Question about power center display

[Tallyrver]

I have a question about my power center display .
when I am hooked up to a 30 amp supply ,the display reads the amps being used. like 15 when using the microwave etc.

When I am hooked to 50 amp service ,the display has lights next to ac,microwave etc ,and no power reading. is this normal?

I have a 2007 Holiday Rambler Neptune.


Thanks in advance

Wayne

[Gordon66]

Yes, that is normal operation. Wish they would display on 50 amps.

[Cottons]

Yes, that is normal. The meter only displays current when you are connected to a 15/20 or 30 amp service. The metering circuit isn't sophisticated enough to display both legs of the 50 amp service.

[WeBeGone2]

With 50 amps, I believe you are getting WAY more amps then the M/H can use. With 30, 20, or 15 you are only getting enough to run a few things at a time eg. AC, Microwave, or water heater. Since you are on reduced amp availability the system tells you how much you are consuming at that specific time. My Ac. one of two sucks 13 amps. fridge hits 5 amp when running. Coffee maker hits 12 amps . Water heater 14. Therefore I can not able run all these at the same time. You can turn them all on at the same time, but the system will shed them off the grid. Look at your management system display and it will show you which ones get shedded first. Better than blowing fuses!!!

[ShapeShifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallyrver When I am hooked to 50 amp service ,the display has lights next to ac,microwave etc ,and no power reading. is this normal?

Working exactly as designed. You only get the reading when on 20 or 30 amp shore power, or when running the generator. Not on 50 amp shore power.

As Cottons says, it's not sophisticated enough to read both hot lines that are available on 50 amp service. It only has one current sensor on the neutral line, not two on the two hot lines. That works when on 20 or 30 amp service, or when on generator, because they are all 120 volt sources, and the current in the neutral line is the sum of the currents in the two hot lines. But a 50 amp service is really 240 volts, and in this case the current on the neutral line (the only place the system has a sensor) is the difference of the current on the two hot lines. If they were to display that reading, it would be wrong, so they simply blank the display.

While you would have a very difficult time overloading a 50 amp supply, it can still be interesting to know how much power you are drawing. I added a Progressive Industries EMS-HW50C with a remote display. While it does a whole lot more, one of the features I like is that it shows the current draw on both hot lines. While it doesn't add it up into a single number, it still gives you the information you want.

[Tallyrver]

Thanks for the info.
anyone going or at the Tampa show? I may go in the morning

[nodine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallyrver Thanks for the info. anyone going or at the Tampa show? I may go in the morning

You have received good info with the other posts. If memory serves me, the amps indication also works when the generator is running.

Bob

[BarbRN]

This was our discussion in Winnebago chat last night. It seems like some of us don't even get a read out on the Generator either. Some do, some don't. I was glad to learn this because I thought my new Motorhome wasn't working right.

Yes I'm going to Tampa to the show on Sunday morning.

[ShapeShifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarbRN It seems like some of us don't even get a read out on the Generator either. Some do, some don't.

I wonder if that's a function of the generator output? Many are 120v output, some may be 240v output. If the generator is 240v, the power monitor is incapable of displaying the proper total current, so the display will be blank.

My 8,000 Watt Onan generator has a 120v output -- while it has two independent 120v outputs, they are in-phase with zero volts between the two hots. My understanding is that the 10,000 Watt Onan in the same. These are considered 120v generators, and the monitor should have no problem displaying the total current. But once you get into a larger generator, like a 12,000 Watt generator, they can be a 240v output -- the two hots are opposite phase so you get 120v on each compared to neutral, but 240v across the two hots. The monitor cannot display the current in this case.

So, for the people who don't have a current display on the generator, do they have larger generators than the ones that do?

[BarbRN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShapeShifter I wonder if that's a function of the generator output? Many are 120v output, some may be 240v output. If the generator is 240v, the power monitor is incapable of displaying the proper total current, so the display will be blank. My 8,000 Watt Onan generator has a 120v output -- while it has two independent 120v outputs, they are in-phase with zero volts between the two hots. My understanding is that the 10,000 Watt Onan in the same. These are considered 120v generators, and the monitor should have no problem displaying the total current. But once you get into a larger generator, like a 12,000 Watt generator, they can be a 240v output -- the two hots are opposite phase so you get 120v on each compared to neutral, but 240v across the two hots. The monitor cannot display the current in this case. So, for the people who don't have a current display on the generator, do they have larger generators than the ones that do?

I only have a 5.5 KW Generator and it isn't showing up.

[ShapeShifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarbRN I only have a 5.5 KW Generator and it isn't showing up.

Alrighty then, that pretty much shoots down that theory, doesn't it?

Anybody got any other ideas?

[BarbRN]

We finally got plugged into shore power with our 50 amp plug and the house has 20 Amp service. Guess what....still no panel lighting up. Does this make sense?

[ShapeShifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarbRN We finally got plugged into shore power with our 50 amp plug and the house has 20 Amp service. Guess what....still no panel lighting up. Does this make sense?

Nope, doen't make sense.

Is it just the amp display, or is it the whole panel that's not lighting up. When plugging into a 20 amp circuit you should see the 30 amp indicator light come on, and when you press the select button it should switch to the 20 amp indicator. (It can't tell the difference between 20 and 30 amps, so it assumes 30 and you have to tell it which you are using.

In addition, all of the six lights on the right side should be on, these are the ones that indicate which loads are active (on) and which have been shed because of too much power (off.) Normally they would all be on, but they could turn off if you have a lot of high-power loads turned on.

Finally, the amp display should show the current you are reading.

If none of these are on, I would start by checking fuses. There should be a 12V fuse in one of the house fuse panels that supply the EMS system. (On my rig, it's in the back bedroom closet and labeled "EMS") If that fuse is good, there is another one on the internal circuit panel, but you need to remove the front panel of the circuit breaker box to reach it (unplug the shore cord, and turn off the generator and inverter before opening it.)

[BarbRN]

Thanks for the tips. Maybe it's a fuse. The selection button for the amps doesn't seem to be working to me but who knows.