So yesterday running generator to either a good load on it 2 airs, washer, dryer, it started dropping one leg, lost power all together. Reset all breakers worked for a bit then all over again.Now it was hot about 100
So today cycled all breakers, checked all connection's at the generator, panels, transfer switches. Generator running no load at gen 122.5, at t/fer sw in same, out same. Under load 2 airs micro wave elcetric water heater on 119.6- 118.7 at the breakers in the panel.
What say the electric gurus?
On my gen not all the loads on the gen mains were spread correctly to not overload either breaker.
Big bunch on one leg. Not as many on the other in my case.
I now have a blue seas M2 gauge that actually shows each legs loads.
As you turn things on you can see the amps change.
The coach did have an led gauge that switched between the legs alternatively but the blue seas shows both live and has the hertz displayed also. Plus it has adjustable audible alarms if setup.
The powerwatch gauge only showed one legs voltages not both
It took a bit of fishing through the bath cabinet to get both legs
You may need to redistribute the loads as needed.
Oh I replaced the seemingly good breakers with new ones from FOT. Never tripped again.
Seems they get tired. Replaced the gen ones also.
When you say, " it started dropping one leg, lost power all together. " , does that mean the breaker was tripping or the generator was not putting out power on one leg? If the breaker was tripping, sounds like a load problem or a bad breaker. Otherwise, I'd say a problem with the generator.
Rich
Rich, low voltage and dropping one leg. As I said I'll have to get everything hot with a big load and see what happens. This morning all was working as it should. My Powerwatch meter is off about 6 volts. I almost think it a connection issue or possibly bad breaker. I did not check the connection at the junction box on the back of the generator compartment as you need to be a snake to get to it, at 240 it's a tight fit.
One leg runs the inverted breakers and one leg everything else. So you can run both airs (one leg) and the microwave (inverted leg) with no problem but the water heater is on the non inverted leg which would explain the overload. 2 airs + water heater. Better power distribution usage will help. I think.
Sounds like I need to take an amp probe and see what the load is on each leg. Maybe do some balancing. Of course rarely do we run both airs the washer, dryer (separate) at one time at 100 degrees.
The above is also what I think may be your problem. That or a loose connection or posibly a bad, weak, circuit breaker. Did any circuit breakers trip?
What do you mean "So yesterday running generator to either a good load on it 2 airs, washer, dryer, it started dropping one leg, lost power all together." Did power go away without triggering circuit breaker?
To prevent electrical overloads, circuit breakers and fuses are designed to trip or blow, stopping the flow of current to the overloaded cable.
By better power distribution, I mean knowing what your loads are, not necessarily adding circuits or changing wiring. If breaker did trip, it is either doing its job, your problem might be as simple as a bad breaker that has just gotten weak.
Having an easy to read load display from an EMS, such as Progressive or Hughes, with power turn off, let's me monitor and protect my rv from shore and generator issues.
Hughes is out of stock on EMS until approx. June 15, 2020. From Hughes, "Hi Jack, Thank you for the interest in our product. We are expecting the product to be back in stock hopefully by 6/15/20"
Jack L , no breakers physically tripped.
My breakers did not physically "trip" where the levers moved to the off position but disconnected internally somehow.
If not it may be the gen itself?
You say running generator, it dropped one leg. Which "leg" did it drop, what did that leg feed?
Do you have two ATS boxes? What model inverter/charger do you have? If it did not throw a breaker, could this posibly be a bad ATS?
Two a/c units, washer and dryer may have taken you over your circuit limits, which may have burned the contacts on your ATS. This is why I appreciate being able to moniter both the gen and shore power with EMS w/display of voltage and amperage on each leg in the circuit between ATS and circuit breakers. They also report what the fault is.
This my understanding: "You should be able to draw a constant 80% of the rated circut. That means 40 amps per line on a two pole 50 amp circut. At 50 amps the breaker should trip very quickly (I can't remember the specified time)." This is one of the features of the Progressive PD52 ATS, the neutral is rated for 70 amps.
PD52 240 VAC 50-Amp Automatic Transfer Switch (https://www.progressivedyn.com/rv/automatic-transfer-switches/pd52-240-vac-50-amp-automatic-transfer-switch/)
Could it be an issue with the circuit breakers/cutoff switch mounted on your generator?
Bruce,
When the generator is loaded and voltage sags does your generator 60 cycle hold or does it also sag? That would indicate an rpm loss.
Main gen breakers are 45 amps each. Gen puts out 83? Amps. 36 amps each leg at 80%? My aged breakers quickly opened at the 36 amp. Not readily visible. Inside the breaker. Replaced. Never opened again
Bob you have a good point like every thing else on a 22 year old coach. A new main breaker on the generator is in order.
John, did not check cycles, doesn't appear to loose any RPM.
Up date, found the culprit. The parallax ats 501 load side contactor is wiggey. Plugged in to the pole today surge protector would allow power. Then the time delay in transfer switch closed, the surge protector kick the power. Took the surge protector out had power to the line side, after a sharp adjustment to the line side contactor things started working. Time for a new transfer switch me thinks.
Thanks for the update.
Another bug swatted!
Well it's not swatted yet. Got to figure out where we will be for a week or so to get one shipped.