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10-12-2021, 09:18 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 19 - 2021
Posts: 167
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21 amps @ 120v on Progressive monitor when charging battery = many amps to battery
Went boondocking in our new E19 over the weekend due to limited spots with electrical. We have one panel solar panel and a 100 amp lithium battery. I didn't park in the sunniest spot, but with the 20AH of solar I did manage to get, the battery was at around 50% when we got home after 2 1/2 days usage. The fridge is the compressor only, 12V.
When I got home I plugged the camper in to recharge things and then I noticed that the amp reading on the Progressive monitor was reading 21 amp, which is around 200 amps @ 12V. Water heater is capable of 120V but it was off, at least the light and switch were off. So really nothing besides the battery should have been pulling anything. Felt the battery and it was cold, so I let her ride, figuring it was something configured wrong with the monitor. Came out in the morning and current readings on the Progressive were down to zero.
Sent an email to Progressive on Monday morning and haven't gotten a reply.
So, given the lack of Progressive support does anyone know where all that power was going? Thanks.
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10-13-2021, 05:46 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Dallas, Texas
Trailer: 2019 E19
Posts: 265
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A while back there was another person that had posted about extremely high input AC current readings from their EMS. Even allowing for the power dropped from SMPS efficiency losses, 21A seems like far too much amperage to be real for just charging the battery. I would surmise the EMS is out of cal for the current readings.
The easiest thing to do would be to buy a handheld clamp-on ammeter and verify if the reading is correct. This meter from UNI-T is relatively inexpensive. While I own several Fluke brand meters and they are very good quality, they are also expensive. I have had good luck with a UNI-T meter I bought about 7 years ago so that's why I linked to it.
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10-13-2021, 07:10 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: DFW, Texas
Trailer: 2018 21 Sept 7 2018
Posts: 1,073
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Alan, try calling them. They do answer their phones. When my unit got fried due to an electrical storm, they sent me a new unit free.
David
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10-13-2021, 08:11 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,363
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Depending on the model of water heater & control panel you have in your trailer, the light on the panel light & switch in the off position does not turn off the electric feed to the heater. If the switch on the outside is on, the water heater can be on electric. In addition, the lithium battery will draw the full output of the converter until 98% full. I don't know the efficiency of the WFCO converter, but that could well be 7-8 amps until the battery is near full. Add a couple of amps for the refrigerator & the water heater on electric and 21 amps is not out of the picture.
If the water heater was shut off, either at the outside switch or you have the version of the control panel that has two switches, one for propane and the other for electric, that does seem to be an unusual amount of current draw.
On Edit - This is the version of the control panel that has both a propane & an electric switch.
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10-13-2021, 08:15 AM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Portland, Maine
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0
Posts: 98
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SW6DE electric switch
"... Water heater is capable of 120V but it was off, at least the light and switch were off."
My Suburban gas/120V water heater does not have an indicator light near the electric switch which is only accessible from the exterior. The switch with indicator light on the interior control panel is for the direct spark ignition gas mode. If the 120V switch was on, the electric element would draw about 12 amps while heating.
Sorry, Jon beat me to reply.
__________________
George
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10-13-2021, 08:27 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 19 - 2021
Posts: 167
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bristol5.0
"... Water heater is capable of 120V but it was off, at least the light and switch were off."
My Suburban gas/120V water heater does not have an indicator light near the electric switch which is only accessible from the exterior. The switch with indicator light on the interior control panel is for the direct spark ignition gas mode. If the 120V switch was on, the electric element would draw about 12 amps while heating.
Sorry, Jon beat me to reply.
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Interesting. I'll double check to see if it was on or off. At least there was water in the hot water tank.
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10-13-2021, 08:58 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 19 - 2021
Posts: 167
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Nope, water heater was off, and I also ran the hot water for a little bit (still need to get the water tank drained) and only cold water came out.
Also forgot to add that it's only either a 15 or 20 amp service (breaker box doesn't readily list which circuit the outside outlet is on) and I would think that in either case 21 amps would have popped the breaker, which it didn't. So a call to Progressive seems to be in order.
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10-13-2021, 09:10 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 19 - 2021
Posts: 167
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vermilye
On Edit - This is the version of the control panel that has both a propane & an electric switch.
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It would be nice if that was my setup. Mine is a double switch inside, but one is for the water pump and the other just says water heater. So the one inside is for propane and the one in the outside cabinet is the electric. Certainly would be a little less confusing if the switches were in the same location.
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10-13-2021, 09:40 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanerickson
It would be nice if that was my setup. Mine is a double switch inside, but one is for the water pump and the other just says water heater. So the one inside is for propane and the one in the outside cabinet is the electric. Certainly would be a little less confusing if the switches were in the same location.
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Agreed. This has been a complaint for years. Some enterprising forum members have swapped out the existing panel to include an electric switch and added appropriate relay at the hot water heater
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...day-11959.html
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10-13-2021, 09:54 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 19 - 2021
Posts: 167
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So I called Progressive and they said there is no setup. They suggested a clamp on meter to verify, so I guess that's my next step. I actually have one, but now I need to run the batteries down and then find a location for my clamp.
