Vent Fan Motor Blew Water Pump Circuit...

[PFLOYD75]

Hello to All:


I was camping this past week at Michigan International Speedway and had a strange electrical outage occur.


I turned on the vent fan (located over the stove) and oddly, the stereo which was playing cut out for about 3-4 seconds before coming on again.


However, when I went to use water in the kitchen, I had no water pump action. The red light on the wall panel was out as well as all other functions: checking battery level, fresh, gray and black water levels too.


The stereo is on 15A Circuit #2 while the water pump is 15A Circuit #1 and had the red LED light glowing.


I called a mobile RV repair guy and he traced the issue back to the vent fan motor, especially when I recalled how the stereo cut out turning on the vent fan. Once he cut the main power wire (after pulling the vent fan down to expose the wires), the issue with the water pump and levels wall panel was resolved.


Long-winded preface to this short question: Has anyone heard of a vent fan motor shorting out the circuit controlling the water pump and other level-checking functions?


Thank you!


Mark

[TacomaJoe]

Haven't had the vent fan short. You have learned something, the vent fan was on the circuit with the control center and water pump. Your homework is to identify each fuse circuit and everything that it powers. While you're at it, the 120VAC breakers can be detailed out as well. Bonus points, find each GFCI outlet and ID each outlet they control.

[PFLOYD75]

You are correct, TacomaJoe! I definitely learned lots working with the mobile RV repair guy. I am taking the trailer back out on Tuesday for 12 days, so I should have plenty of time to check out all the circuits and breakers. Even though the panel is labeled, it can be labeled *further*!


I appreciate your input, TacomaJoe!

[PhilFromMaine]

Originally Posted by PFLOYD75

Hello to All:


I was camping this past week at Michigan International Speedway and had a strange electrical outage occur.


I turned on the vent fan (located over the stove) and oddly, the stereo which was playing cut out for about 3-4 seconds before coming on again.


However, when I went to use water in the kitchen, I had no water pump action. The red light on the wall panel was out as well as all other functions: checking battery level, fresh, gray and black water levels too.


The stereo is on 15A Circuit #2 while the water pump is 15A Circuit #1 and had the red LED light glowing.


I called a mobile RV repair guy and he traced the issue back to the vent fan motor, especially when I recalled how the stereo cut out turning on the vent fan. Once he cut the main power wire (after pulling the vent fan down to expose the wires), the issue with the water pump and levels wall panel was resolved.


Long-winded preface to this short question: Has anyone heard of a vent fan motor shorting out the circuit controlling the water pump and other level-checking functions?
Thank you!

Mark

If I understand the original post, No! If the fan pulled enough current to affect other circuits I would have thought that it would have blown the fan fuse first. What is the age of the TT? Are you the first owner? Was the panel fuse for the fan the correct amperage?

[PFLOYD75]

Hi PhilFromMaine,


As TacomaJoe had noted in his reply, I need to really comb through each and every circuit and 120VAC breaker to be sure what function each individual element controls.


To your own questions, I do not believe there is a separate vent fan / light fuse, but rather, it ties into Circuit #1.

This is a 2014 Coachmen Clipper 17FQ, which I bought from the original owner back in 2016. To date, I have not had any electrical / fuse / breaker-related issues with this trailer. I will say that the circuit was the correct amperage of 15A, as until the vent fan motor wire was removed from the equation, it blew every 15A fuse we tried to use. To check this out, we did use a 25A fuse, which didn't blow and then allowed us to cut the main power wire, after which, we no longer blew 15A fuses.



Looking at the fuse box, it appears that the original owner taped his own label describing the circuits over the factory label. I will have to look under that to see what is listed.

In either event, I will wait until I get back from my upcoming trips to see about repairing the vent fan wiring. I can live without a vent fan and light, but I cannot live without a water pump working!

[D W]

Keep in mind that one of the principles of Ohm's Law is that electricity will take the least path of resistance. In this case it would appear to me that the vent fan motor does not have sufficient resistance in the circuit, and thereby it blows the 15 amp fuse. The fact that the 25 amp didn't blow when put into the circuit indicates to me that the fan motor amperage draw is higher than normal. I suspect a bad motor. Chances are that the circuit is wired with 14 AWG wire as it is protected by a 15 amp fuse. Placing a 25 amp fuse in the circuit may not be the best thing for the current wiring.

[PFLOYD75]

Hi D W and thanks for your input. I agree with you that most likely the vent fan motor is the culprit and as such, was drawing more amperage than it should. Once we did determine the problem, we put back in the correct 15A fuse and all has been running perfectly since.



I think the repair guy used the 25A fuse just to see if we could get the system working, which it did, but that's when he determined the fan motor may be the issue as with each 15A fuse that we tried blew, you could hear a slight clicking sound coming from the vent fan motor. Upon severing that main power wire, the 15A fuse worked just fine as it should.

I really appreciate everyone's help and input. I learn so much from all of you! Thank you!