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04-29-2016, 07:26 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Felton, California
Trailer: 2018 21' ; 2014 19' (Sold)
Posts: 1,301
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Gfci
On the last leg of our trip and, naturally, we had to encounter as least one issue. Unfortunately, my tablet won't let do a search (??) so I have to start a new thread.
I stupidly plugged in our toaster oven to the outside receptacle, not thinking about the fact our electric heater was still set to 'on' as well. As soon as the temperature dropped and the heater kicked on, the GFCI did it's job and shut down all the circuits on the line. We tried resetting the breakers, checked for a blown fuse, etc., but nothing. The outside GFCI, of course, will not reset either. Any suggestions other than waiting until we get home to call the repairman?
Jan
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04-29-2016, 07:36 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
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Did you try resetting the one below the kitchen counter too? Under the rear dinette, there's a gray box suspended from the seats (on mine) driver's side, there are two breakers there too. If you have those, did you reset those as well?
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
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04-29-2016, 07:50 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Felton, California
Trailer: 2018 21' ; 2014 19' (Sold)
Posts: 1,301
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THANK YOU DONNA!!!!!!!!! We found the 15 amp switches under the seat next to the bathroom (who would have thought there were hidden breakers?!?), flipped them to off and then on, pushed in the GFCI button and we have power!!! We owe you beer (or two) at the Fall NOG ... and a bottle of wine!
J&J
__________________
Jan
We do not remember days, we remember moments.
- Cesare Pavese
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04-29-2016, 07:53 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
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__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
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04-29-2016, 07:57 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Felton, California
Trailer: 2018 21' ; 2014 19' (Sold)
Posts: 1,301
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And I'm not asking
__________________
Jan
We do not remember days, we remember moments.
- Cesare Pavese
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04-29-2016, 08:29 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Glad it all worked out, and that Donna 'somehow' knew how to solve the mystery.
In case this happens to someone one, you should realize that when you overload a circuit like that, the GFI will not have any effect, it is just there for a ground fault interruption. In this case only the breaker should trip, as it did.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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04-29-2016, 09:32 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,744
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CADreamin
THANK YOU DONNA!!!!!!!!! We found the 15 amp switches under the seat next to the bathroom (who would have thought there were hidden breakers?!?), flipped them to off and then on, pushed in the GFCI button and we have power!!! We owe you beer (or two) at the Fall NOG ... and a bottle of wine!
J&J
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Say what? Switches under the seat next to the bathroom, hidden breakers
My 19 is a 2014 also and I'm pretty sure that I don't have hidden breakers. I know the breaker for my exterior GRCI is in the panel.
Anyone have a photo of these hidden breakers?
Ron
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04-29-2016, 11:45 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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I assume that the grey box with the the "hidden" breakers is the sub-panel for all circuits which can be powered from the inverter. If you don't have a built-in inverter, all of the AC circuit breakers are in the main distribution panel.
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04-30-2016, 12:40 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,744
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P
I assume that the grey box with the the "hidden" breakers is the sub-panel for all circuits which can be powered from the inverter. If you don't have a built-in inverter, all of the AC circuit breakers are in the main distribution panel.
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I don't understand why those breakers would be tripped when the overload occurred while on shore power. I'd expect the breaker in the panel to trip. Wouldn't those breakers for the inverter be isolated by the transfer switch from the shore power circuit?
Who knows? ETI wiring is a mystery to me sometimes.
Ron
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04-30-2016, 01:14 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron in BC
I don't understand why those breakers would be tripped when the overload occurred while on shore power. I'd expect the breaker in the panel to trip. Wouldn't those breakers for the inverter be isolated by the transfer switch from the shore power circuit?
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I assume that one of the circuits in the sub-panel tripped because that particular circuit had both of the guilty appliances on it. The power to that circuit goes through that individual circuit breaker regardless of the source of the power; the transfer switch just routes the currently selected source to the sub-panel.
There is one breaker in the main distribution panel which supplies all of circuits connected to the sub-panel (by supplying power to the input of the panel, through the transfer switch), when on shore power rather than the inverter. That one would trip if the combination of loads exceeded that one breaker's rating... but in this case Jan reset that breaker on the first unsuccessful attempt to get power back, so it must not have been the one which had tripped.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron in BC
Who knows? ETI wiring is a mystery to me sometimes.
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Although "hiding" the sub-panel is a little strange, the configuration of the transfer switch appears to be otherwise completely normal practice for RVs with an alternate AC power source (such as a generator).
I have a motorhome with a generator and a transfer switch. It doesn't split off only some circuits to a sub-panel, because the intention is to be able to operate anything (although not all at once) on generator power - even the converter/charger. It's not reasonable to run the air conditioner on an inverter, and nonsensical to try to run the converter on an inverter, and so the sub-panel is used.
The relationship of the sub-panel to the main panel is normal, too... although houses typically just have one panel, it isn't really unusual to have a sub-panel for an addition or a garage.
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04-30-2016, 09:46 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,365
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Just a gentle reminder - GFCIs trip because of a leakage between the hot and a ground, or a leakage between the neutral & ground, (or rarely, between a hot & another circuit's neutral) not from overloads. The circuit breaker protecting the wiring is what will trip on an overload. GFCIs require power to reset, i.e. if both are tripped, you must first reset the circuit breaker, then reset the GFCI.
As to why the particular breaker tripped, when 2 or more breakers are in series (as in an Escape with an inverter & transfer switch) either one may trip. I've had cases where a 500 amp breaker and 200 amp breaker were in series feeding a theatre dimmer board. The 500 amp breaker was closer to the main distribution panel, however it tripped rather than the 200.
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04-30-2016, 08:01 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Felton, California
Trailer: 2018 21' ; 2014 19' (Sold)
Posts: 1,301
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Hi Ron. Can't get the photo to load from my tablet through the campground WiFi, so I'll send tomorrow when we get home.
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04-10-2017, 04:48 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: O town, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 "Lightning"
Posts: 1,467
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CADreamin
On the last leg of our trip and, naturally, we had to encounter as least one issue. Unfortunately, my tablet won't let do a search (??) so I have to start a new thread.
I stupidly plugged in our toaster oven to the outside receptacle, not thinking about the fact our electric heater was still set to 'on' as well. As soon as the temperature dropped and the heater kicked on, the GFCI did it's job and shut down all the circuits on the line. We tried resetting the breakers, checked for a blown fuse, etc., but nothing. The outside GFCI, of course, will not reset either. Any suggestions other than waiting until we get home to call the repairman?
Jan
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Thanks Jan and thanks Donna. Remembered how to reset my particular kitchen plug after reading this thread.
Mine is actually tied into the passenger exterior plug for the GFI protection reset button. Because I have no inverter?
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04-10-2017, 04:54 PM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BCnomad
Mine is actually tied into the passenger exterior plug for the GFI protection reset button. Because I have no inverter?
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That's where it is on Ten Forward too, and I have an inverter.
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
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04-10-2017, 05:55 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BCnomad
Mine is actually tied into the passenger exterior plug for the GFI protection reset button. Because I have no inverter?
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It is done that way to provide protection for your kitchen plug, which needs to be a FGCI. They could have just used one in each location, but it is cheaper and acceptable to use the first one in series as protection for the next one down the line. Sometimes in bathrooms they will protect power to the switches when they are too close to the sink and require it by going through the GFCI plug, and customers will phone me all concerned that they have no power but the breaker is still on. Once they reset the GFCI plug, all is well.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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