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Old 06-02-2016, 09:35 AM   #1
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Electrical too high

We plugged in where we are and everything worked fine for a while. Then the EMS started shutting us down because we are exceeding 132v. We are at 133, then 132, back and forth getting shut down. So we are on gas for the refrigerator and water heater. The refrigerator goes off whenever the EMS shuts off the electric (while refrigerator on gas). Guess there is no reason to be plugged in really so might as well unplug. Don't know how we are getting the high voltage but when at 131 and used microwave, voltage went to 128 or 129 or lower while microwave in use, then back up. Anyone had this?
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Old 06-02-2016, 09:41 AM   #2
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I'd complain to the cg and keep the entire trailer unplugged until fixed. Just think what a mess you may have had without the EMS performing it's function.....
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Old 06-02-2016, 09:43 AM   #3
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or try another site to see if it is camp wide or just the one location....
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Old 06-02-2016, 12:15 PM   #4
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How do you tell if the gas is working for the refrigerator? The water heater is hard to tell because maybe the water does not need heating now. Or stove is working but is there a better way to tell that the refrigerator is?
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Old 06-02-2016, 12:28 PM   #5
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There is an error light on the display for any malfunction noted as well as beeping.
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Old 06-02-2016, 01:16 PM   #6
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Open the back access cover and listen to see if the gas flame is burning. Unless there is a bunch of ambient noise you should easily hear it. Just make sure the fridge is calling for cooling. Like leave the door open till it warms a bit, put it on 5, and manually change it to gas. Give it a minute and the flame should be burning.

If you hear ticking, it's trying to light. If it won't light the fault indicator on the control panel should come on.
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Old 06-02-2016, 01:29 PM   #7
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or try another site to see if it is camp wide or just the one location....
All the sites on that 120V leg will be pretty much the same, but sites serviced by the other leg might be a bit different depending on supply voltage and load.
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Open the back access cover and listen to see if the gas flame is burning. Unless there is a bunch of ambient noise you should easily hear it. Just make sure the fridge is calling for cooling. Like leave the door open till it warms a bit, put it on 5, and manually change it to gas. Give it a minute and the flame should be burning.

If you hear ticking, it's trying to light. If it won't light the fault indicator on the control panel should come on.
Good advice. If there is a lot of noise around you, you should be able to (carefully) feel the heat on the tube the burner is in.
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Old 06-02-2016, 02:04 PM   #8
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All the sites on that 120V leg will be pretty much the same, but sites serviced by the other leg might be a bit different depending on supply voltage and load.

Good advice. If there is a lot of noise around you, you should be able to (carefully) feel the heat on the tube the burner is in.


Electrician said he has checked and found other sites high and has called power company. Site in another loop just fine but we don't want that loop.

We have no monitor display. All out. Except solar. Batteries fine according to solar display.

Raining hard now --- the usual here! So not checking outside yet. You would think there would be an easier way.

Don't know what sites are serviced under this leg. Maybe we will move down a few to see if the same.
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Old 06-02-2016, 02:08 PM   #9
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Open the back access cover and listen to see if the gas flame is burning. Unless there is a bunch of ambient noise you should easily hear it. Just make sure the fridge is calling for cooling. Like leave the door open till it warms a bit, put it on 5, and manually change it to gas. Give it a minute and the flame should be burning.

If you hear ticking, it's trying to light. If it won't light the fault indicator on the control panel should come on.
No lights on refrigerator. We should have lights if operating on gas? When we pulled electric out, refrigerator blue light went out, as I guess it would? But not sure about that.
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Old 06-02-2016, 02:15 PM   #10
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Utility transformers go from high voltage down to a lower voltage.
The transformer has 2 1/2 % taps so they can adjust for high or low line voltage. If some large user on the same utility line as the campgrounds drops their load or someone changes a tap setting , the voltage will rise. This will cause the 120 VAC to rise sometimes as much as 10%. I have seen industrial applications where the normal / nominal voltage is 470 VAC rise to well over 500 VAC. It is the utilities problem , either high voltage or in their transformer.
It is not a user correctable problem
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Old 06-02-2016, 02:18 PM   #11
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Utility transformers go from high voltage down to a lower voltage.
The transformer has 2 1/2 % taps so they can adjust for high or low line voltage. If some large user on the same utility line as the campgrounds drops their load or someone changes a tap setting , the voltage will rise. This will cause the 120 VAC to rise sometimes as much as 10%. I have seen industrial applications where the normal / nominal voltage is 470 VAC rise to well over 500 VAC. It is the utilities problem , either high voltage or in their transformer.
It is not a user correctable problem
Thank you for the explanation. We know we can't fix it. May move but can't tell if another spot would be any better.