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10-13-2021, 11:02 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanerickson
So I called Progressive and they said there is no setup. They suggested a clamp on meter to verify, so I guess that's my next step. I actually have one, but now I need to run the batteries down and then find a location for my clamp.
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You should be able to clamp on where the main wire enters or leaves the EMS unit.
Also don't rule out something wonky with the WFCO charger. They occasionally fail and sometimes with overcharging versus undercharging although pulling 21A AC would be quite extreme for a unit that should normally pull around 8A.
Interested to see what your conclusions are after some troubleshooting.
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10-13-2021, 02:37 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Kent, Ohio
Trailer: 2017 21c Sold, 2023 Bigfoot 25RQ
Posts: 1,382
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rubicon327
You should be able to clamp on where the main wire enters or leaves the EMS unit.
Also don't rule out something wonky with the WFCO charger. They occasionally fail and sometimes with overcharging versus undercharging although pulling 21A AC would be quite extreme for a unit that should normally pull around 8A.
Interested to see what your conclusions are after some troubleshooting.
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Right there has been a few wfco converter failures over charging
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10-13-2021, 04:14 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 19 - 2021
Posts: 167
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Is going on a DC wire just as accurate with a clamp on meter? Ideally then I'll just go to the battery lead. All the AC is "romex" going into "panels" and no single conductors are around outside of a box.
Long term a shunt on the battery is planned.
Edit. And battery is at 100% so it looks like testing tomorrow at the soonest.
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10-13-2021, 04:52 PM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,122
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indeed, 20 amps at 120VAC is about 2400 watts, thats a LOT.
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10-13-2021, 05:03 PM
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#15
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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 alanerickson
Is going on a DC wire just as accurate with a clamp on meter?
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A basic clamp-on meter can't read DC current, but some can. If yours can, the accuracy isn't an issue but of course you'll be reading the inverter's input power, rather than the slightly lower output power (which would correspond to what you were seeing from shore power).
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10-13-2021, 05:26 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Venice, Florida
Trailer: 2020 Escape 19
Posts: 1,265
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanerickson
When I got home I plugged the camper in to recharge things and then I noticed that the amp reading on the Progressive monitor was reading 21 amp, which is around 200 amps @ 12V. Water heater is capable of 120V but it was off, at least the light and switch were off. So really nothing besides the battery should have been pulling anything. Felt the battery and it was cold, so I let her ride, figuring it was something configured wrong with the monitor. Came out in the morning and current readings on the Progressive were down to zero.
Sent an email to Progressive on Monday morning and haven't gotten a reply.
So, given the lack of Progressive support does anyone know where all that power was going? Thanks.
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I had the same kind of goofy readings (23A) from my EMS also when charging my dual 6 volt batteries with a WEN 2350 generator.
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10-13-2021, 06:43 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Lanesboro, MN, between Whalan and Fountain, Minnesota
Trailer: 2016 Bigfoot 25RQ - (2018 Escape 5.0 sold)
Posts: 2,154
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rubicon327
Also don't rule out something wonky with the WFCO charger. They occasionally fail and sometimes with overcharging versus undercharging although pulling 21A AC would be quite extreme for a unit that should normally pull around 8A
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When our AGM's failed last January I couldn't understand why a two year old set failed. We never have gone below 50% SOC and only once to 60% SOC. Two years earlier I had installed a Victron BMV 712 battery monitor to keep an eye on what is going on with our batteries. The 712 monitor showed the failed AGMs had received 21v at some point in time. I belong to other RV forums strictly for battery and solar information. I know a couple others had lost their batteries when their WFCO decided to provide too high a voltage.
Our WFCO has been disconnected since February and we have yet to see 21v go to the batteries from either of our Victron charge controllers. I believe that our WFCO failed and was responsible for out ruined AGM's. Oldwave replaced his WFCO with a Wildkat unit and was kind enough to let us have the old WFCO for shipping costs. I'll be installing the WFCO tomorrow.
Enjoy,
Perry
__________________
Those who know everything use pens. Intelligent people use pencils.
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10-14-2021, 04:21 PM
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#18
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,122
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I would replace a suspect WFCO power converter with the PD46xxV unit (where xx is the amp rating, 45 or 55 typically), its a direct plug and play, and its a much better charge controller. There is also a PD4655LV suitable for LiFePO4 batteries
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10-14-2021, 10:41 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 19 - 2021
Posts: 167
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
I would replace a suspect WFCO power converter with the PD46xxV unit (where xx is the amp rating, 45 or 55 typically), its a direct plug and play, and its a much better charge controller. There is also a PD4655LV suitable for LiFePO4 batteries
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I hear you, but kind of a tough pill to swallow given that the trailer is only two weeks old. I think my battery will be down enough tomorrow and hopefully I can get some confirming data and kick it back to Escape and WFCO.
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10-15-2021, 12:10 AM
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#20
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,122
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ah, didn't re read the whole thread. yeah, I was more referring to an older WFCO that no longer has warranty support.
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