Microwave is Toast!

hdmtnrider · 02-08-2016, 08:07 AM

First of all this is about my brothers new 2015 24FQSL NITRO used for one weekend camping trip. The other day he noticed his microwave had no indication of power on the control panel. He took it out to check the plug and it had power. Yesterday we took the cover off to check the fuse and the inside looked like it had been plugged in to 220 volts or it took a lighting strike. Everything inside was burnt up. We can't figure out how this could happen when everything else in the RV is still working. Never had any smell of anything burnt up in camper.
Two things: 1: When he pulled it out to check for power he said it looked like it had been in and out before. Real scratched up around cabinet face and one screw hole striped.
2: RV was at dealership for three months last fall for other warranty repairs.

What's your Thoughts?

donniedu · 02-08-2016, 08:20 AM

Call your dealer, get an apointment and have it replaced under warrenty.

**wmtire** · 02-08-2016, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donniedu

Call your dealer, get an apointment and have it replaced under warrenty.

X2

Couple of thoughts on this though. If for some reason that the RV was connected to a 240 volt outlet (happens a lot especially with new outlet installations at peoples houses), the microwave is usually toast, so to speak. It's actually the first sign I look for when diagnosing a 240 volt connection.

Has the microwave ever worked since he bought the RV?

What all outlets has he plugged into? Is the RV a 30 amp (3 prongs on power cord) or 50 amp (4 prongs on power cord)?

Has he had a new outlet recently installed at his house/camp (even by an electrician)?

The deal is, if he has plugged into a 240 volt application, it usually fries the converter and microwave right off the bat. It also get's the television many times if it is plugged in.

Now with the converter fried, the 12 volt stuff still operates (the lights, fans, furnace, pumps, etc ) but they are only operating off of the battery. Once the battery depletes, then these aforementioned items will also cease to work. The converter is also the battery recharger, but you may not immediately realize it isn't working until the battery depletes while plugged into 120 volt AC power. So you may think everything is working (as it is but just off the battery as if you were boondocking)

The air-conditioner (if it wasn't turned on while connected to 240 volts) and outlets will still function.

We hope it's as simple as a faulty microwave, but we also need to be prudent and make sure he is not connecting to 240 volts somewhere (which is more commonplace than you know). If that has been the case, he is also going to need a converter replacement in his future.

hdmtnrider · 02-08-2016, 09:15 AM

wmtire, Thanks for the reply. The RV is 30 Amp. It has been hooked up to new power outlet for about 6 months now. He did move his outlet last weekend and it is wired correct. He can not remember if he ever used the microwave the one camping trip.
What would be the best was to check out the converter? Can you just disconnect the batteries and see if the lights still work. Will they come on with just power from the converter or does it just charge the batteries?

Once again, Thank you for you time and knowledge!

**wmtire** · 02-08-2016, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdmtnrider

, He did move his outlet last weekend and it is wired correct. He can not remember if he ever used the microwave the one camping trip.
What would be the best was to check out the converter? Can you just disconnect the batteries and see if the lights still work. Will they come on with just power from the converter or does it just charge the batteries?

Once again, Thank you for you time and knowledge!

I would absolutely verify that outlet. I've just been involved in too many of these threads that were connected to a 240 volt outlet. The easy way to check this since you said he did it himself, is just to ask if the circuit breaker in his breaker box at his house controlling this RV outlet is a single pole or double pole. If it's a double pole breaker (it will be twice as wide as his normal 15-20 amp circuit breakers in the box), then it's wired for 240 volts.......assuming he used a 30 amp outlet.

Believe me, if for some reason he has had a 240 volt episode, the dealer is going to know what to look for and will most likely deny any warranty claims. We want to make sure of this beforehand, as I stated it happens way too frequently. It's just one of those things.

I have some other threads on testing a converter. Let me find them.

**wmtire** · 02-08-2016, 10:15 AM

Here is one thread that has some links on testing the converter. I'll keep looking as I have been involved in others.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post928970

TURBS · 02-08-2016, 10:51 AM

I'd suspect when outlet was moved, it got wired incorrectly and is now 220v [emoji51]

2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

hdmtnrider · 02-08-2016, 06:53 PM

wmtire and TURBS.
We have checked the wiring at the breaker box this evening and it is hooked up to a single poll breaker and at the 30 amp outlet. Ground on top, Black on Left and neutral on right (looking at plug). Then we checked volts it was correct (120+/- between Ground and black, 120+/- between black and neutral and zero between ground and neutral. All other appliances work (A/c, Refrigerator on elec.)

Thanks again for your reply's and any help!

**wmtire** · 02-08-2016, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdmtnrider

wmtire and TURBS.
We have checked the wiring at the breaker box this evening and it is hooked up to a single poll breaker and at the 30 amp outlet. Ground on top, Black on Left and neutral on right (looking at plug). Then we checked volts it was correct (120+/- between Ground and black, 120+/- between black and neutral and zero between ground and neutral. All other appliances work (A/c, Refrigerator on elec.)

Thanks again for your reply's and any help!

Excellent, now that we can rule out ever being connected to a 240 outlet, we can try to troubleshoot it further.

beachcamper · 02-08-2016, 08:20 PM

You think the dealer would have taken your good micro and switched in a bad one. Could be. But no way to prove it. When you bought camper did you get sheet with serial numbers of all installed appliances. That would be way to check if micro switched

TURBS · 02-08-2016, 09:20 PM

Glad to hear it was 120v!
Now did the microwave short out causing the burnt wires or was it a bad connection that burnt the wires?

2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

hdmtnrider · 02-08-2016, 10:05 PM

WE checked the line build sheet as beachcamper asked in his reply and the model # was listed BUT the serial # was never listed by FR. As per burnt wires, their is no way to tell. The inside of the microwave was all shot. Things shorted, burnt and blown.
Who knows! The the cord or plug showed no signs of arcing or burnt.

dberg · 02-09-2016, 07:50 AM

Did he use the appliance last year? If he has never used it or set the clock ask for the hi pot test from the factory. I had a radio with similar problems.

Taranwanderer · 02-13-2016, 10:02 PM

Not that this is your problem, since you verified the 120 vs 240 question, but the easiest way to see if your converter is working is to take a voltmeter reading off your battery with the shore power disconnected, it'll read around 12.6v or so, depending on the battery's condition. Then hook up the shore power and test it again, it should read 13.3v or even higher (14+) if your converter is in "bulk" mode.

Good luck!

SeaDog · 02-13-2016, 10:49 PM

My TT came with a magic chef residential unit and when I went to heat a bowl of soup it started vibrating and making all kinds of noise and smelled of burning insulation. these units are not high end microwaves. I marked the case so I won't get the same unit back. Mine had no serial number just model number

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