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Electrical question

Yahoo Message Number: 5502
I have been having a new situation the past few days. I am connected to 30 amp shore power. It is cool here and I have been using the heat pump in the early morning and at night. Several times, it has shut off like the breaker has tripped and power has switched to the inverter. The first couple of times II went outside to trip the breaker, but it had not tripped. After a few minutes, it switches back to AC and the heat pump comes back on. At first I thought this was because of overload--once I was using the dryer, another time, the hair dryer. But, this morning it has gone off and back on several times with no other electrical usage except the TV and coffee pot.
Any suggestions on what is happening? Is it hurting anything? I go back to JC in a week--is this a problem that they need to do anything about?

Thanks
Ree

Full-timin' in a 2003 Allure #30852

Currently at LaConner, Washington Thousand Trails

Re: Electrical question

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5503
--- Hi Ree

This is an easy one. Your voltage is either too high or too low which is being detected by the Surge Guard and removing power until the voltage is in spec. I am currently adding 3 test jacks on the circuit breaker panel in the bedroom to monitor voltage and frequecy after the transfer switch which is locatd very close to the Surge Guard. This way I can look at both shore power and generator inputs.
The higher line coaches have readouts.
Fred Kovol

Re: Electrical question

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5505
Hi Ree, sounds like you are just trying to use too many amps at one time. The clothes dryer, hair dryer, toaster, coffee maker, all pull a lot of power (amps) along with the heat pump that is drawing high amps.
Any item that has a heating element uses a lot of power. Your surge guard cuts off the power when the draw is too much. Dale

Re: Electrical question

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5507
--- Hi Ree

This is an easy one. Your voltage is either too high or too low which is being detected by the Surge Guard and removing power until the voltage is in spec. I am currently adding 3 test jacks on the circuit breaker panel in the bedroom to monitor voltage and frequecy after the transfer switch which is locatd very close to the Surge Guard. This way I can look at both shore power and generator inputs.
The higher line coaches have readouts.
Fred Kovol

Re: Electrical question

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5532
But why does it sometimes just switch to inverter and not trip the breaker outside---and other times it trips the breaker outside?

Ree

Full-timin' in a 2003 Allure #30852

Currently at Turner, OR --- on the way back to JC

Re: Electrical question

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5561
Ree,
The Surge Guard cuts power to the coach when the voltage to the unit falls below (I think) 102 vAC. When it comes back up you will be reconnected to shore power. Between low voltage at the pole at your camp site and a large load from your coach that's the way it is supposed to work.
Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
"The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished."

Re: Electrical question

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5562
Thanks for the info--sounds great--but I just have to wonder why it just started working. Until a few days ago, when the voltage dropped, the breaker at the pole tripped. The only thing that could have affected it--my inverter was set for gel-cells and CC set them for the AGM batteries just before this started. Would that do it?

Ree

Full-timin' in a 2003 Allure #30852

Currently back in JC

Re: Electrical question

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5570
Ree,

This is probably normal operation. Your power inverter and the type of electric motor used in the A/C units will consume more Amps as the line voltage decreases. (This is just a basic characteristic of how they work.) Therefore, if the Amps you are using exceed the capacity of the pole circuit breaker before the line voltage dropped below the Surge Guard trip point, the pole breaker would trip. If, on the other hand, the line voltage dropped below the Surge Guard trip point before the amps exceeded the pole circuit breaker capacity, then the Surge Guard would trip.

Here are a couple of examples to illustrate:

Case 1:

Voltage is 115 volts and your coach is using 29 Amps.
The guy two sites down turns on his microwave and the line voltage drops to 106 volts.
Your inverter is charging your batteries so it makes up for the diminished voltage by increasing it's current draw by 3 Amps. You are now drawing 32 Amps and the pole breaker trips even though you did nothing.

Case 2:

Voltage is 106 volts and your coach is using 29 Amps.
The guy two sites down turns on his microwave and the line voltage drops to 97 volts.
Your Surge Guard detects the low voltage and trips even though you did nothing.

Hope this helps.
Dave

2000 Allure 36'
#30444

Re: Electrical question

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5585
Sorry I did not respond last week Ree. With a new 2003 Allure I would assume that you have meters to watch the volts and amps. If not, get a Good Govenor or similar meter available from CW. It plugs into an outlet (I use one at the very front of the coach) and measures AC volts and frequency (shore power and generator use). I can watch the voltages and when it gets down to 108 take action before the Surge Guard does its job. The Surge Guard will shut down the system at 103 volts and that is the point where air conditioner motors can get damaged. Anyway, if you are down to 108volts and want to use a hair dryer, toaster, etc. something has to be turned off before you use a new item. You will need to record the amps of your various components and act accordingly.

On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 15:01:05 -0400 maymr@...> writes:
 

Electrical question

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8083
We are currently at Pioneer RV park (aka Hee-Haw village) between Cave Creek and Black Canyon City, Arizona.
I am plugged into 2 30amp breakers, using the gizmo the dealer gave me that plugs into 2 30amps, and has a female 50amp plug that you plug your coach power cord into.

I should have 2 30amp legs coming into the coach, instead of the normal 2 50amp legs, right?

The Surge Guard is showing both lines coming in, (those lights are on) with no over/under conditions, (those indicator lights are out).
The inverter is in the off position.
The batteries are 100% charged, but the RC7 display is showing Absorpsion charge (book says should be showing Float charge if 100%).
The problem? I am hearing occasional clanking (like the relay you hear when the coach switches over to shore power after 2 1/2 minutes).

It seems to happen more when there are no loads on the 120 volt system, like coffee pots, etc. I have a RMS voltage monitor plugged into an outlet, it shows around 122volts, 60 hz with no 120 loads, and will drop to 111 to 114 volts if the coffee pot is brewing.
Anyone have any ideas why the relays are going off/on, and any chance harm is being done? We are leaving here this am, but still would like to understand what is happening.
This is the first time I have used the 2 for 1 pigtail.
Could it have something to do with the batteries overcharging, we have been here since Monday evening, and it seemed to start Tuesday night, during the night.

Bill Harris

03 Allure 1st Ave 30912
Datastorm