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Topic: Power Line Monitor Replacement (Read 2167 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #20 –
I mailed power line monitors to Tom and Jim. I hope they work. I tested them at the house and they showed the correct voltage and polarity. However, I never tested them when installed in the motor home. Strange they can work at home with 120 volts, but not in the motor home.
Larry

Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #21 –
Quote from: ltg –
I mailed power line monitors to Tom and Jim. I hope they work. I tested them at the house and they showed the correct voltage and polarity. However, I never tested them when installed in the motor home. Strange they can work at home with 120 volts, but not in the motor home.
Larry

Thank you, again.

Mine arrived yesterday.  The polarity lights seem to work, but both voltages read very low.  I'll open it up and see if the adjustment screws work.

Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #22 –
Update to problems with the monitor.  I found an open ground on my shore power plug, fixed it and now voltage meters work fine.  (It had been replaced a few months ago and the tech who put it on, didn't do a very good job.)  But I never got the green lights showing open ground.  I may have Flight Systems look at it to make sure it is working properly.

Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #23 –
Quote from: Bill Willett –
Jerry, you are confusing the power watch meter with power line monitor, the power watch should be on a breaker in the main panel at the foot of the bed, it only monitors 1 line in the coach, the power line monitors  line 1 and line 2, my power watch meter is on the same breaker as the fridge.

Bill,

All I have is a Power Watch monitor as you come up the steps on the side of the overhead cabinet above the dining table.  I pulled the meter and checked it on a good power source and it worked just fine.  Then I bought a signal tracer from HF recommended by Pierce and used it to locate how the wiring runs on circuits 1 and 5.  It proved to be invaluable since James T. at Foretravel didn't have one for my rig.  I hope they have wiring diagrams for the later models otherwise you'll have to take things apart to see how the wiring runs. 

Circuit 1 connects the bedwall outlets, the vanity overhead, over to the Power Watch Meter and then to the outlet above the dining table all on the right side.  Circuit 5 connects the kitchen outlets, TVs, Hide-A-Table outlet, and the right exterior outside.  I had to take the bottom shelf and panel out behind the GFI outlet in the closet behind the toilet to get to the connections. I also had to remove panels in the overhead cabinet above the dining table and in the bedroom to get a look at the romex.  All with no success until I removed the vent at the bottom of the bedroom vanity  and shined a light in the space under the shower.  My suspicions were correct.  I found the romex running from the bathroom GFI circuit back under the shower stall to the bedroom vanity outlet had a burned spot disconnecting the power to it.  This also cut the power to the Power Watch Meter and the dining overhead outlet.  I also found a couple of droppings but no carcass.  Mystery solved.... a dirty rat!

Now all I have to do is run new romex from back of the bathroom GFI to the bedroom vanity outlet and everything on that circuit gets power.  Whew!  Glad the black wire in the romex burned all the way through to cut the power on that circuit and nothing else.

If you have a dead circuit and no breakers tripped it could be a rat tried to have lunch on the romex wiring and created a hot spot.
I'm lucky the wire burned through and the coach didn't burn up!

Jerry

Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #24 –
I know this is old but I wanted to update on my power line monitor.. I was only getting a glow on 1 light on each leg and a slight glow at that.. If anyone is interested just pm but I have a guy that fixed it for me.. working great .. cost was 150.00 plus parts..

Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #25 –
Quote from: DavidS –
I know this is old but I wanted to update on my power line monitor.. I was only getting a glow on 1 light on each leg and a slight glow at that.. If anyone is interested just pm but I have a guy that fixed it for me.. working great .. cost was 150.00 plus parts..

If it's just the lights, not the readout, you can do it yourself and save a few bucks

Power Line Monitor Is On The Fritz

Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #26 –
Well I finally got around to replacing the wiring to the line 1 circuit which has been out of commission for the last 6 years.  I also had to replace a new green led for the Powerwatch meter.  https://www.zoro.com/dayton-raised-indicator-light-green-120v-22ny50/i/G8489214/

It took 50 ft of 12-2 yellow romex and two splices with wago connectors.  I had to take apart a lot of cabinetry and carpet trim to pull the old wire and ended up running the the last connection around the bed frame.  I cut because I couldn't pull the original line that ran from the bed outlet on the drivers side under the floor and the shower pan. I was able to pull the new wire from the Powerwatch in the cabinet above the stairwell back to behind the toilet and then under the shower back to the bedroom vanity.  I then had to go up through the vanity to reach the the outlet in the cabinet next to the vanity. The second splice went from that outlet back down inside the vanity to the floor and around back to the bed outlet to complete the circuit!

The Powerwatch  and all the outlets on line 1 are tested correct and working. All that is left to do is to install some baseboard moulding.  I don't know why that line went out originally. I remember hearing a pop when it happened.  Only the bed outlets were working and the other two were dead along with the Powerwatch.  A dirty rat? (never did find one)  Can old romex develop a hot spot over time?

Jerry













Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #27 –
Quote from: coastprt –

 I don't know why that line went out originally. I remember hearing a pop when it happened.  Only the bed outlets were working and the other two were dead along with the Powerwatch.  A dirty rat? (never did find one)  Can old romex develop a hot spot over time?

Odds of the wire going bad on it's own are slim.  It is possible that rat ate the insulation and wires shorted together and then burned in two. Other possibility is a splice went bad and you did not find it.

Instead of using the wago connectors I would make the connection up in a junction box and twist the wires together, then use a good red wire nut over junction and twist it on tight.  Almost all recess cans come with Wago connectors. We always told our crews to cut them off and make a joint with a wire nut.  Whenever we had a service call on recess not working, the first thing to check was bulb and then the connection. Most time the wago was the problem.
 

Re: Power Line Monitor Replacement

Reply #28 –
Quote from: turbojack –
Odds of the wire going bad on it's own are slim.  It is possible that rat ate the insulation and wires shorted together and then burned in two. Other possibility is a splice went bad and you did not find it.

Instead of using the wago connectors I would make the connection up in a junction box and twist the wires together, then use a good red wire nut over junction and twist it on tight.  Almost all recess cans come with Wago connectors. We always told our crews to cut them off and make a joint with a wire nut.  Whenever we had a service call on recess not working, the first thing to check was bulb and then the connection. Most time the wago was the problem.

Turbojack,

Thanks for the tech advice on the connections and junction box.  The wagos I used were the 3-wire lever type and are easily removable for reuse. I only used them for testing purposes when I took the pictures.  The two splices I did will be upgraded to the twisted wire and red wire nuts.  I will also use a junction box for the others splices.

Jerry