Odd Electrical Issue

[kb1flr]

Hi All,

I am getting a new to me 1996 Winnebago Adventurer 34RQ ready for a trip and have run into an electrical issue that has me a bit baffled.

The galley/kitchen 110v sockets, which were working correctly, are now still live, but unable to deliver any meaningful current. There is a small electrical freshener left by the PO that has a red LED that is lit when plugged in. Plugging into each outlet including the bathroom GFCI outlet yields a glowing LED. However, if I plug a low draw device like an iPhone charger into the same out let as the freshener, the red LED stays lit, but the iPhone does not charge. Plugging in a higher draw device like a Macbook charger causes the red LED on the freshener to go out completely until the draw from the charger is removed, at which time the freshener springs back to life.

At no time does the GFCI outlet trip nor does the 15 amp breaker trip. All other circuits in the coach seem to be fine. I will put a multimeter to the problem this evening after work, but if anyone has some light to shed or possible tests to run, I would be grateful.

Thanks!
Rick

[Johndale]

Does the other outlets work correctly. And is it only that one outlet or the outlets on the GFE circuit. If it is just that one replace that outlet they use a slide on wire connection. If iris the GFE system replace it. If it is all 110 look for a bad connection like loose wire one shore plug in breaker panel. But you get the idea. A led draws nothing and will give you a false reading. Use a drop light or something that puts a load to the system.


Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

[wa8yxm]

You have described a bad connection.

Question: if you pulg into the GFCI do things work? If so odds are the bad connection is behind it.. If not then either the circuit breaker screw is loose or the connection to the GFCI is bad or the GFCI itself is bad

[ChasA]

A loose connection in the 120 volt will cause the symptoms you describe.
I have never heard of an electrical freshener. Do you perhaps mean a tester?

[kb1flr]

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies.

All outlets including the GFCI show the same behavior. Unable to handle any significant current draw.

The red led on the freshener was not an actual testing. Some company has made an air freshener that is activated by plugging it into a 110v outlet. The PO had placed it in the coach and since I did bot have a multi tester with me, I used it to troubleshoot the problem. As I mentioned, all outlets were liver, but any significant current draw would not work and would cause the red led on the air freshener to go out until the larger current draw was removed. The GFCI test shut off the circuit as expected, and a reset restored it, but the GFCI and breakers were not tripped by any of my tests.

Rick

[ChasA]

Ahh, air freshener, got it now. We have one of those in our coach too, but ours doesn't light. Do you have an AC wiring diagram? If not you'll need to start taking your AC circuit connections and make sure all connections are tight. Start with your power cord, then the transfer switch, then the circuit breaker panel.
All this assumes your house wiring is okay. You can test that by plugging a lamp into the outlet your using for the coach.

[luvlabs]

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy yourself a GFI Circuit tester. They are green with a 3 prong plug and 3 LEDs on the top. Your circuit sounds like it missing a neutral or ground or you have a faulty GFI - this little tester will find all of them.

[kb1flr]

Again, thanks for all the suggestions.

The rest of the coach, both AC and DC is working fine, just the one circuit run from one 15 amp breaker to the galley and bathroom is affected.

When I test the GFCI outlet via the switch on the outlet face the entire circuit shuts down normal as though the breaker had been turned off, as expected.

My hope is a bad GFCI outlet, but I suspect it may be upstream. All of the affected circuits are downstream of the GFCI, though, so still hopeful that is the culprit.

Rick

[garbonz]

It should be the GFCI, unless it is at the circuit breaker itself. There should be one wire run from the breaker to that GFCI. So that limits the locations you need to check.

[kb1flr]

Garbonz, hoping it is the GFCI.

Any chance a failed breaker would exhibit these symptoms?

Rick

[mel s]

Originally Posted by kb1flr

Hi All,
I am getting a new to me 1996 Winnebago Adventurer 34RQ ready for a trip and have run into an electrical issue that has me a bit baffled.
The galley/kitchen 110v sockets, which were working correctly, are now still live, but unable to deliver any meaningful current. There is a small electrical freshener left by the PO that has a red LED that is lit when plugged in. Plugging into each outlet including the bathroom GFCI outlet yields a glowing LED. However, if I plug a low draw device like an iPhone charger into the same out let as the freshener, the red LED stays lit, but the iPhone does not charge. Plugging in a higher draw device like a Macbook charger causes the red LED on the freshener to go out completely until the draw from the charger is removed, at which time the freshener springs back to life.
At no time does the GFCI outlet trip nor does the 15 amp breaker trip. All other circuits in the coach seem to be fine. I will put a multimeter to the problem this evening after work, but if anyone has some light to shed or possible tests to run, I would be grateful.
Thanks!
Rick

Originally Posted by kb1flr

Hi All,
Thanks for the replies.
All outlets including the GFCI show the same behavior. Unable to handle any significant current draw.
The red led on the freshener was not an actual testing. Some company has made an air freshener that is activated by plugging it into a 110v outlet. The PO had placed it in the coach and since I did bot have a multi tester with me, I used it to troubleshoot the problem. As I mentioned, all outlets were liver, but any significant current draw would not work and would cause the red led on the air freshener to go out until the larger current draw was removed. The GFCI test shut off the circuit as expected, and a reset restored it, but the GFCI and breakers were not tripped by any of my tests.
Rick

Originally Posted by kb1flr

Again, thanks for all the suggestions.
The rest of the coach, both AC and DC is working fine, just the one circuit run from one 15 amp breaker to the galley and bathroom is affected.
When I test the GFCI outlet via the switch on the outlet face the entire circuit shuts down normal as though the breaker had been turned off, as expected.
My hope is a bad GFCI outlet, but I suspect it may be upstream. All of the affected circuits are downstream of the GFCI, though, so still hopeful that is the culprit.
Rick

kb1flr
A "air freshener" is not a reliable tester.
Why don't you check the "AC output voltage" of the suspect receptacles with a multi-meter or some other reliable device made for that purpose?
Mel
'96 Safari

[kb1flr]

I have a multi-tester, but did not have it with me when I detected the issue. I noticed the air freshener LED stayed lit and used it as a poor man's tester to gather some preliminary data.

Rick

[Climbon69]

A GFCI outlet can fail to allow 120v, but almost no current. My money would be on the GFCI outlet as the problem. The plug-in GFCI test plug would be a good thing to carry with you. It can also indicate a bad ground which would cause the GFCI outlet to limit current (just like it's supposed to do).

[gasser 38]

Ck ground at c/b for the outlets