U280 Electrical what happened?

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U280 Electrical what happened?

September 17, 2019, 02:12:38 pm

Hi,

was running front air and another electric application and suddenly lost 110V power partially. The front air quit, the outlet I was using behind stove quit and the 110 GFCI in bathroom was dead as well as bedroom 110V. still had power to rear air (wasn't using at the time), Fridge, and microwave.

First I thought I blew shorepower fuse but I had power to the 3 users mentioned above. Then I thought breaker flipped but that also was negative result.

After about 10 min the power to the front air and the 3 outlets returned.

Is there a relay someplace that just had to reset? I'm assuming I was using too much power at once and something got too hot- I'd like confidence I could return to normal but not sure what happened?

TIA
Dan

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #1 – September 17, 2019, 04:35:11 pm

Could have been a voltage spike or drop that caused the GFCI to trip and also trip the AC. Most AC's have a time delay built in so that the compressor will not start up under a heavy load. The wait is for the refrigerant pressure to equalize on the high and low sides. As far as I know there are no relays that open for just one leg. After disconnecting all AC power, no shore no generator, check the transfer switch relay that all the connections are tight and that the contacts are not burned. It is weird.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #2 – September 17, 2019, 04:50:07 pm

I brute force these sort of problems by starting at the source, the 50A socket. Then I work up the line from there.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #3 – September 17, 2019, 04:54:26 pm

Hi Jerry,

GFCI did not trip, there just was not power to that outlet.

I had shut off the front air so it was it not starting up under load. I had an air fryer plugged into the sink outlet- it beeped when the power came back on for that circuit.

Since then have not run the AC but had the circuit the air fryer is plugged into quit again- not when it was running but have a powerstrip for my laptop plugged in under table and noticed the power strip was not on and my laptop not charging. the air fryer outlet was dead also but this time my bedroom outlet with fan was still running.

Just trying to figure this all out-electricity not a strong suit for me

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #4 – September 17, 2019, 05:48:20 pm

Quote from: WC7610 – September 17, 2019, 04:54:26 pm

Just trying to figure this all out-electricity not a strong suit for me

Dan,

Do you have any kind of surge protector fitted to your coach?

If you do, it might have some fault codes stored that could help diagnose your problem.

If you don't have one, you need to get one. Cheap insurance to help protect your coach from electrical disasters - natural and man-made.

Progressive Industries is one highly recommended manufacturer. Product list below:

Progressive industries Available Products

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #5 – September 17, 2019, 06:19:38 pm

Is it possible that the park lost one leg briefly and that the coach had no issues?

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #6 – September 17, 2019, 07:14:04 pm

Quote from: Old Toolmaker – September 17, 2019, 04:50:07 pm

I brute force these sort of problems by starting at the source, the 50A socket. Then I work up the line from there.

I start at the socket, then the plug and then the entry into the coach. These are all physical things you can hold and inspect. Next in line will be the transfer relay, the one that prevents your generator from electrocuting a line man just doing his job on a line that should have been dead.
Now comes the transfer relay itself and your trusty volt ohm meter. Probe the in and out for each contact. This is one place where voltage is a bad thing because it demonstrates resistance across the contacts themselves.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #7 – September 18, 2019, 05:00:04 pm

Is the microwave working?

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #8 – September 18, 2019, 09:09:18 pm

Dan,
Were you plugged into 30 or 50 amp service at the time?

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #9 – September 18, 2019, 11:10:38 pm

Quote from: Johnstons – September 17, 2019, 06:19:38 pm

Is it possible that the park lost one leg briefly and that the coach had no issues?

Each park leg would have a cb once it trips you loose a leg, not sure even why a progressive industries protection device would even care as everything in the coach is 120 volt.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #10 – September 19, 2019, 06:40:28 am

Quote from: Old phart phred – September 18, 2019, 11:10:38 pm

Each park leg would have a cb once it trips you loose a leg, not sure even why a progressive industries protection device would even care as everything in the coach is 120 volt.

No, that can't happen with a properly wired RV pedestal.

