Another no power to fridge thread. What am I missing?

[llr]

The inverter probably only powers that outlet so I would still concentrate on the inverter and wires, connecters, outlets etc between the 2.

If the inverter has an outlet measure there, a little harder if it is hard wired

[david_reaves]

Originally Posted by llr

The inverter probably only powers that outlet so I would still concentrate on the inverter and wires, connecters, outlets etc between the 2.

If the inverter has an outlet measure there, a little harder if it is hard wired

This. By knowing the inverter is downstream of the breaker box, you know that it has the shore power to it, so you've identified a shorter section where the failure can be.

[mac1_131]

Some inverters ARE the transfer switch. If the fridge outlet is on the inverter, then the 120v input to the inverter needs to be working too so it passes it through to the fridge when the inverter is off.

If it's wired that way.

[CHICKDOE]

Typically shore power comes into your 120 volt distribution panel. There will be a circuit labeled refrigerator or charger or inverter. That circuit will go to the power inverter / charger and will be the 120 volt input to that device. There is a bypass switch (relay) that will take that 120 volt input power and pass it through to the 120 volt output power. Your refrigerator will be plugged into the output power.

I don’t know the details of your inverter / charger. Many inverters output their 120 volt power via a gfci receptacle that is built into the inverter. If yours has one try resetting the gfci on the inverter.

[Dann-0]

THANK YOU all for your concern and attempts to help me. It is very much appreciated. Special thanks to david reaves and CHICKDOE and llr. You guys nailed it! I think this was a good thread in that this is a rare problem as I have learned, but it will help someone in the future. It turns out that indeed the juice must go through the Xantrex inverter to power that circuit! (i was sure that the electrical panel was AFTER the inverter, but that is not necessarily true according to the diagrams). After you steered me to ask the correct questions, google led me to a thread from a (shudder) Jayco forum with the exact same (rare) problem. The refrigerator plug in their picture is exactly like mine too. https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ues-59006.html I will examine the inverter in the daylight and will let you all know what is the result.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Let us know what you find wrong in the inverter.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Dann-0

i am going to see if i can scrape some insulation off the hot wire as it leaves the breaker. just to make SURE there is juice in there!

Dann-0, it seems like you are skipping past the basics and thrashing a bit. Let's start simple.

• You tested from the hot terminal of the refrigerator breaker to the neutral bus and got 120v, right?
• Did you then find the white wire corresponding to the black wire at the breaker and make sure that white wire was securely tightened to the neutral bus? (You haven't said so.) Measure the voltage from the breaker terminal black wire to the white wire. If it's 120v, the breaker area is good.
• Can you figure out whether the cable from the distribution panel goes directly to the refrigerator outlet, or through the inverter?
  
• Did you check the breaker that's on the inverter? Is it on?
  
  Here is an experiment. With the breaker ON, measure the voltage at the INPUT terminals to the inverter. Is it 120v? Does it go to 0v if you turn the breaker off? If so, the segment from breaker to inverter is good.
  
  Here is another experiment? Reconnect the INPUT wires to the inverter. Turn the breaker on. Turn the inverter on. Measure the voltage at the OUTPUT terminals. If it's 120v, the breaker and cable to the inverter are okay.
  
  Here is another experiment: Unplug the refrigerator. Remove the output connection from the inverter. Push those two wires into the socket of an unpowered extension cord. Plug in the extension cord. Do you have 120v at the refrigerator outlet. If you do, then power is good all the way. If not, you need to figure out whether the break is in the cable from inverter to outlet or in the outlet connection.
• You know that there are no terminal screws at the outlet, right? The outlet just clamps on over the insulated NM cable and pokes through the insulation. TURN OFF THE BREAKER and remove the outlet from the wall. Take off the clamp. If there are burn marks on the copper, buy a new outlet ($10 at Amazon) and carefully install it. You will need to buy the same kind. If there are no burn marks, turn on the breaker and see if you can measure 120v from the copper strips.
• If you cannot measure 120v at the copper strips, remove tiny bits of insulation and see if you can measure 120v directly from the NM cable wires. If you can, get a new outlet and install it, as above.
• If you cannot measure 120v directly from the cable, there's a break in the cable. This is somewhat unlikely, since this is a single segment directly from the binverter to the refrigerator outlet. There should be no junctions or splices.

Be sure to post back and let us know what you find.

[pmsherman]

Your inverter has an internal transfer switch that switches from shore power to inverter power when shore power disappears. As supplied from the factory, the inverter output is available at a GFCI outlet. During installation, the inputs and outputs can be directly wired into the inverter, bypassing the GFCI outlet. The only way to determine what installation method was used is to examine the inverter.

My Xantrex PSW 1000 also has a 10A circuit breaker on the 120V circuit built into it. If that breaker pops from an overload, shore power will not be passed through the inverter to its output circuit. This would cause exactly the problem you've described.


