Hooked up a 30 amp recepticle wrong and put hi voltage to the coach.The powerwatch AC meter was pegged out for a few seconds
and the reverse polarity red indicator was on,I unplugged ASAP.Now have 120 volts to the coach,AC meter shows 120 volts,The
freedom remote panel seems ok but the charger will not come on,tried running the setup program but charger won't run,looking
at the manual now and checking for a fuse or breaker.If I run the generator same result no charger.Any ideas will be appreciated.
The 12 volt lights work and the AC recepticles are working just no charging,Will try turning off AC per Xantrex manual,this is
supposed to turn charger back on.
John,
By chance did you plug into a 240 VAC outlet? If so, you may need to open up the inverter/charger and check for the internal fuse.
Said another way, if 120 VAC is reaching the inverter/charger but no charging (and likely no pass through) the problem is in the unit itself.
Long story short, yes,will disconnect every wire from charger and check inside,thanks.
Yes, that happened to me right after I bought the coach in 2008. Thought I might be buying a new inverter, but I eventually found and replaced the internal fuse, I think it was a type that was wired into the PC board like a resistor. It also cooked most of the components on the small circuit board in the central vac. Nothing else was on like the TV, so I got off easy. A good reason to have a Progressive EMS.
Don't know what or how John put high voltage to the coach, but isn't this just where Progressive Industries EMS protection would save our wallet?
We are always at risk for electric voltage issues at every plug-in, and with all the expensive 120-volt appliances shouldn't everyone have over / under voltage protection.
It seems not if something will be damaged, but when. . . Heck, people have blown out RV appliances plugging in to a relative's home, so how can every well-worn campground guarantee safety.
Will be taking the Freedom 458 out tomorrow to find the fuse,did have a SSP-50XL ,vacuum still works maybe just blew the fuse.
Was changing a 30 amp recepticle to a different kind and wired it wrong.
John,
30 amp RV service:
ONE HOT, one neutral, one ground.
Give the side of it a hard wack with your fist. May start charging. Does it invert? Those were noted for the charge circuit going out do to a bad board.
Not worth fixing, unless you love it.
I have gotten several of those, and used them for the inverter, just added a nice charger. Works fine.
I use these. Installed tons, never had a issue in many years. They come in higher amp:
Powermax PM3-60 110 Volts AC to 12 Volts DC 60 AMP RV Converter Battery... (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Powermax-PM3-60-110-Volts-AC-to-12-Volts-DC-60-AMP-RV-Converter-Battery-Charger/272510347754?epid=2126056887&hash=item3f72e1e9ea:g:5jsAAOSw5cNYbVBD)
Jerry,do you have the Freedom 458,going to check inside mine in a couple of days,have to live in the coach while moving so need
power.Hope it's just the fuse.Will be getting a surge guard 34951,same price as the progressive but a little better in some areas.
Talked to one of the Zantrex techs,my options are,replace the fuse myself and go from there,send it to them and they will install
a updated board with new relays to update the charger,cost $650,just buy a new Zantrex for about $1000 or get another brand
charger or go with the Grace option,whatta ya-all think?
John,
Can you replace the fuse yourself? That would be my first choice-- or perhaps CAREFULLY bridge across it to see if the inverter/charger then functions. THEN make your decision.
If unable to resurrect it, I would probably go with a PSW replacement.
If I couldn't repair it myself, I wouldn't put much in a 23 year old inverter. I would bite the bullet and replace it with modern technology PSW, and battery charging.
John, what is the "Grace" option?
If your broken inverter is over 5 years old, it is not a good idea to put big $ into repair, as many components have 'wear' and may fail sooner rather than later.
With the 458 being modified sine wave, NO money should be put into it. All modified sine wave work, but have some limitation that can damage some types of items. All 120-volt devices are manufactured to work on sine wave. No 120-volt items are specifically made to work on modified, just some/many do work ok.
A new inverter charges the batteries based on temps greatly increasing their life and with a battery management system actually learns your batteries and adjusts the charger to match their actual condition.
Microwave puts out more power on pure sine wave.
A newer unit can be system matched and expanded to include gen auto start that can be tied to the air conditioning in your case if you have Dometic airs.
Does your ac control panel control your furnace? I think it does. If it does the system integration can add the heater into the auto gen start aystem based on either hot or cold or battery state of charge.
Engineering marches on. 22 years later.
The old inverters tend to corrode the internal contactors "points" that lessens the amount of power that flows through them.
A robust system can run a integral solar controller with the latest units capable of using 240 volt top residential grade solar panels directly. Early controllers were not rated for the 240 volt input.
Small wires I understand are the benefit from this along with the less roof area needed to input X amount of power.
Bob, love to see a link to one of these 240 volt panels.
Barry,read the posts,Gracerace's option is to keep the 458 and buy a new charger.
Jcus,we have the old ac's,switches on the unit,the 458 I have is from 2006 but is mod sine wave.
https://stellarsolar.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/sp_X22_370_360_d_ac_datasheet_527025_A.pdf
Should work with our magnum pt-100 solar controller.
It was already made for that much power as far as I know.
Newest Victron comttoller is also rated up to 250 volts for the highly efficient panels
Not sure if these panels are the right ones.
Sunpower makes 58 volt dc panels also.
The pt 100 will take 240vdc. Not sure about the ac stuff. Better experts here than I by far.
Craneman made up much heavier mounting brackets for his panels
Nothing new, basically a 48 volt panel that has a microinverter on it that changes the 48 volt dc panel output to 240 ac so you can feed it directly back to the grid. You still must convert whatever your panels put out to your battery voltage. Not sure any solar controller can take that 240 volt ac and convert it to the dc, your batteries will require to charge.
Your PT-100 says it will accept 240 volts DC.
