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Power Issues Mystery Solved
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Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 3/22
Picture of Dana
posted
Well I figured I had gremlins, poltergeists or ghosts. My power has been able to power the coach without my main breaker on. In fact it would pop the breakers all the way back to my 100 amp main in the house when I reset the main breaker. confusion
Scary

Okay I should have figured this out earlier. Sometimes you can't see the tree for the forest. There is a by-pass wire main that powers the Xantrex Prosine 2500. This wire is spiced off in the bottom of the Breaker box. The inverter is an inverter, smart charger and transfer switch all rolled into one. I am not a combo guy as one thing goes bad and you are hosed! Thumbs Down

The transfer switch in the unit seems to have a mind of its own. This explains why one time it works and the next time it is different. When it is working as intended everything was fine. When it inverted by itself it would feed the panel from the back side and blow the main but also power the panel.

Mystery solved!

Permanent solution - Install a switch for when the automatic transfer switch in the inverter decides to turn on when there is shore power. There is a double pole 30 amp breaker that feeds and returns inverted 110 but if you switch it off the good charger is not powered either. To expensive to scrap. Old enough not to want to try to fix.


Dana & Lynn
1997 38ft Monarch front entry
Spartan Mountain Master Chassis
Cummins 8.3 325hp
Allison MD-3060 6 speed
22.5 11R
Cummins Factory Exhaust Brake
8000 watt Quiet Diesel Generator
9608-M0022-38MI-4C
Christened Midnight

1972 22ft
72081169MC22C
Christened Camp Barth
 
Posts: 1418 | Location: Waseca, Minnesota | Member Since: 12-09-2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 3/19
Picture of Mogan David
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Dana, individual components of your electrical center can be serviced without replacing the whole thing. Automatic Transfer Switch relays go bad and are easily replaced. Typically, it is in its own steel box, piggy backed onto the bigger steel box of the electrical center. readily available on ebay.
If you have not updated your converter/charger section to a Progressive Dynamics unit with "Charge Wizard" you should. It has its own steel box that slides into the larger steel box of the electrical center.
http://www.progressivedyn.com/...ter_replacement.html
 
Posts: 2003 | Location: Jackson, Michigan, USA | Member Since: 04-18-2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 03/22
posted Hide Post
I am not that familiar with the Prosine inverter/charger but most all of the inverter/chargers do not have a "transfer switch" that works to transfer A/C power from shore power, to generator power, to inverter power.

The so called transfer switch internally to the inverter should only sense A/C power coming from an outside source such as the shore power, or generator power (from the coach transfer relay). If operating correctly it should only switch to inverter power if the incoming A/C power in interrupted or not available.

Then only those coach outlets that are wired thru the inverter should get power from the inverter. The roof A/Cs should not get power from the inverter.

I believe that the Prosine inverter only operates off one leg of the 50 amp service. if you are finding that it blows the 100 amp breakers at your house, I suggest that the relay inside the inverter is actually shorting out between the two legs of the 50 amp service and indicates that the inverter is wired incorrectly to the coach transfer relay and coach outlets. I would look at this more closely as this may represent an electrical safety hazard.

Without looking at the wiring or seeing an electrical schematic, is hard to guess what is going on but this is my WAG


Ed
94 30' Breakaway #3864
30-BS-6B side entry
New Cummins 5.9L, 375+ HP
Allison 6 speed
Spartan chassis
K9DVC
Tankless water heater
 
Posts: 2178 | Location: Los Gatos, CA | Member Since: 12-08-2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 3/22
Picture of Dana
posted Hide Post
Ed you are correct in the statement"The so called transfer switch internally to the inverter should only sense A/C power coming from an outside source such as the shore power, or generator power (from the coach transfer relay). If operating correctly it should only switch to inverter power if the incoming A/C power in interrupted or not available."

In their book they call it a transfer switch. That is what it does. That is where the issue lies. The inverter feeds (FED) the entire panel thru both sides so when it thought it sensed no power incoming it energized the inverter which would complete a bridge between both 110 circuits. I should have seen this issue long ago. I will reconnect so only the select 110 I want energized can be. Why was it hooked that way? Don't know? Yes it was wrong but until it started energizing when it shouldn't it never created a discernible problem. Yes it was unsafe. It also was doing this without being "Turned on" I am betting there is a way to reset so it doesn't automatically energize.

Mogan the smart charger in the ProSine works well. I still have the original converter charger available if needed. Not the latest greatest but they will serve.


Dana & Lynn
1997 38ft Monarch front entry
Spartan Mountain Master Chassis
Cummins 8.3 325hp
Allison MD-3060 6 speed
22.5 11R
Cummins Factory Exhaust Brake
8000 watt Quiet Diesel Generator
9608-M0022-38MI-4C
Christened Midnight

1972 22ft
72081169MC22C
Christened Camp Barth
 
Posts: 1418 | Location: Waseca, Minnesota | Member Since: 12-09-2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 03/22
posted Hide Post
Xantrex are not the easiest folks to work with. I guess you did a master reset? They may have an update for the software that you cold install.

I have the older Xantrex (RS3000) and it will do some strange things from time to time, I do master reset and all is good for awhile.

Unfortunately they no longer support this model. I am looking to replace mine because now it is drawing a lot of battery power with nothing connected to it. I am tired of monkeying with it!


Ed
94 30' Breakaway #3864
30-BS-6B side entry
New Cummins 5.9L, 375+ HP
Allison 6 speed
Spartan chassis
K9DVC
Tankless water heater
 
Posts: 2178 | Location: Los Gatos, CA | Member Since: 12-08-2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 3/22
Picture of Dana
posted Hide Post
Ed,
Yes master reset is our friend.(did not fix the auto inverte when AC is present) Yes their support is less than ideal. Charger works well and inverter inverts! I can safely work around the sensor issue. I don't need it to self start. I need it to invert when I want it to invert. If I replace I will go to separate inverter and separate charging unit. For now just knowing what was happening and fixing the safety issue is enough. Thanks for the feedback.


Dana & Lynn
1997 38ft Monarch front entry
Spartan Mountain Master Chassis
Cummins 8.3 325hp
Allison MD-3060 6 speed
22.5 11R
Cummins Factory Exhaust Brake
8000 watt Quiet Diesel Generator
9608-M0022-38MI-4C
Christened Midnight

1972 22ft
72081169MC22C
Christened Camp Barth
 
Posts: 1418 | Location: Waseca, Minnesota | Member Since: 12-09-2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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