EMS HW30C - Beware

[Mch5jdm]

Just a public service announcement regarding the internal wiring of the PI HW30C.

Bought one for my TT and during the installation I noticed that the main block where your wires attach from shore then to load were backwards from what the picture indicated.

A call to PI tech line and confirmed with them that it was in fact backwards.

He walked me through flipping it around which involves removing small screws and the wires going from the block to the two boards.

Afterwards I emailed him a picture and he confirmed it was correct. I put that in the CYA file.

I am posting the picture that shows it correctly wired (internal). But for sake of confusion I am leaving out the incorrectly wired setup.

Make sure you verify yours. If it doesn’t look like the picture and the L1/2 and T1/2 are not matching the directions call then.

Finally, though I am satisfied with the assistance of PI and the tech I am unsatisfied that it was missed in QC. We know these are very expensive units and worth it for practical matters. But for the price, it should have not been missed. Additionally, the made in the USA was replaced with a new made in MX sticker.

Got a lot of people staking their advice on these to fellow campers and the quality should support that.



PS - if you made it this far please note this has nothing to do with the wiring coming in and going out. Simply a manufacturing issue.

[NJKris]

Glad I bought the plug in variety.

[ependydad]

What are the impacts of this being backwards?

[Mch5jdm]

Originally Posted by ependydad

What are the impacts of this being backwards?

The tech did not say but asked when it was Mfg’d then quickly moved to flipping.

[doc73]

Originally Posted by ependydad

What are the impacts of this being backwards?

I'm curious as well. Probably nothing on an ac current other than what end the power goes into the surge protector devices.

[Teamfour]

Couldn't you just swap the wires with the spade connectors? Glad mine was wired correctly.

[Mch5jdm]

Originally Posted by Teamfour

Couldn't you just swap the wires with the spade connectors? Glad mine was wired correctly.

That’s exactly what I did.

[Teamfour]

Originally Posted by Mch5jdm

That’s exactly what I did.

Cool. I must have misunderstood when you said small screws needed to be removed.

[Phat Steve]

I think if you were to leave it you would have got a code for reverse polarity and you would have been real confused lol.

[Mch5jdm]

Installed. Fun project sans the reversing of the internal wiring.

Looks good IMO.

[Bluepill]

I assume the black and white wires were reversed. If so, it creates what is sometimes called reversed polarity:

https://structuretech1.com/reversed-polarity-outlets/

[Mch5jdm]

So I called back PI to ask what issues may have occurred had I not fixed the miswired unit. He said he was told that it will “still” operate but wouldn’t chance it. He wouldn’t elaborate and most likely did t really know what could happen.

Either way he said fixing it should be done.

[Mch5jdm]

Originally Posted by Bluepill

I assume the black and white wires were reversed. If so, it creates what is sometimes called reversed polarity:

https://structuretech1.com/reversed-polarity-outlets/

Well the white/black wires would have been in the right terminal but the measurements would have been taken as juice heads to load instead of as it comes in from shore.