Converter question

[Devil Dog]

My converter, which was buried under a cabinet and behind the circuit break box, was very hot to the touch. The problem I noticed that got me started was the lights were flickering on AC and generator power. But not on 12V only. I got to the converter and noticed that it was dirty and the fan never came on. I could hardly hold my hand on it because it was so warm to the touch. Is there a way of testing these before I shell out 150 + bones for a new one?

[Devil Dog]

My converter, which was buried under a cabinet and behind the circuit break box, was very hot to the touch. The problem I noticed that got me started was the lights were flickering on AC and generator power. But not on 12V only. I got to the converter and noticed that it was dirty and the fan never came on. I could hardly hold my hand on it because it was so warm to the touch. Is there a way of testing these before I shell out 150 + bones for a new one?

[Devil Dog]

Ok, just thought of something else. I replaced the two 12v Marine batteries last weekend with two 6v golf cart style batteries. The WFCO 55 amp converter that I think might be bad would not care that I did that, would it? I read somewhere that "cold cranking amp" batteries do not work well with this converter but "220 amp hour" batteries do. I think that's what the golf cart batteries are. Sorry for so many questions. Sometimes the internet spawns more questions than it answers.

[RV Wizard]

The two golf cart type batteries are fine for the converter you have in the coach as long as they were properly wired to give and take 12 volts. You can check the charge voltage when the batteries are low and needing a charge; 13.8 - 14.2 is acceptable. When the batteries are charged 13.2 - 13.6 is acceptable. What reading are you finding?
If the fan never comes on you need to have the converter repaired or replaced. How old is it?

[Devil Dog]

Ok, took the converter out and had Al's RV in Yuma (awesome folks there!) check it out. They said the bench test checked out ok. However, I reinstalled it and the lights still periodically flickered. I disconnected the plug from the converter to the back of the breaker box and have no more flickering. I could hear an intermittent humming sound in the converter. I think it's shot. I hooked up a battery charger to the batteries and left it plugged in to shore power. The RV guy said this would be ok so Mama can use the RV this week for Xmas while it's parked at the in-laws. Looks like Santa better bring a new converter............

[Gary RVRoamer]

Those WFCO converters seem to fail after about 4 years, especially if in full time use. The ones I've seen simply stop charging, though.

Are you sure the new batteries are wired correctly? That could casue the symptoms you describe. The 6v golf cart batteries have to be wired in series, whereas your previous ones were in parallel. If the lights work ok (normal brightness) when the converter is shut off (or shore power disconnected), you can be confident the battery wiring is correct.

[Devil Dog]

When I unplug the converter from the circuit breaker box (it plugs into the back side of it) the lights function normally. When it's plugged in to the box and the generator is running or the coach is plugged into shore power, the lights periodically flicker for a few minutes. When I pull the plug, they get a tiny bit dimmer and don't flicker. Right now I have a regular Sears battery charger hooked up the batteries and the converter is not plugged into the breaker box. The batteries are wired coach positive and negative to positive one on each battery. The other two terminals on the two batteries are wired together on the other positive and negative post. If I didn't mention it already, the lights seem to do fine when the converter is unplugged.

[RV Wizard]

Are the lights incandescent or florescent and do they still flicker on the battery charger you now have connected?

[John Wayne]

May be a good idea to check to make sure all the wires in the breaker box are tight. Do this when RV is unplugged from shore or gen. power. May be a bad connection in the box for the plug the converter is plug into.

[Devil Dog]

Again, thanks for the responses. The lights are both 12 volt bulbs and florescent. I checked all the wires in the breaker box and the junction box. I am a little bit nervous about having the battery charger hooked up but I guess it's no different than a converter basically. I have not been able to see if they are flickering while on the charger. I had to go back to work. I know they did not flicker with shore power hooked up and the converter unplugged from the fuse box. I am still leaning towards a bad converter since the flickering stopped immediately upon unplugging the converter.

[RV Wizard]

You could have a bad capacitor that acts as a filter to smooth out the DC current, thus producing more of a pulsating DC voltage. Incandescent bulbs would show this probably before the florescent fixture would.

[travel]

Our WFCO 65 amp died this last November on our 04 Bounder. Was good for 4 1/2 years but fan quit.Seems that is their life expendency.

[Devil Dog]

Where would the capacitor be found?

[RV Wizard]

On the charger control board.