It is raining so hard right now that we are not even leaving the car for the trailer.
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Old 06-02-2016, 02:51 PM   #12
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Thank you for the explanation. We know we can't fix it. May move but can't tell if another spot would be any better.

It is raining so hard right now that we are not even leaving the car for the trailer.
Most likely that all the voltages in the campgrounds are running high except if your particular pedestal is on its own utility line and transformer.
This is the opposite problem that occurs in many areas in the summer . Everyone decides to turn on their central air at the same time and due to the increased load the voltage drops.
Low voltage is not much of an issue with resistive loads but plays havoc with inductive loads such as A/C compressors.
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Old 06-02-2016, 03:16 PM   #13
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Just to complicate the 133v we have, we accidentally knocked off the master switch, as an outdoor mat was there and we apparently hit it. I was miffed at how the refrigerator was going off while on gas when the electrical went off. Tried a light finally and realized that it was the master switch.

Yes, blue light is now on on refrigerator. Don't know though if gas was working while blue light was out.

With the rain, we may or may not move to try to get electrical.
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Old 06-02-2016, 03:22 PM   #14
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If the power was out from 12v and 120v the fridge wouldn't have been running. I was going to suggest you check the battery switch since it is easy to kick that off, but you beat me to it.
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Old 06-02-2016, 04:09 PM   #15
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We plugged in where we are and everything worked fine for a while. Then the EMS started shutting us down because we are exceeding 132v. We are at 133, then 132, back and forth getting shut down. So we are on gas for the refrigerator and water heater. The refrigerator goes off whenever the EMS shuts off the electric (while refrigerator on gas). Guess there is no reason to be plugged in really so might as well unplug. Don't know how we are getting the high voltage but when at 131 and used microwave, voltage went to 128 or 129 or lower while microwave in use, then back up. Anyone had this?
A poor ground might be the cause, either in the trailer or external. Not likely, but worth looking at.
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Old 06-02-2016, 04:14 PM   #16
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A poor ground might be the cause, either in the trailer or external. Not likely, but worth looking at.
Since the campground found a bunch of high readings, we expect it is not us. Also, I don't have a clue how to check for a poor ground! Would you like to explain how, please? Wouldn't the EMS tell us about a bad ground?
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Old 06-02-2016, 04:17 PM   #17
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If the power was out from 12v and 120v the fridge wouldn't have been running. I was going to suggest you check the battery switch since it is easy to kick that off, but you beat me to it.
Greg, don't get what you are saying from this. We put the refrigerator on gas as soon as the electric kept going off. You mean it needs electric to get the gas going?
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Old 06-02-2016, 04:26 PM   #18
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Since the campground found a bunch of high readings, we expect it is not us. Also, I don't have a clue how to check for a poor ground! Would you like to explain how, please? Wouldn't the EMS tell us about a bad ground?
I think the EMS would indicate a bad ground, but not certain? You would need a multi-meter to begin troubleshooting a bad ground. I would hope the CG has a quantified electrician available to troubleshoot their system, and or the utility source.
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Old 06-02-2016, 04:44 PM   #19
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If the campgrounds was running a 120 /208 VAC wye connected 3 phase system and the center point of the wye connection was floating the voltage between the line side and neutral would vary with the Load impressed . The likely hood of this configuration is highly unlikely . Most campgrounds run a 120 / 240 VAC single phase system. If your trailer had a 50 amp 120 / 240 VAC system and the neutral for the system was lost , you could end up with a higher voltages on your 120 VAC circuits. ( Multi wire circuits ) Since your trailer is 120 VAC an open grounded conductor (Neutral ) is probably not the issue. If the neutral connection was faulty you could get voltage spikes which would normally be of a short duration. Since the voltage meter is showing a constant high voltage at the pedestal , the issue is in the campgrounds electrical system . Your surge protector is doing what it should do.
It is sensing an over voltage condition of sufficient duration and amplitude and shutting down your system . Spikes in the voltage supplying of short duration and low amplitude should be trapped by the surge protector. If someone in the campgrounds has a generator that you can use , try plugging your trailer into the generator.
Years ago an electrical panel manufacturer used a rivet to make the connection from the neutral wire to the neutral buss and the rivet would become loose and cause a poor neutral connection .The lights in the house would not work or some would be dim . If you turned on the electric oven ,then the lights would work but seldom was anything damaged. 120 VAC is a nominal voltage so anything between 117 VAC and 123 VAC is considered within the allowable range.
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Old 06-02-2016, 05:30 PM   #20
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I think the EMS would indicate a bad ground, but not certain? You would need a multi-meter to begin troubleshooting a bad ground. I would hope the CG has a quantified electrician available to troubleshoot their system, and or the utility source.
I think this is the largest campground on Lake Texoma, and there are many, with 117 sites, Army Corps. They have electricians and they say they cannot fix it but supposedly called it in to the power company.
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