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Strange Electrical Issue - Printable Version

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Strange Electrical Issue - Chester Stone - 03-11-2017

I am at a RV park in Apache Junction, Arizona, and I have an electrical issue I have not figured out.  Yesterday I washed clothes and the washer worked perfectly.  However, when I used the dryer, the dryer turns but will not heat.  I assumed I had a dryer problem.  Then last night I tried to use the range, and it would not turn on.  All other appliances, including A/C, seem to be working OK.  Not sure though that both compressors in each unit are working.

This morning I disconnected the dock cable and started the generator.  Now everything works including the dryer and range.  Breakers all seem OK.  Not sure if I have a switching problem in the coach, a problem with the outside power or something else.  I will be out on Monday so it will be Tuesday before I can ask to a new site to check for outside power.  Any suggestion on what I can do to isolate the problem?

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - Fulltiming - 03-11-2017

Do your volt meters show you have power on both legs when hooked to shore power? The two items you mention both require 240 volts while everything else other than the AquaHot electric element runs on 120. Since everything works with the generator running, it sounds like the issue could be in their wiring.

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - Chester Stone - 03-11-2017

Upon further testing, both compressors in both A/C units are drawing amperage, thus operating normally. However, the 220 AquaHot heating element shows that only on power leg is supplying power even though the element was replaced last June. On the right side of the breaker box I have the Main Breaker, Surge Protector, AquaHot, Washer Dryer and Range. The surge protector green light is out. I wonder if the surge protector has shut off one leg of the AquaHot, Dryer and Range?????

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - Richard - 03-11-2017

Chester,

Check the power pole where you are plugged in. Check between the two hot legs. You should show 240, but if the park cheated and wired it with only one leg you won't show any voltage from hot leg to hot leg. That would explain everything you have described.

The tricky part about diagnosing this is that all your coach meters will show 120. If you measure at the pole from hot to neutral you will get 120, only when you measure hot to hot does the problem reveal.

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - Chester Stone - 03-11-2017

Problem solved thanks to Richard and Michael, your observation is correct. Richard suggested that I first check the power pole with a meter and I should find 120 on both outside line connectors when each is connected to the common. I did and found 120 on each. When the probes were touched to the two line outlets, and as Richard suspected - nothing. Thus, the park has only one 120 line connected to both line outlets. The effect is that the 220 leg to the AquaHot, dryer heater and cooking range do not work. Does not affect the A/Cs. Boy, this forum is something else.

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - Land Yacht - 03-11-2017

Why does it not effect A/C's?

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - jcus - 03-11-2017

(03-11-2017, 08:42 PM)Jmginn78 Wrote:  Why does it not effect A/C's?

Not sure on your coach, but my ac's are 120, so lack of 240 does not affect their operation.

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - folivier - 03-11-2017

Exactly right Jim. The basement airs each have 2 separate compressors at 120vac and each one is on a separate leg. So in Chesters situation he had 120vac on each leg which did power his a/c's and all other 120vac items. But anything requiring 240vac such as his stove, dryer, and aqua hot would not work.
Clear as mud?

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - Fulltiming - 03-11-2017

The AC's only need 120 volts rather than 240 volts.

RE: Strange Electrical Issue - Richard - 03-12-2017

Jim, there is a big watchout with the ACs when hooked up to a cheated power pole. Since all of the 120 is on the same phase, all four ACs running simultaneously is going to pull about 60 amps and a breaker is going to pop at best, or wiring overheat at worst. The underlying danger is with that AC's running, the voltage drops and this can harm the compressors. Fortunately Chester has a voltage protection system which should automatically disconnect him if this happens.

True 50 amp is actually 50 amp on EACH leg, for a total of 100 amps. The cheated wiring that Chester is plugged into is 50 amp total.

Who knows what wiring gauge the park used if they wired the pedestal in the cheated way.

So why would they do this? Money. Let me give you an example. I recently ran power to the RV parking pad behind the house. A run of about 200 ft from the house to the pad. I needed outdoor burial cable. The cost to run # 10 wire rated for a 30 amp circuit was about $160, the cost to run #6 wire good for the 50 amp service was $600. Heavier wire and one additional conductor explain the cost differential.