Country Coach Restoration, Repair & Parts Forums => Country Coach Archive => Topic started by: Lyle on January 05, 2011, 06:04:23 pm
Title: Refer swapout elec question
Post by: Lyle on January 05, 2011, 06:04:23 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 67169 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/67169)I'm not too up on inverter operation so here is the question. As I removed the Norcold, and in preparing the empty box for the new refer, I need to relocate the elec receptacle. In dismantling the old elec box (dual outlets) I find only one set of wires and they were linked to both outlets. So, the icemaker and the refer operated on the same 110 source. Since the Norcold did operate on inverter while on the road I assume that shore power is routed through the inverter. If this is correct then if the inverter goes south there will be no power for the refer?? If true then I guess I should run a separate 110 from some other location and maybe through a switch be able to select inverter or shore power to the refer. Would probably only use the new shore power switch position in emergency when the inverter faulted. All input welcome. Lyle Wetherholt 04 Intrigue 11740
Title: Re: Refer swapout elec question
Post by: Don Seager on January 05, 2011, 06:27:46 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 67171 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/67171)In my 2004 Allure the Norcold was not connected to an inverter circuit. With no shore power or generator I had to run it on gas. If yours is the same then, I believe that you will have to run an inverter circuit to it if you want to run it on the inverter.
Don Seager
2004 Allure 31046
Title: Re: Refer swapout elec question
Post by: Lyle on January 05, 2011, 07:33:42 pm
Thanks for the response but I think you may have missed the point or I did not explain it well enough. The existing receptacle had two wires coming, obviously, from the inverter since the Norcold and the ice maker ran on inverter. But, what if I had been in the past, or would be in the future, on shore power or generator and the inverter went south. Would I still have power to the new refer or do I need to run a new line from another location? Lyle Wetherholt 04 Intrigue 11740 > In my 2004 Allure the Norcold was not connected to an inverter circuit. With no shore power or generator I had to run it on gas. If yours is the same then, I believe that you will have to run an inverter circuit to it if you want to run it on the inverter.
Don Seager
2004 Allure 31046
> I'm not too up on inverter operation so here is the question. As I removed the Norcold, and in preparing the empty box for the new refer, I need to relocate the elec receptacle. In dismantling the old elec box (dual outlets) I find only one set of wires and they were linked to both outlets. So, the icemaker and the refer operated on the same 110 source. Since the Norcold did operate on inverter while on the road I assume that shore power is routed through the inverter. If this is correct then if the inverter goes south there will be no power for the refer?? If true then I guess I should run a separate 110 from some other location and maybe through a switch be able to select inverter or shore power to the refer. Would probably only use the new shore power switch position in emergency when the inverter faulted. All input welcome. Lyle Wetherholt 04 Intrigue 11740
Title: Re: Refer swapout elec questionI
Post by: George Sanders on January 05, 2011, 07:42:25 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 67182 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/67182)Lyle, If it were me I wouldn't bother with that backup strategy. In the event of a refrigerator involved inverter failure I would simply run an extension cord to the refer from the power pole if hooked up or from the washer dryer outlet if traveling with generator on. But, I am a simple minded guy.
George in Birmingham '04 Allure 31038
Title: Re: Refer swapout elec question
Post by: Don Seager on January 05, 2011, 08:48:35 pm
When you are on shore power the inverter circuits are supplied directly from the shore power or generator. You can turn the inverter off it makes no difference. When and if you lose shore power/generator power and the inverter has gone south, now you will not have any power to the fridge or anything else for that matter speaking in terms of 120 volts AC. That however is a triple contingency and the odds are pretty great against it occurring. Also I don't know exactly what you mean by gone south. I still wonder about the plug being supplied by the inverter. You are likely right but it wouldn't hurt to kill the shore power with the inverter on and see it the plug is still alive.
