Power Issues

[slhanson1980]

We plugged into the new 30 amp outlet in our garage. After doing so I plugged two different vacuums into a GFI outlet in our Mini Lite trailer and both of them blew up. The GFI didn't trip?? After that the fridge wouldn't run off electricity only propane. We went camping that weekend and the converter didn't run all weekend, we were plugged into shore power. Any help is greatly appreciated, all fuses that we know of are good and no breakers that we know of are tripped. Wondering if our converter is fried. Thank you!!

[wmtire]

Aah, this outlet at home has probably been wired for 240 volts. Your RV is 120 volts

The converter always get ruined when you do this.the television and microwave are hit and miss.

The fridge control board is also hit and miss. Electric fireplaces can also get damaged as well as anything you plug into an outlet

Did you try to run your air conditioning while plugged in at home

[wmtire]

Do not plug into the outlet at your house till we get this sorted.

[trailerdude]

My neighbor did that, it was quite a bit of damage.

[slhanson1980]

Thank you!! That is what we were thinking, that it is a problem with the outlet. No we haven't tried the AC yet, hoping to have the outlet corrected first.
So your thoughts are that the converter is toast??

[wmtire]

Please read this link immediately

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...let-27223.html

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by slhanson1980

Thank you!! That is what we were thinking, that it is a problem with the outlet. No we haven't tried the AC yet, hoping to have the outlet corrected first.

So your thoughts are that the converter is toast??

Yes, the converter always gives up the ghost in these situations that I have been involved in the forums here where members had an outlet wired for 240 volts and not 120 volt. I have been involved in many

Please read my link in post #6 above. Disconnect the RV from your house immediately if it is currently plugged into this outlet.

[wmtire]

This 30 amp outlet at your house, was it installed by an electrician you paid, or family/friend?

Was it installed specifically for your RV?

[slhanson1980]

Electrician

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by slhanson1980

Electrician

Ok, if you paid an electrician to install a Nema tt-30 outlet, specifically for your RV, you have recourse available.

The outlet itself will have 120-130 volts molded onto the face of it. An electrician is supposed to know this, but a lot don't which is explained in the link I posted previously.

Yu need to start documenting everything, including all correspondence with the electrician's company. Take pics. They are liable if they wired this for 240 volts and carry insurance for this....or should

If you will look in your houses electrical panel, you should see the circuit breaker for this new outlet. If it's a double pole breaker (which will twice as wide as say a 15 amp single pole breaker), then it's wired for 240 volts and is wrong.

Take pics of everything. You may possibly be looking at a big repair bill.

[wmtire]

See this Nema tt-30 outlet and where it has 125 volts molded into it, can you check yours at home and verify the same? Take a pic of it with your phone if you have a camera phone

Does your invoice from the electrician state what was done and parts used?

[slhanson1980]

Thank you so much for all the great info!! We are in the process of remedying the situation. Next hurdle is to get a new converter and install it correctly. Service appointments here are a month out and we are camping again over the fourth.

[wmtire]

It's not a warranty item, so no need to have your RV dealer do it unless you want to. Check for mobile RV techs in your area. Usually faster and want to get it done. They can come to you and you don't have to move the RV

[slhanson1980]

Thanks so much for the advice, I will look into it.

[slhanson1980]

In case you're wondering, I did some more investigating and found the outlet is correct but the breaker is a double 30.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by slhanson1980

In case you're wondering, I did some more investigating and found the outlet is correct but the breaker is a double 30.

Yes, that is what happens. They connected you to 240 volts. Your electrician is liable for this and the damage that ensued.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Yes, that is what happens. They connected you to 240 volts. Your electrician is liable for this and the damage that ensued.

Boy, it sure is sad that so many have come here AFTER this situation has happened, instead of asking for information before they have it done.
But you don't know, what you don't know.[emoji22]
It's also sad that so many professional electricians don't know that RV 30 amp is different than residential.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by slhanson1980

Next hurdle is to get a new converter and install it correctly. Service appointments here are a month out and we are camping again over the fourth.

There is a short term workaround, in case you cannot get the converter replaced by the time of your trip.


The converter is what provided power to your 12 volt DC items when you are connected to 120 volt AC shore power INSTEAD of these items just running off of your battery, which they can do when boondocking without shore power. The converter also recharges your battery when you are connected to shore power.


OK, now with the converter being ruined from the electrician connecting you to 240 volts in the outlet at your house, the 12 volt DC items in your RV did work, up until they run down/deplete battery, which also cannot be recharged without a working converter.


This thread will explain a converter in more detail:


https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...nt-152813.html


Now for the workaround for a non functioning converter.


If you have a battery recharger, similar to something like below:





You can take this recharger with you and connect it to your RV battery when you get to the campsite (and plug it in once you connect to shore power). This recharger will keep your battery charged up and you can still use the 12 volt DC items in your RV indefinitely, while shore power will power up the 120 volt AC items in your RV that did not get ruined from when you connected to 240 volts at home. You just have to be aware of total wattage when using the battery recharger and other 120 volt AC items at the same time, so as to not trip a circuit breaker.


As I stated previously, the things that get damaged/ruined from when you connect to 240 volts are the converter, televisions, microwaves, electric fireplaces, refrigerator control boards, anything plugged into outlets (your vacuum cleaners for example).


The air conditioner can also be damaged, if you attempt to turn it on while connected to 240 volts. You stated you did not, so you may be OK there.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Boy, it sure is sad that so many have come here AFTER this situation has happened, instead of asking for information before they have it done.
But you don't know, what you don't know.[emoji22]
It's also sad that so many professional electricians don't know that RV 30 amp is different than residential.

I think it's fair for the average RV owner/homeowner to assume a professional electrician wired it correctly. They shouldn't have to come here first, and don't know that professional incompetence abounds on this issue.

A fair question, though: Was it permitted and inspected? I suspect not.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

I think it's fair for the average RV owner/homeowner to assume a professional electrician wired it correctly. They shouldn't have to come here first, and don't know that professional incompetence abounds on this issue.

Yeah, it is fair, but unfortunately happens too many times. I've seen it enough in our forums that I considered it important enough to include in my thread for new RV owners.


https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ts-157524.html