If on 30 amps, both hots would be lost.
If 50 amp, the two 50 amp breakers should be pinned-- trip one and both trip.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #11 – September 19, 2019, 08:26:44 am

Brad, what I was thinking was if the park lost one leg ahead of the breaker. We had that happen at the house once where a leg dropped at the meter base. It was quick to diagnose there because the 220 was back feeding low voltage to the other half of the 110. If everything on that meter was 110 there shouldn't be any back feed so only one leg would have been lost for a while .

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #12 – September 19, 2019, 08:37:26 am

Quote from: Johnstons – September 19, 2019, 08:26:44 am

Brad, what I was thinking was if the park lost one leg ahead of the breaker. We had that happen at the house once where a leg dropped at the meter base. It was quick to diagnose there because the 220 was back feeding low voltage to the other half of the 110. If everything on that meter was 110 there shouldn't be any back feed so only one leg would have been lost for a while .

Yes, if one leg of a 50 amp was lost before the pedestal (as opposed to tripping the pedestal breaker) it would give those symptoms.

But, 10 seconds with a voltmeter would give you the answer to that:

Either outer straight (hots L1 and L2) to center straight (neutral) should show 120 VAC.

If not, indeed it an issue.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #13 – September 19, 2019, 09:24:45 am

Answers to some of the questions above

- the microwave/rear air/fridge/and out let by fridge have never lost power at any time. Not using rear air, just check if it has power and it always does.
-0n 30 amp shore power at my permanent site
-currently have power to everything- just intermittently loose front air and certain 110 outlets. has happened 3 times in last week. load at the time of loss doesn't seem to effect things
-may lose those circuits for 15 mins or 3 hours, but they come with no warning.

I feel like there is a short somewhere that keeps cutting out. My power converter is a power dynamics 9200- I replaced the OEM one several years back.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #14 – September 19, 2019, 09:44:38 am

Do you have a cord reel? If so it could be acting up.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #15 – September 19, 2019, 10:17:29 am

Dan,
I would exercise all the breakers in the main power box and the small sub panel, including the 50 amp main breakers
If you have the cover of the transfer switch and a meter handy you could check for voltage in on both legs and voltage out on both legs at the transfer switch during one of your partial power losses.
This will either find the problem or eliminate the transfer sw as the problem.
As always be carful working around exposed hot wiring.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #16 – September 19, 2019, 10:21:28 am

Have you removed the covers from the 120v breaker panels InThe coach? Check all the connections there for tight, especially at the 2 main breakers.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #17 – September 19, 2019, 10:24:01 am

OK, since you are on 30 amp, you KNOW that power is getting through to one side of the 30 male to 50 female adapter.

Check the adapter very closely-- look for signs of overheating, swelling or other indication of a problem that could cause an intermittent loss of one of the hots. Worse case borrow another 30 to 50 adapter and see if the problem persists. The single hot on the 30 amp male end is tied to both hots on the 50 amp female end (the two outer straights).

Next place that one leg could drop is in the ATS. With all power off, open the ATS and check that all connections are clean and tight and no wires are overheated.

Let us know what you find.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #18 – September 19, 2019, 11:44:05 am

Do you notice a low voltage condition on these devices before the power goes out completely? (Such as dim lights or AC blower changing speeds)
Sounds as if you could be losing power to your sub panel.

I would remove the covers to the breaker panels and have a voltmeter ready when it happens again. If you have already checked that all connections are good then it's possible you could have a faulty breaker.

Re: U280 Electrical what happened?

Reply #19 – September 19, 2019, 01:56:35 pm

Quote from: WC7610 – September 19, 2019, 09:24:45 am

Answers to some of the questions above

-0n 30 amp shore power at my permanent site

I feel like there is a short somewhere that keeps cutting out. My power converter is a power dynamics 9200- I replaced the OEM one several years back.

Opens cut out. Shorts trip breakers or start fires whichever comes first.
I have no complaints with the PD9200.

30 AMP shore power. I guess you're using a dogbone to adapt you 50A plug to the 30A socket? Have you tried another dogbone?

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