Don Seager
2004 Allure 31046
Quote from: "Don Seager"
Don,
Thanks for the response but I think you may have missed the point or I did not explain it well enough. The existing receptacle had two wires coming, obviously, from the inverter since the Norcold and the ice maker ran on inverter. But, what if I had been in the past, or would be in the future, on shore power or generator and the inverter went south. Would I still have power to the new refer or do I need to run a new line from another location? Lyle Wetherholt
04 Intrigue 11740
Quote
>
In my 2004 Allure the Norcold was not connected to an
inverter circuit. With no shore power or generator I had to run it on gas If yours is the same then, I believe that you will have to run an inverter circuit to it if you want to run it on the inverter.
Quote
>
Don
Seager
Quote
2004 Allure 31046
I'm not
too up on inverter operation so here is the question. As I removed the Norcold, and in preparing the empty box for the new refer, I need to relocate the elec receptacle. In dismantling the old elec box (dual outlets) I find only one set of wires and they were linked to both outlets. So, the icemaker and the refer operated on the same 110 source. Since the Norcold did operate on inverter while on the road I assume that shore power is routed through the inverter. If this is correct then if the inverter goes south there will be no power for the refer?? If true then I guess I should run a separate 110 from some other location and maybe through a switch be able to select inverter or shore power to the refer. Would probably only use the new shore power switch position in emergency when the inverter faulted. All input welcome.
Lyle Wetherholt
Quote
04 Intrigue 11740
Title: Re: Refer swapout elec question
Post by: Dallas Evans on January 05, 2011, 09:22:56 pm
My 2004 intrigue ovation refrigerator outlet was wired to the shore power side of the fuse box so the inverter would not produce power for my residential refrigerator conversion when I was not plugged into shore power. So, I moved the norcold/refrigerator 120 volt curcuit breaker to the inverter side of the fuse box. What this does is that if you are plugged into shore power, the refrigerator runs on shore power. If the inverter is on and the shorepower goes off the inverter instantly pickups the voltage to the refrigerator by using the batteries. There is no delay in this switching over. There really is no need to ever turn off the inverter unless you do not need to run something that requires 120 volts when the shore power or generator is not running. The inverter will charge the house batteries even if you leave it off when the shore power or generator is on. I leave my inverter on all of the time even though it is not being used for inverting 12 volts to 120 volts if plugged into shore power. Both sides of the electrical panel are live when plugged in to shore power or the generator is running but only oneside is live when not plugged into shore power and no generator. As I said, my regrigerator curcuit was on the inverter side when I had the norcold with icemaker installed in the MH. Today I have a Smasung residential refrigerator that draws 14 amp hours. That is about 2 days worth on my (4) 8D house batteries. A few days ago our shore power was lost to a storm around midnight and the inverter ran the refrigerator and ceramic heater in the motorhome for over 8 hours before the power came back on. The Generator was set to automatically come on at 55% SOC (state of charge) but the batteries never went that low and by the next morning the inverter had already recharged the batteries back to 100%.
Dallas 2004 intrigue ovation c12 11688
Title: Re: Refer swapout elec question
Post by: Peggy Lowell on January 05, 2011, 09:46:23 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 67194 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/67194)Lyle, my refer is not wired to the inverter. It is only on with gen. or shore power. You coach is very close to mine.
Lowell
#11725 Intrigue
Title: Re: Refer swapout elec question
Post by: Tom on January 05, 2011, 09:58:27 pm
What I did in my all electric Prevost was rig up a dual power cord that I could access either from inside or outside the bus and that was a simple foolproof solution. After a new fridge, never had to use it, but it was there hidden away in case both inverters took a dump. By the way, on my Magna, fridge and ice-maker plugs are separate and the ice-maker will run off the inverter, but the fridge will not. Simple solution if needed is I could just run the fridge and ice-maker off the inverter circuit if there was a problem with propane while traveling.
Tom
Trans-Specialists/Lifeline Batteries 01 Magna 5999
Yep, our coaches are close however when I bought ours I had the dealer wire the refer receptacle for inverter power. My previous coach was that way and I liked the setup. My question here, which has been answered, was whether all circuits (shore and genset) were wired through the inverter. That being the case I think the issue has been resolved. Kudos to you, Don, George, Dallas, et. al. for responding and participating in this valuable forum. Lyle Wetherholt 04 Intrigue 11740
> Lyle, my refer is not wired to the inverter. It is only on with gen. or shore power. You coach is very close to mine.