I have a Freedom 25 inverter, a rebuild from 2006, with Heart interface. We've been on shore power for nearly a week, and this morning all of the sub-panel circuits went dead. None of the breakers was tripped, including those on the inverter, but there was a distinct electrical smell in the hold. After disconnecting shore power I was able to get 110vac from the house batteries through the inverter to the sub-panel as usual. Reconnecting shore power killed the sub-panel circuits, but the house batteries seemed to be charging normally. Now I can either use shore power to charge house batteries or use the circuits of the sub-panel on battery power, but not both at the same time. I'm pretty sure I've killed it off, but I'm appealing to those of greater wisdom and experience for input. Is there any hope?
Larry
(from St. Mary's, GA)
Larry, I can't help directly but if your Heart Interface is fried I have a near new one that I no longer need as my coach is for sale. It was removed from a coach on the line years ago and sent to Heart for check and rebuild. I kept it for a spare but it is for sale now. I am in the Atlanta area.
Give me a call if you need to.
Gary B 770-595-3891
What you are describing sounds like a transfer switch problem such that the transfer switch is not connecting shore power to your inverter subpanel.
Your Freedom 25 Inverter/BatteryCharger has an internal transfer switch which may not be used, like in my 1996 U320. Foretravel installed two automatic transfer switches in U320 motorhomes and so did not use the internal transfer switch.
I am not sure what Foretravel did about transfer switches in 1994 U300 motorhomes. Maybe some else here with a 1994 U30 knows.
I either case you need to determine which transfer switch transfers shore power to the inverter subpanel and find that transfer switch.
My 95 has only one transfer switch. Must use the inverter/charger's.
jor
Thank you all for your help. It does seem that U300s from 1994 used the transfer switch within the inverter/converter. If so, do you know of any possible repair, or would you give up on the Freedom 25 and just replace it? (Diagram attached)
You could add an automatic selector switch at the inverter which would probably be less costly than a new Inverter/BatteryCharger.
I have the two which I removed from my U320 when I replaced them with manual selector switches. They are in Canada right now and I could ship one of them at christmas.
By the way you have a Inverter/BatteryCharger not an Inverter/Converter. The output voltage of a Battery Charger varies between 13.4 volts and 15.6 volts, while a converter has a fixed voltage of circa 13.6 volts.
Your analysis of your sub panel problem leads to Freedom 25,s internal transfer relay being the probable cause.
Freedom 25 is powered from main panel 50-amp breaker which must be working as you can charge batteries.
There are two simple relays inside the Freedom 25 and one of them feeds sub panel on common points.
If relay's normally open points are connected to Freedom's input 50-amp circuit, the relay coil would have to be energized to pass 120-volts from main panel breaker to sub-panel's main breaker. Relay coil could be shot, which would not transfer this relay and would prevent sub-pane from being powered.
If relay's normally closed points are connected to Freedom's inverter circuit, when the main breaker 50-amp breaker is dead from being turned off or not having generator/shore power, inverter will send 120-volts to sub-panel.
This relay is pretty standard and if found to be the problem could be replaced. Also the second relay may not be used, so you could swap relays.
Freedom is not hard to take apart, but the heavy 12-volt cables are fixed and are not easily removed, so either you pull them all the way from battery or you work on inverter near where the Freedom is installed, only being able to move it the length of the cable slack.
There is a lot to be said about replacing any modified sine wave, like Freedom, to a true sine wave inverter, which is much easier on electronics. We replaced our Freedom with Xantrex 2000, but many more have replaced Freedoms with Magnum Energy inverter/chargers. Both of which will usually fit in the same space as the Freedom and the existing RG11 telephone type cord can be reused for the new inside control panels.
Yow! Now nothing works when connected to shore power or the generator. I'm keeping batteries charged for now with an automotive charter. Unplugged, though, I'm still getting 110vac through the inverter from the house batteries. I have an appointment to have the inverter bypassed until I can figure out what to do next. Again, thank you for your help and advice.
Larry,
If you are getting no 120 VAC from shore or generator, look at your ATS (called Switching Relay Box in your wiring diagram above) and/or wiring from that to the main breaker panel. May be nothing more than a loose connection at ATS or breaker box.
If you are not safe working around 120 VAC, have a pro do it (with shore disconnected, generator off and inverter off).
Again, thanks to all for contributing to this topic, and to my own meager education. Because I don't trust my own judgment around electricity, I decided to ask Camping World in Jacksonville, FL to check and advise, expecting to have them direct-connect incoming power to coach circuits. Turns out that the connections inside the inverter had loosened enough to melt the wire nuts and fry the wire ends. They sent us on our way, fully healed, for about 1/10 the cost I'd expected. I've had mixed experiences with CW, but the one in Jacksonville earns a gold star.
Larry, Glad to here that problem was solved. Really impressed that it was solved at CW. Never have had any luck with them.
Gary B