Best residential plug for 12v in house? (vs 120v)

[RandyP]

The NEC doesn't apply to RVs. .....................

How false this statemment is !
NFPA NEC
Article 551 RV's and RV Parks apply.
This article Information Note
Low voltage systems, refers to NFPA 1192 standards for RV and ANSI/RVIA LV, standards for low voltage sytems in conversions ane RV's applies also.

 

[CoolWill]

How false this statemment is !
NFPA NEC
Article 551 RV's and RV Parks apply.
This article Information Note
Low voltage systems, refers to NFPA 1192 standards for RV and ANSI/RVIA LV, standards for low voltage sytems in conversions ane RV's applies also.

I don't know what's so confusing here. The NEC is not ENFORCEABLE by a government inspection authority in RVs. Your local building inspector won't be visiting your RV and looking for NEC violations. Now, the RV industry can certainly CHOOSE to use the NEC standard. They can certainly slap a nice sticker on it that signals to everyone else how great this RV is.

Or, let me say it this way. You can build your own homemade RV, and make it roadworthy to all highway and automotive standards, and then you could wire it with paperclips and speaker wire and violate every principle in the NEC, and there is nothing anyone could do to stop you.

 

[timselectric]

Awesome
I finally have a project for all of the paper clips and speaker wire laying around.
I knew that they would come in handy one day.

 

[CoolWill]

Awesome
I finally have a project for all of the paper clips and speaker wire laying around.
I knew that they would come in handy one day.

You should grow a mustache and stroke is maniacally when you're done.

 

[rhino]

You can just use a "wall wart" that outputs 12V and skip having DC outlets everywhere. https://www.digikey.com/en/products...AMrMBOAlgHYBzEAF9CAWgBMiECkjcArgWJkQAVhB1hWoA

That would save you huge amount of hassle.

 

[Delmar]

You can just use a "wall wart" that outputs 12V and skip having DC outlets everywhere.

That would save you huge amount of hassle.

The OP intent is for emergency lighting and grid-down where 120V is not available.

 

[rhino]

The OP intent is for emergency lighting and grid-down where 120V is not available.

Just wanted to make sure the entire use case is analyzed and there wouldn't be more value in having an inverter in that case since it seems there would already be a battery system that is charged somehow to supply the 12V to begin with.

 

[RandyP]

I don't know what's so confusing here. The NEC is not ENFORCEABLE by a government inspection authority in RVs. Your local building inspector won't be visiting your RV and looking for NEC violations. Now, the RV industry can certainly CHOOSE to use the NEC standard. They can certainly slap a nice sticker on it that signals to everyone else how great this RV is.

Or, let me say it this way. You can build your own homemade RV, and make it roadworthy to all highway and automotive standards, and then you could wire it with paperclips and speaker wire and violate every principle in the NEC, and there is nothing anyone could do to stop you.

Keep in mind that if you value your investment in your RV, you might want to insure it.
Try insuring an RV without the RVIA cert sticker on it.
.
RVIA-LV ANSI standard Chapter 9 Refrence Publications
pargraph 90-1
"The following Documents or specific portions thereof are referenced within this standard. The addition indicated for each reference shall bethe current edition as of the date of the ANSI issuance of this document. "
paragraph 9-4 NFPA publications ............. NFPA 70 2017 National Electric Code. (I may nto have the most current RVIA-LV standard, so the date may have changed in this reference.
.
Some of the RV's out there are getting quite pricey. If yours goes up in smoke and you burn your neighbors dowa as a result of your fire, you could become liable for their loss. Where there is a large investment, the ownerr wight find a good lawyer to sue you forhis cliants losss.

 

[schmism]

I dont understand why your first thought wasn't to use the plug that has been a standard 12v plug for 40? 50? years.... You know this one.


Its stupid to pull more than 10 to15 amp over 12v which is well within the range of that socket/plug.

 

[HarryN]

The SAE connector is also a possibility.

They come in both bulkhead and line versions.

The power pole Anderson connectors have become a standard in the ham radio application. As a practical matter, it wasn't a great technical choice because they are not UV or cold weather resistant at all - but it is what it is.

Neutrik makes some DC plugs that are interesting.

 

[Batvette]

You can just use a "wall wart" that outputs 12V and skip having DC outlets everywhere. https://www.digikey.com/en/products...AMrMBOAlgHYBzEAF9CAWgBMiECkjcArgWJkQAVhB1hWoA


That would save you huge amount of hassle.

Wall warts consume power all the time, whether the load is used or not.

 

[Batvette]

The SAE connector is also a possibility.

They come in both bulkhead and line versions.

AKA bullet connectors.
AKA trailer plugs.

Been using em for years. The chinese ones (all of them now) are sketchy, even if the leads are 10 or 12 awg dont trust em for more than about 15a continuous. Always make the female side the positive on the supply side.

I bought a 12v freezer from National Luna, made in South Africa. It came with an interesting DC cord with a panel mounted plug, never seen one before.

They call it "DIN/Hella style".
Example:

https://www.amazon.com/Meetou-Powerlet-European-Cigarette-Connector/dp/B07MDKKMZ3

It does seem like it would flow a lot of current.

If you can afford it I believe they have the best 12v freezers on the market today. I have the 60l dual control.

 

[HarryN]

AKA bullet connectors.
AKA trailer plugs.

Been using em for years. The chinese ones (all of them now) are sketchy, even if the leads are 10 or 12 awg dont trust em for more than about 15a continuous. Always make the female side the positive on the supply side.

Agree. At least they are available with a cover and are actually designed to be weather resistant.

Another possibility are motor sport connectors like the deutch connections, but that is over kill for in a home.

 

[JoeHam]

You can just use a "wall wart" that outputs 12V and skip having DC outlets everywhere. https://www.digikey.com/en/products...AMrMBOAlgHYBzEAF9CAWgBMiECkjcArgWJkQAVhB1hWoA

That would save you huge amount of hassle.

But you would be burning power 24/7/365 even if you’re not using the 12V output which makes it a terrible solution IMHO.

 

[CoolWill]

But you would be burning power 24/7/365 even if you’re not using the 12V output which makes it a terrible solution IMHO.

But just milliwatts. I guess battery capacity is at a premium in a lot of systems, but you could maybe setup a timer to shut down circuits after a certain time.

 

[TorC]

@CoolWill It's small if your system includes an inverter running constantly. If the system is small enough to consider shutting down the inverter, however, it's probably also small enough that such idle loss becomes problematic.

There's also the question of what the system is designed to do. Is keeping a little basic something on even through the inverter(s) failing a worthwhile design goal? If so, then running some DC does become more sensible.

 

[HarryN]

Wikipedia has a fairly decent article on DC connectors:

DC connector - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[OffGridForGood]

Wikipedia has a fairly decent article on DC connectors:

DC connector - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Wow that was quite a read.
I vote (if this is up to a vote) Anderson connectors,
actullay I like this convention: Yellow = 12vDC, Red =24vDC and Blue = 48vDC.

 

[45North]

Since the OP doesn't like "cigarette-lighter" plugs (my most intuitive, traditional plug for 12vdc), I vote for USB-c, the plug of the future.

 

[Ampster]

I vote (if this is up to a vote) Anderson connectors

I'll vote for Anderson connectors since I have been using them since 2012. I use traditional red and black for 12 volt and Orange and Gray for 48 volt up to 45 Amps. Above that Orange or Gray for higher Amperage because they are single two pole polarized connectors. That is just a personal choice which is already imbedded in my various systems .