Transfer switch problem

[Holmstead]

2019 Anthem not passing shore power thru switch. Generator side working correctly. Problem started 4 nights into a 2 month trip. Plugged in as usual but shore power didn’t switch over. Pedestal power tested ok. Checked wire connections, tapped various things but no change. About an hour later while looking in box it switched over. Worked great for the remainder of the trip. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago I moved the coach from it’s normal storage area to our dump station and plugged back in and same problem. Moved it back to normal spot, plugged in and nothing. About 20 minutes later it switched over. Started replacing the switch yesterday, discovered the new switch (same part number) doesn’t have the same components as the old switch so we reconnected old switch. Can we swap wires so I get shore power and not generator? Thought I had read about folks doing that.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? I’ll be contacting Entegra tomorrow morning.

[arcaguy]

Yes you can, but the fact that you're asking this question tells me you probably shouldn't do it yourself. Not trying to be mean but you can burn your rig down if it's done wrong. Find a friend or a tech that knows what to do. They can probably get the new switch installed correctly. Please be careful.

[wolfe10]

Jim,


Assume you are referring to the ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch).


When it doesn't work on shore power, have you checked for power IN at the ATS?


Does giving the ATS a light, sharp rap make it engage?


Any sign of burning of the wires in the ATS?



All connections in the ATS clean and tight?


BTW, yes, you can use wire nuts to directly connect shore power IN with OUT to main 120 VAC breaker box-- basically bypassing the ATS.



Yes, all this assumes you are safe working around 120/240 VAC.

[Magic-carpet]

Originally Posted by Holmstead

2019 Anthem not passing shore power thru switch. Generator side working correctly. Problem started 4 nights into a 2 month trip. Plugged in as usual but shore power didn’t switch over. Pedestal power tested ok. Checked wire connections, tapped various things but no change. About an hour later while looking in box it switched over. Worked great for the remainder of the trip. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago I moved the coach from it’s normal storage area to our dump station and plugged back in and same problem. Moved it back to normal spot, plugged in and nothing. About 20 minutes later it switched over. Started replacing the switch yesterday, discovered the new switch (same part number) doesn’t have the same components as the old switch so we reconnected old switch. Can we swap wires so I get shore power and not generator? Thought I had read about folks doing that.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? I’ll be contacting Entegra tomorrow morning.

Yes, you can swap the wires. But, I would also suggest turning off the generator circuit breaker on top of the gen set and cap the wires so that no one makes a bad mistake.

[Holmstead]

Licensed electrician is doing the the work. VT is showing 124 but zero amps. Meter also shows power to switch. We would definitely make sure generator is safe. I’ve hit it each time we’ve had this problem and it didn’t switch over.

[Holmstead]

Originally Posted by arcaguy

Yes you can, but the fact that you're asking this question tells me you probably shouldn't do it yourself. Not trying to be mean but you can burn your rig down if it's done wrong. Find a friend or a tech that knows what to do. They can probably get the new switch installed correctly. Please be careful.

New switch does not have all the components that the original switch has. I’m guessing it has to do with the VegaTouch and assume Entegra either adds them or has them installed by manufacturer.

[JGilchrist]

I had similar symptoms myself with my 19 Antgem. Had my transfer switch go out and verified by looking inside to find 2 cracked brown or yellow I forget wafers inside. Had my electrician switch the wires from generator side so shore power would work to keep batteries charged since I was in storage. You could possibly have a loose connection somewhere inside or maybe the network cable. Just a heads up as well if you’re transfer switch is bad I would reach out to the manufacturer Southwire not Entegra because they sent me a new one for free even though out of warranty. It’s worth a shot if you need to replace as I think Entegra wanted almost $900 shipped.

[TBL]

Originally Posted by Holmstead

2019 Anthem not passing shore power thru switch. Generator side working correctly. Problem started 4 nights into a 2 month trip. Plugged in as usual but shore power didn’t switch over. Pedestal power tested ok. Checked wire connections, tapped various things but no change. About an hour later while looking in box it switched over. Worked great for the remainder of the trip. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago I moved the coach from it’s normal storage area to our dump station and plugged back in and same problem. Moved it back to normal spot, plugged in and nothing. About 20 minutes later it switched over. Started replacing the switch yesterday, discovered the new switch (same part number) doesn’t have the same components as the old switch so we reconnected old switch. Can we swap wires so I get shore power and not generator? Thought I had read about folks doing that.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? I’ll be contacting Entegra tomorrow morning.