Best hooked up to a Tesla powerwall which can take the 240ac input and put out 7k watts of 110v ac.
With Edison credit can be bootlegged installed and get the credit back and somehow have the Tesla fall off the wall and be caught by the coaches compartment floor.
Net cost around $3500. The Tesla has internal temp control and recirculating coolant
Here's the dc version I think.
https://us.sunpower.com/sites/default/files/sp-x22-370-ds-en-ltr-mc4comp-527787.pdf
That panel is 60 volts. Problem with Powerwall is that it is a complete unit, it is around 400 volts for the complete unit including the 240 volt ac input charger. Seeing our coaches have lot of 12 volt equipment, getting that 400 volts down to a usable 12 volts is a problem. This is why most people use modules from a Tesla car.
Tesla's Lithium Powerwall – Awesome, But Not For RVs | Technomadia (https://www.technomadia.com/2015/05/teslas-lithium-powerwall-awesome-but-not-for-rvs/)
I now see Grace option is one of us, not a type of charger. Thanks John.
I think that Grace's separating charger and inverter can be a great idea, allowing 120-volt circuits to be powered by a battery powered sine wave inverter, even when plugged into shore power, completely eliminating all power problems like surge, over & under voltages. No need for over-under voltage protection.
Plug into shore power to power battery charger which powers inverter to make your own 120-volt circuit. So both charger & inverter are on at the same time.
Only limitation is battery charger has to put out enough amps to power an inverter that must put out enough watts to power everything on the circuit.
BTW, reading specs on PowerMax I see 3-stage charging, but did not see battery temp compensated charging profiles. Often Converter chargers have less sophisticated charging profiles. The main job of Converters are to replace battery banks by supplying a constant voltage for 12-volt loads.
I was suggesting just adding a charger, and leaving the inverter off when not needed, that is if it still inverts. Cheapest way out. Done it a few times, works fine.
I rarely use our inverter. Have a 300 watt PSW in the overhead for all the video stuff, and a small one for rear TV.
Chris
Do the same, have 600 watt inverter for audio and video stuff and leave on all the time. Only turn big inverter on when I need to use microwave or coffee pot.
Can be mounted flat. 6 8d's plus, takes in 240 volt. Outputs 110 or 220. Number ll unit.
$7k. Plus wall mount and install, $1,500.
Utility credit $4,500 here.
Weighs 270 pounds.
-4 f to 110 f.
Liquid temp control.
Ten year warranty with a live WiFi full time hookup.
4 years remote.
7000 watt inverter.
5000 watt charge.
Less money than 6 battle borns and 2 stacked sealed outbacks.
Much less than half $ with the utilities credit in so cal.
If we were going to full time and put in a large residential refer like our just installed Samsung 22 cu ft counter depth refer in our home remodel the powerwall would be on my list.
Plus the residential solar panels and the pt100 and the auto start and the integrated heat and air to go with the auto start.
Lots of time and money but a totally automatic almost endless power and capacity system.
Roof air on battery stuff.
Am I wrong?
24 amps of 110.
I would be tempted to keep the gels and magnum until I knew this worked ok.
Or tie them together through the Tesla? Hmmmm
Powerwall | The Tesla Home Battery (https://www.tesla.com/powerwall)
Residential only. You will have to change over yourself so far
Go for it Bob, be sure to pass on all your good info to Chris and Cherie at Technomadia, they can't figure out how to do it. Their contact info.
Tesla's Lithium Powerwall – Awesome, But Not For RVs | Technomadia (https://www.technomadia.com/2015/05/teslas-lithium-powerwall-awesome-but-not-for-rvs/)
Is their info a gen 1 powerwall?
The #2 can be mounted flat, double capacity
Read the Tesla manual link please. It seems you did not?
I have seen a older Marquis with a gen 1 Tesla powerwall, mounted vertically on the rear cap a few years ago
It's obvious that they did not have access to a gen ll units manual
6" thick, not over 7". 270 vs 220.....
Yes Bob. Powerwall 2 can be mounted horizontally. Now you read the rest of the article, and explain how to get 12 volts to run lights, air compressors, hyd pumps [if you have slides], aqua-hot pumps, water pumps, propane furnace blowers, control voltage for air conditioners etc? You can get 12 volts at 100 amps off a 400 volt battery or even off the 120 volt output of the Powerwall, but it is not as plug and play as you think it is, and certainly not cheap. Which is why, I have never heard of, or read of anyone, replacing their house batteries and inverter with a complete house powerwall. Plenty with Tesla battery packs and separate inverters, yes.
I will assume you have all the angles covered and look forward to reading about your install.
Yup, keeps the sat receiver loaded.
Big one for coffee, or blow drier, if I don't want to bother someone with the gen set.
;)
Chris
I see the point here. If one wanted a complete 110 volt system then the Tesla would work.
Takes two to put out 50 amps of 110. $14k. Before rebates. $6k after,
I think a new iron horse with dual inverters may be able to run a 240 volt cooktop but with enough load the gen probably auto starts.
Tesla is rumored to be building a gen lll.
Elon reportedly wants to sell more Powerwalls than electric cars.
Like I said I have seen a coach with a gen 1 on it mounted externally so I can be done
Probably going to go with a Magnum MS2812 setup,one plus is that alot of us have them when trouble happens,will decide between the 2000 or 3000 watt model.
Your old inverter may be a modified sine wave type, probably not so good for today's electronics. I have a Victron 3000 VA Multiplus charger/inverter and a smaller 800VA Victron Phoenix inverter that powers just electronics all the time. No loss of power when switching from inverter to land line or generator but those circuits can be powered by either inverter, land line or generator with a simple switch.
Any of the modern choices will work. Some are more cost effective, more efficient and have better warranties than others.