Community Forums

fredbrussell · 05-22-2017, 07:00 AM

The outlets in my class a motorhome bedroom stopped working I tracked it down to my Xantrex inverter 1000.
What's happening is the GFI connected to the inverter will not reset. As soon as I push reset it pops back out immediately it won't stay in.

Any clues on whether the inverter is broken based on this behavior.

I swapped out the GFI thinking it was bad but the new one does the same thing.

mcarden75 · 05-22-2017, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredbrussell

The outlets in my class a motorhome bedroom stopped working I tracked it down to my Xantrex inverter 1000.
What's happening is the GFI connected to the inverter will not reset. As soon as I push reset it pops back out immediately it won't stay in.

Any clues on whether the inverter is broken based on this behavior.

I swapped out the GFI thinking it was bad but the new one does the same thing.

Sounds like you have a short. Perhaps water buildup or a frayed wire.

twinboat · 05-22-2017, 07:38 AM

Is the built in GFCI tripping ?

You know that there is probably one on the inverter, correct ?

Is it happening when nothing is plugged in to it ?

Unplug what ever is in it now and try pluging in a lamp or something. If it trips with that, it could be the inverer.

If it don't trip, it has to be what ever is normally hooked to it, not the inverter.

boyland · 05-22-2017, 08:08 AM

could also be a bad gfi

we replacement often in our rental properties

Gary RVRoamer · 05-22-2017, 10:36 AM

People routinely try to blame the GFCI when it trips. Why do they refuse to believe the GFCI is telling the truth, i.e. a ground fault (short to ground) has been detected?

The GFCI trips because the current (amps) returning on the neutral are less than the amps going out on the hot. Start diagnosing the circuit downstream from the inverter outlet and look for current & voltage on the ground or a short to the RV chassis (which is also grounded). The short can be in the neutral as well as the hot.

Isaac-1 · 05-22-2017, 03:02 PM

If it is tripping when nothing is plugged in or when anything you try is plugged in it is likely the GFCI outlet itself

twinboat · 05-22-2017, 03:47 PM

On other thought, GFCIs don't reset unless there is power to them. Make sure the inverter is on and getting battery power.

fredbrussell · 05-22-2017, 06:53 PM

Update Took every junction box, outlet, inverter out of the circuit and found a run of wire that tests at 150 ohms between hot and neutral. This makes me think there is a short in that wire. The wire is in the basement as in under the floor and accessible barely by the compartments. The wire runs from the compartment that is just forward of the rear passenger wheel to the compartment just behind the rear drivers wheel. I'm trying to decide whether to try to pull a new wire but afraid I won't be able to do it right

**CountryFit** · 05-22-2017, 07:07 PM

my gfci failed recently. no power to all receptacles.

i removed the terminal cover on the inverter, measured the output 1 and 2 against neutral (or ground) and found they had power. next i checked the gfci in bedroom. the reset won't be locked down. ordered a 20a gfci online for $10 including shipping and all went well. (home depot has it for $20 + tax :-).

i knew why mine failed... on our coach, 2 outputs from inverter, one goes to the wall outlets, via gfci; another goes to microwave directly. i didn't know this and plugged my ev charger to the receptacle in a storage bay, about 5 hours to the full in a sunny day. at the rate of 135a at 12v nominal, and occasionally used induction cooktop... boom, gfci acted up.

our inverter is a magnum ms2812. since the incidence, i made an outlet for ev on the leg to microwave. we hardly use microwave, as only we don't use them at the same time, we are ok.

back to the op issue, on xantrex inverter front panel, there is a rectangular plate at the bottom with 2 screws holding it. remove the cover to expose the output legs. measure the voltages, then trace down the cause(s).