I called Entegra this morning and spent 2 hours on the phone. I switched the Gen wires to the other side to confirm Transfer Switch was working properly, it is. Vega Touch is showing Transfer Switch Fault-Open Ground. Works fine with Gen. All voltage coming in is correct. Entegra sent me to Southwire, we think it is the Shoreline Reel. Southwire only has an answering machine. Left a message, sent email, sent a text via FB Messenger. Im not an electrician by any means but this is crazy. Good voltage all the way to TS but it will not Engage with shore power. Had park replace plug and breaker same. Plugged into neighbors power, same. I will take any suggestions at this point.

[Jimjensen]

According to Big Mike from Spartan it’s not unusual to have issues with the contact points on the cord reel. Says it’s usually caused from adjusting cord length after a load has been applied to the system. I know that doesn’t help you at this point but I’m guessing that’s where you’re going to find your issue.

[amosnandy]

Originally Posted by TBL

I called Entegra this morning and spent 2 hours on the phone. I switched the Gen wires to the other side to confirm Transfer Switch was working properly, it is. Vega Touch is showing Transfer Switch Fault-Open Ground. Works fine with Gen. All voltage coming in is correct. Entegra sent me to Southwire, we think it is the Shoreline Reel. Southwire only has an answering machine. Left a message, sent email, sent a text via FB Messenger. Im not an electrician by any means but this is crazy. Good voltage all the way to TS but it will not Engage with shore power. Had park replace plug and breaker same. Plugged into neighbors power, same. I will take any suggestions at this point.

Transfer switches come in two configurations. It is based on priority. Some are generator priority, some are shore power priority. It sounds like yours is generator priority. My Winnebago is also. That is why when you plug into shore power you can hear the transfer switch "clunk". It is energizing the switch and connecting the contacts. My previous coach had a shore power priority. No "clunk" when plugging into shore power, but a slight delay could be heard when starting the generator. Then a "clunk"

I'm not sure I understand when you say "all voltage coming in is correct" Do you mean you have voltage at the input terminals in the transfer switch for both the generator (when running) and the shore power (when plugged in). If so, the problem must be in the transfer switch or the electronics for the Vega Touch.

I am not familiar with the exact operation of the Vega Touch, but my understanding of the system is it is a combination of a lot of things, that include a surge protection, improper wired diagnosis, and an EMS. If my understanding of the system is correct, switching the generator wires and the shore power may not fix the problem, because the Vega Touch would still not understand that the wiring is correct. It is unfortunate that you cannot get in touch with Southwire, the transfer switch manufacture, because the fact that the electronic components in the new switch may just be an upgrade or modification that needs to be wired properly.

I'm making some assumptions here, not having a working knowledge of the transfer switch or the Vega Touch, that the transfer switch must send a signal to the Vega Touch to indicate everything is wired properly, the voltage is within range, and what amperage you have available. If the signal is not getting to the Vega Touch it is not going to work no matter what you do. The problem could be the transfer switch or in the Vega Touch or it could be as simple as whatever sends the signal from the transfer switch to the Vega Touch may have failed.

Good luck and PLEASE let us know what the resolution is. I'm curious. And another example that "new and improved" is not always better. Moving up from a simple "on off" transfer switch on my Holiday Rambler to the EMS system on my Winnebago was enough to stump me a couple times when trying to fix a problem that shut down everything that was powered by the inverter circuit last year .

[TBL]

2018 Anthem Full Time

[brobox]

Originally Posted by TBL

2018 Anthem Full Time

Do you have the telephone looking connection coming from the vega touch to the top of the transfer switch? On my 19 there was a bad connection there that would not let power from the generator into the transfer to the VT. Took about 20 minutes jiggling that connection to finally get generator power coming onto the coach. Larry did a photo post showing the fix to that problem. Thanks to his post I remembered it when it happen to me..... it saved the day.

That plug is the communication from the transfer switch to the VT.

If there has been a lot of use, the electrical cord as mentioned could be the problem as well.

[dave&ginny]

The transfer switch is not hard to change out but it doesn’t sound like your problem is there. As others have said it’s probably your real. I did change my auto transfer switch out myself but I upgraded to the same one used in the cornerstones. If you get in a jam, contact me. By the way, be careful with the brass or copper studs on the power real. It doesn’t take much to snap them off.

[RayandWendy]

Originally Posted by dave&ginny

By the way, be careful with the brass or copper studs on the power real. It doesn’t take much to snap them off.

Exactly. Been there, done that, had to get a new reel. It was while installing my Progress EMS.
Later...
Ray