Community Forums

Sky_Boss · 07-27-2018, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loggenrock

You wanted an EASY way to do this... Add a 15A outlet that is powered by a different cord than your 50A shoreline. So when you plug in to the pedestal, you plug in your 50A line, AND a 15A line into the other outlet. You can now run a 15A circuit (heater) from the separate, dedicated outlet that doesn't run thru your converter at all. Put the new outlet wherever you want to put the heater.

Like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ZO...&frags=pl%2Cwn

featherlite · 07-27-2018, 06:03 AM

can you add a heat strip to your roof a/c units ?

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Coloe...it-p/67306.htm

dave

Waiter21 · 07-27-2018, 06:03 AM

When I installed a PSW to run my frig and other stuff, I added a switch panel so I could select if the loads (outlets) were being supplied by the inverter or regular power.

Pure Sine Wave inverter install – 1999 Southwind 35S

Dedicated Outlets.. Many years ago, on my old Toyota Micromini class C, I installed an inverter to run the microwave or coffee pot. Instead of adding switches to select wher ethe outlet would get its power from (shore or inverter) I decided to install a couple dedicated outlets that were specifically powered by the inverter. I bought a couple orange outlets and cover plates, and these two outlets were wired to the inverter.

You could do something similar, no switches, just a couple outlets that are wired directly to the panel and their own dedicated breakers.. Yes, the white wires should go to the common neutral bus bar in the panel. The black wires will connect to the circuit breaker.

Old Scout · 07-27-2018, 06:45 AM

…..either run a "properly sized" extension cord from CG 20 amp pedestal to power heater as a temporary solution, or get busy adding some breakers and rewiring circuits that aren't connected thru the inverter by-pass. Guess you could use some 20 amp industrial switches but still don't like the idea of running heavy amp appliances thru switches vs breakers.

ronnie_g · 07-27-2018, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

The issue isn't battery power. The issue is that most inverters have a 30A "pass through" limit. (Yes, there are now some 60A limits provided the RV is properly wired but I digress.) Pass through is the amount of shore or generator power that goes through the inverter to the inverter circuit panel.

That means if the sum of all amps used by all circuits on the inverter panel exceeds 30A that the inverter will trip. As an example, if you have a coffee pot on, fire up the microwave, and someone starts a vacuum cleaner that you will probably be making a trip down to the basement to find the inverter's reset button.

EXACTLY.....
And that's while on shore power or battery power!
I rarely use the inverter, specially when at a RV site and temps are below freezing for weeks at a time.

And that's another question, the breaker on the UPS is 30A and the breaker on the sub panel is 30A. Why is it that the UPS breaker is the one to trip first. Trip to the basement.... It was Colorado winter I am new to the RV and searching for why everything went dead. Took a while to find the breaker in the basement.

**Spdracr39** · 07-27-2018, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

The issue isn't battery power. The issue is that most inverters have a 30A "pass through" limit. (Yes, there are now some 60A limits provided the RV is properly wired but I digress.) Pass through is the amount of shore or generator power that goes through the inverter to the inverter circuit panel.

That means if the sum of all amps used by all circuits on the inverter panel exceeds 30A that the inverter will trip. As an example, if you have a coffee pot on, fire up the microwave, and someone starts a vacuum cleaner that you will probably be making a trip down to the basement to find the inverter's reset button.

My bad I didn't realize that. My setup has an ATS and the shore power does not pass through the inverter when plugged in. I would have thought they were all that way but guess not.

Sky_Boss · 07-27-2018, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronnie_g

EXACTLY.....
And that's while on shore power or battery power!
I rarely use the inverter, specially when at a RV site and temps are below freezing for weeks at a time.

And that's another question, the breaker on the UPS is 30A and the breaker on the sub panel is 30A. Why is it that the UPS breaker is the one to trip first. Trip to the basement.... It was Colorado winter I am new to the RV and searching for why everything went dead. Took a while to find the breaker in the basement.

When you say "UPS" are you talking about your inverter?

My experience with helping a couple other folks understand this issue is that the inverter reset button always tripped before the main breaker panel, inverter breaker panel or power pedestal 30A breakers did. I don't have a great explanation for that.

**Spdracr39** · 07-27-2018, 08:42 AM

Knowing now how it is set up why not just add an auto transfer switch and only go through the inverter when you need it ?

Sky_Boss · 07-27-2018, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdracr39

My bad I didn't realize that. My setup has an ATS and the shore power does not pass through the inverter when plugged in. I would have thought they were all that way but guess not.

You might want to double check that. Certainly you could be correct but...

Lots of folks don't understand that if you have a typical MH style charger/inverter that it has its own ATS. When it detects shore/generator power it passes that power THROUGH the inverter to the main breaker panel (MBP) and thus through the inverter panel.

Newer inverters can actually pass through 60A but that requires coach wiring that can handle that safely. In some cases you can see a single 60A breaker in the MBP or in other cases 2 30A breakers. The single 60A breaker requires upgraded wire sizing to support it.

This might be a very subtle distinction but to be technically correct, the inverters have typical pass through ratings of 3600W and 7200W. I'm not a electrical engineer but I understand the math to calculate Watts, Amps and such. A little knowledge can be dangerous.

ronnie_g · 07-27-2018, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

When you say "UPS" are you talking about your inverter?

My experience with helping a couple other folks understand this issue is that the inverter reset button always tripped before the main breaker panel, inverter breaker panel or power pedestal 30A breakers did. I don't have a great explanation for that.

SORRY, X out UPS, replace with inverter.
My RV is 50A service, so for me it is a real disappointment to learn that internally I am limited to 30A. Specially when you also consider that the concept behind a inverter is to have your most desirable stuff on that ckt. Then the downside is that you are limited to only 30A.
One response mentioned that his inverter had a bypass. In my case it would not matter if my unit had a bypass (I'd assume it does) because the sub panel is also a 30A breaker.
IMO the problem is too many (5 15A) ckts wired onto the inverter in order to have as many things working as can be, just not all at once.

Brecklundin · 01-31-2019, 09:40 PM

I discover the purpose of a mystery 3-position light switch in the hallway... its to do exactly what you are wanting. up is outside power (land line), down is power via inverter (no I know why it wasn't working), middle I'm am not sure of yet.

no idea how it's wired just yet. but it's labeled and I tested the up and down positions successfully. middle that's for another day... so it's very possible.