Heart Freedom 15 Inverter pops input circuit breaker.

[JB Texas]

My Heart inverter has a 30 amp input circuit breaker. The 15a outlets and the microwave power go thru this breaker. Using the microwave will occasionally pop this breaker, even with the charger turned off. I have checked the power draw on the microwave and it is only 13-15 amps. Has anyone experienced this with this model inverter? I hate to start replacing things 'til I get a better handle on the culprit.

[JB Texas]

My Heart inverter has a 30 amp input circuit breaker. The 15a outlets and the microwave power go thru this breaker. Using the microwave will occasionally pop this breaker, even with the charger turned off. I have checked the power draw on the microwave and it is only 13-15 amps. Has anyone experienced this with this model inverter? I hate to start replacing things 'til I get a better handle on the culprit.

[RV Wizard]

I have once tripped our circuit breaker on the input of a 2000 watt inverter. There are other loads that are also passing through the circuit breaker besides the microwave, ie, air cond. tv's, washer/dryer or any other 120 volt apparatus on that leg from shore power. If you have a continual problem you may want to have a clamp on ampmeter around the circuit and have someone load down the circuit to see at what amperage draw the circuit breaker trips out. If weak (trips under 30 amp) then replace circuit breaker.

[JB Texas]

Mike,
Thanks for the reply. I have determined that the only loads going through the 30 amp CB are the ones on the inverter subpanel (microwave and 110v outlets). If I turn on the inverter with the CB popped, the microwave and outlets are powered. I suspect that the CB is weak, but am also wondering about it possibly being a transfer switch inside the inverter? I don't have access to a schematic for the unit.

[RV Wizard]

JB, you are correct in that there is a transfer switch built into the inverter. When external power (shore or generator) is applied the current flows through the inverter. That is why I say that if too much current is drawn inside the coach it can trip the cb on the inverter.

[MikeT]

try this from the Xantrex website -- it's the pdf manual for the unit. It takes a little while to load, its about 3 mb. file.

http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/431/docserve.asp

[JB Texas]

Mike T,
Thanks for the reply. I've been to the Xantrex website and have the product manual. Going to try to replace the CB tomorrow. Film at 11....

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JBWLMS:
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>Hi John, Say Hi to Schatzi for us.

JB,

Winnebago had some problems in other coaches with this very same problem, in fact we had the same thing. There is a neutral wire in the system( I think in the control panel) that was wrapped with a ground wire or lug, which causes this problem. There's even a service bulletin on this. I can't find the article nor can I remember the particulars. Although, last year at the GNR they fixed the problem.

"I know this sounds like a broken record, but never connect to ANY shore power without surge protection device on/in line."

Tomcat F15

[grtharris]

The service bulletin on the neutral was an issue with the neutral begin connectecd to ground in the inverter. This would cause the shore power GFI to trip.
JBWLMS, all of the current for the inverter breaker panel goes thru the inverter whether it is on or off. On your coach as on my the engine block heater, the freezer and most of the other recp's go thru the inverter. So that said there could be other loads on and the microwave just puts the breaker over the limit. Because I travel in the winter a lot I moved the engine block heater off of the inverter panel back to the main panel.

[Roadking]

JB -- I'm guessing the problem is on your 02 Ultimate. If so, then you can get schematics via a link posted on this IRV2 forum. On the main page go the Winnebago Owner club and the second or third topics has a link to the Winnebago site with a complete list of schematics. Find your model and year and down load them.

My Ultimate had a factory wiring problem that caused any GFI outlet I plugged into to trip. The neutral in the sub-panel was hard-wired to the neutral in the main panel. On initial power up this resulted in a ground-neutral short via the Invertor transfer switch. With schematics this was a somewhat easy problem to find and really easy to fix.

Good luck.

[JB Texas]

Roadking,
Thanks for the reply. I have downloaded the Winnebago schematics but the schematics I need are for the inverter/charger itself. Could not get them from Xantrex. I've seen the forum posts on the shore GFI problem. I haven't tried to plug into a GFI yet, but I may also have that problem. I'll look at the wiring when I get to the inverter.