Extra electrical pigtail in power compartment?

[conceptumator]

Probably another totally dumb question (I seem to be trying for a new personal record lately!) but here goes. Talking here about a 2015 Legacy SR340 360RB. In the back of the power compartment, next to the auto transfer switch, there is a short male pigtail that appears to be a standard 20A cord. Can anyone tell me it's function? Is it possibly to connect a separate 20A power supply if you only have 30A service available? Thanks.

[dmdrj5]

Is your unit diesel powered? If so, could be a block heater.

Good luck,
Don

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by conceptumator

Probably another totally dumb question (I seem to be trying for a new personal record lately!) but here goes. Talking here about a 2015 Legacy SR340 360RB. In the back of the power compartment, next to the auto transfer switch, there is a short male pigtail that appears to be a standard 20A cord. Can anyone tell me it's function? Is it possibly to connect a separate 20A power supply if you only have 30A service available? Thanks.

15 amp or 20amp ? There is a BIG difference.


TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "2 nights"

[Herk7769]

Perhaps a photo would help Legacy owners (if it is a part of the coach) or others identify the thing and it's purpose.

[psw757]

Originally Posted by dmdrj5

Is your unit diesel powered? If so, could be a block heater.

Good luck,
Don

This is correct, engine block heater, works great in the winter!

[conceptumator]

I think you hit it on the head, dmdrj5! I'm new to the diesel world and hadn't thought about that. Thank you for solving my latest mystery and educating me a bit more! Thanks to everyone else, too, for your input. Have a wonderful weekend, All!

[captnrick3]

Originally Posted by conceptumator

Probably another totally dumb question (I seem to be trying for a new personal record lately!) but here goes. Talking here about a 2015 Legacy SR340 360RB. In the back of the power compartment, next to the auto transfer switch, there is a short male pigtail that appears to be a standard 20A cord. Can anyone tell me it's function? Is it possibly to connect a separate 20A power supply if you only have 30A service available? Thanks.

Wow, I thought I had identified every circuit in our rig, but sure enough there is a pigtail for the block heater there. Since there is a breaker marked "block heater" I had just turned it off (like I would ever use it in southern CA). I see there is a 15 amp outlet also in that bay that I am sure is for the heater. Thanks much for bringing up the subject, I can see me getting into cold weather and getting my feathers in an uproar because the heater doesn't work.

[Mons02035]

So, the other day I was using my 2 air conditioning units and I was powering them off of the generator. Everything was going fine for about an hour and then I heard a click noise come from the breaker panel under the bed. I noticed that the block heater breaker was popped. I then went to reset the breaker and boom again but this time it shut everything down for a second. I had assumed at that time that the block heater must be tied into the batteries somehow but now after reading this and seeing that plug in my power bay I'm wondering why this happened to me. It was not plugged in, so I have no idea why it would have popped the breaker.

[captnrick3]

Originally Posted by Mons02035

So, the other day I was using my 2 air conditioning units and I was powering them off of the generator. Everything was going fine for about an hour and then I heard a click noise come from the breaker panel under the bed. I noticed that the block heater breaker was popped. I then went to reset the breaker and boom again but this time it shut everything down for a second. I had assumed at that time that the block heater must be tied into the batteries somehow but now after reading this and seeing that plug in my power bay I'm wondering why this happened to me. It was not plugged in, so I have no idea why it would have popped the breaker.

Hmmm, me either. Makes no sense if the block heater was not plugged in. I have tested that plug in the bay and it seems that it is the only thing on the block heater breaker. No clue at this point.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Mons02035

So, the other day I was using my 2 air conditioning units and I was powering them off of the generator. Everything was going fine for about an hour and then I heard a click noise come from the breaker panel under the bed. I noticed that the block heater breaker was popped. I then went to reset the breaker and boom again but this time it shut everything down for a second. I had assumed at that time that the block heater must be tied into the batteries somehow but now after reading this and seeing that plug in my power bay I'm wondering why this happened to me. It was not plugged in, so I have no idea why it would have popped the breaker.

Can you check the voltage being delivered by the generator while both air conditioners are running? If the 2nd AC is on the same circuit as the block heater outlet (and that is all that is there - there may be other things not working with that breaker popped), you may be pulling too many amps on that circuit if the voltage is low and the AC compressor/fan kicks on.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

Can you check the voltage being delivered by the generator while both air conditioners are running? If the 2nd AC is on the same circuit as the block heater outlet (and that is all that is there - there may be other things not working with that breaker popped), you may be pulling too many amps on that circuit if the voltage is low and the AC compressor/fan kicks on.

Considering you'd probably not use the a/c while also using the block heater " different seasons" this is a good possibility.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "4 nights"

[Mons02035]

I can check that. After I shut off the block heater breaker the second AC unit still worked. Also, does this mean that the block heater is also powered by the generator and or shore power when plugged in? I thought the block heater would only work if I plugged in a cord to that pigtail?

[conceptumator]

Just plug the block heater pigtail into the adjacent outlet.