Phil

[Dann-0]

FOUND IT! It was the issue as described in the Jayco forum. A loose hot wire in the AC OUT line leaving the Inverter. That individual had issues with keeping the wires attached in the socket by a spring clamp. The previous owner of my camper swore he had never used the inverter and it was never connected. That was true. I do not have the inverter attached to the battery and it is not turned on, but AC power on the refrigerator circuit does indeed flow through it from shore power. (too bad i can't figure out how to post a picture of the internal loose wire) (how to create a "url address " for it)

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Dann-0

FOUND IT! It was the issue as described in the Jayco forum. A loose hot wire in the AC OUT line leaving the Inverter. That individual had issues with keeping the wires attached in the socket by a spring clamp. The previous owner of my camper swore he had never used the inverter and it was never connected. That was true. I do not have the inverter attached to the battery and it is not turned on, but AC power on the refrigerator circuit does indeed flow through it from shore power. (too bad i can't figure out how to post a picture of the internal loose wire) (how to create a "url address " for it)

Follow these steps.
Move picture to your computer
Open the post.
At the top of the editor, click the paperclip icon. Follow the directions in the popup window.

Glad it is fixed.

[Dann-0]

looked like it was in but it wasn't attached to anything. Also, there is no evidence of a reset button inside the two access openings on the inverter or on the outside either.

[Dann-0]

Sadly, the spring clip is buggered up and there is no way to make it grab the hot wire. In the photo there are 3 openings, the upper is rectangular to insert a small flat head screwdriver. Insert the screwdriver and push down opens the jaws and you insert the wire in the lower larger round opening. Something has pushed things around in there and even with some nice fine picks I can't adjust anything. I tested then inserted the hot wire through the small center hole and it made contact, and is tight, but nothing clamps it in and its probably not a safe connection. But hey, now I know.

[david_reaves]

Glad you were able to find it! Also, good that it is "only" a connection issue and that the transfer switch in the inverter isn't itself non-functional.

Until you are able to get the clamp fixed and while you don't want to use the inverter, you could simply connect the "In" and "Out" AC wires with correctly-sized wire nuts. With the power off, remove all wires from the clamps (being sure to put a label on the cables for In an Out (to reconnect to inverter later), match the colors and twist the connectors on tightly. You'll have AC to the fridge since that will completely bypass the inverter and transfer switch.

David R

[llr]

Until you can get the inverter fixed or replaced you could remove the ac-in and ac-out wires and connect them together with wire nuts just be sure power is disconnected and match colors

[Larry-NC]

Any possibility you could post a GOOD picture of the broken connector? I might be able to find an industrial source for you.

[Mikec557]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Any possibility you could post a GOOD picture of the broken connector? I might be able to find an industrial source for you.

While we wait for pics from the OP, I am chagrined to say... I may have a few pics that can shed some light. His is a Xantrex Freedom X PSW 1200 watts, mine is the the same, but 1000 watts. His 12vdc cables enter on the opposite end, mine enter the same end as the 120vac wires. Not that that has any bearing.

This was my first experience with this kind of electrical connector. You push a small screwdriver into the upper square hole to lever open a jaw in the lower round hole. The problem is that you can EASILY push the wire UNDER the jaw, thus making a loose electrical connection, even though it feels tight. You can see in the pics, I think all my wires under shot the jaw. I can't find a picture of the jaw opening showing where the wire should go. But I'll keep looking. Zoom into the wire hole for a better look.

The spring loaded connector was supposed to make this an easy install. Personally, I would have preferred a set screw...

[david_reaves]

Looks like that you'd need to be handy with a soldering iron to replace those connectors... ;/

[Mikec557]

These were the pics I was looking for earlier. In order to get a picture of the bite that's deep down that hole, I had to flood the shot with light.

This is how the wire is supposed to be clamped. Notice that the copper wire is above the bottom jaw. You probably have to zoom in to see that. Compare to the pics above and you can see the wire go below the jaw in the earlier pics.

BTW, I don't mean to high jack the thread, just trying to help shed some light on the probable issue. It will be good to see the OP's pics.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Mikec557

These were the pics I was looking for earlier. In order to get a picture of the bite that's deep down that hole, I had to flood the shot with light.

This is how the wire is supposed to be clamped. Notice that the copper wire is above the bottom jaw. You probably have to zoom in to see that. Compare to the pics above and you can see the wire go below the jaw in the earlier pics.

BTW, I don't mean to high jack the thread, just trying to help shed some light on the probable issue. It will be good to see the OP's pics.

Mike, these are GREAT pictures. Perhaps the OP's connector is okay after all. He just needs to use the screwdriver to open the connector before inserting the wire. You've done him a real service!

[Mikec557]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Mike, these are GREAT pictures. Perhaps the OP's connector is okay after all. He just needs to use the screwdriver to open the connector before inserting the wire. You've done him a real service!

Thanks. I was lucky and able to exchange my new unit for another new unit. But despite the burned look of the first one, I think it would have still clamped a wire properly. Hopefully the OP's will likewise still be usable.