Blown breaker or fuse

[Sandyb12]

Yes, it was plugged straight into 30 amp pedestal. No extension cords used. All was fine with microwave and toaster oven making breakfast. When the heater (small space heater) kicked on everything went off.

[Sandyb12]

Well, by everything I mean the items being used. The fridge still worked on ac and other plugs still worked, just not the outside plug, the microwave, heater and toaster oven plugs.

[cpaharley2008]

Something is missing here, other 120v circuits were on and operating, but two 120v circuits, separate from the WFCO power center, controls outlets and these are the ones the inverter is also wired to? Is it possible the inverter was on to make it blow?

[Sandyb12]

I will have to check. I haven’t ever turned the inverter on. If it’s on, it’s been on since I’ve owned the trailer in June. My orientation was not in my own trailer. It was a set up model in a room in their new building.

I do know some of the plugs were working in the trailer when the 3 quit. I changed plugs from the heater to the side of the bench where the fridge is and it would work again o that side plus the fridge stayed on in the ac mode.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Interesting. What's the path for the power? Does it first go to a 30 amp breaker in the main panel?

Ron

A 30 amp breaker in the main panel feeds one input of the transfer switch with the other input coming from the inverter. The output of the transfer switch then feeds the sub panel which powers all the devices that are designated to be able to be powered from the inverter.

The fridge, hot water heater, and A/C are not powered from the sub panel and are connected to breakers in the main panel. Of course, the converter is not powered from the sub panel either. Everything else is powered through the sub panel and can receive power from the inverter.

Since the fridge and hot water heater can run on propane, the A/C is the only device that requires a generator to operate with this option. Handy when boondocking!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Something is missing here, other 120v circuits were on and operating, but two 120v circuits, separate from the WFCO power center, controls outlets and these are the ones the inverter is also wired to? Is it possible the inverter was on to make it blow?

The inverter was apparently not in use, but even if it were that would not make a breaker trip. The excessive load just tripped one (and apparently only one) of the breakers in the sub-panel, and that would have happened regardless of the source of the power (shore power via the main panel, or inverter).

The inverter did not cause the circuit overload and resulting tripped breaker, but the sub-panel used to accommodate the inverter setup is hidden, causing confusion in this case as it has many times before. Without the inverter installation, the same breaker would have been in the main panel and would have been found immediately.