Electrical

[Crows Nest]

Will the plugs work if I’m only plugged in to 15 amp household circuit (through adapter to 30 amp rv plug)? I plugged in small electric heater and breakers tripped but after resetting I can’t even get an electric pencil sharpener to work.

[occer]

Are you saying the plug in your house or in the trailer.

If the trailer, Check the outside ground fault plug, (push the test button and reset it) also check if you’ve tripped the breaker in the panel.

If in the house check to see if it’s on a GFI and try turning off the breaker that popped and reset it.

I have found more then once that I had to turn off and then back on a breaker to get it to work,

[Crows Nest]

Breaker in house is fine. The outlet I’m using is fine. The extension cord is fine. The GFI is fine. Trailer breakers have been reset a bunch of times. The only thing I can’t test is the adapter.

[Crows Nest]

Actually I checked the adapter. When I disconnect it the EMS system cuts out. When I plug back in the EMS comes on and is operating normally. It does click every so often but the display doesn’t change. Shows 120v but 0 amps

[Crows Nest]

Ok. The EMS is clicking on and off even though the display says normal operation. When I bypass it everything works. Looks like my brand new EMS in my brand new trailer is going bad. @!#*!!

[Iowa Dave]

I would try a different adapter.
Don’t know what yours looks like but the little “plug” looking one that came with our 2010 escape did not work well. I got one of the heavy duty “dog bone” kind and it worked fine on the 2010 and on the 2013 we have now. I threw the little one away.
Iowa Dave

[Unit # 1]

You might try a different outlet in your house. My understanding is the system will only work in bypass if there is not a good "earth ground" on the shore power supply. If the outlet your using has a ground issue it may fail.

[Pupfish]

I had a problem similar to this one a couple of years ago. Someone suggested I check the outlet with an elecrical receptical tester to insure it was grounded- it wasn't. Used a different outlet, as just suggested, and everything was fine.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Crows Nest

Will the plugs work if I’m only plugged in to 15 amp household circuit (through adapter to 30 amp rv plug)? I plugged in small electric heater and breakers tripped but after resetting I can’t even get an electric pencil sharpener to work.

I've plugged into 20A household circuits now and then, but never 15A. Does 15A work for others here? Even with 20A, a toaster in the trailer tripped the breaker in the house.

[Pupfish]

I'm away from home or I'd check, but my home receptacles are of the standard 15 amp configuration, so I'm sure i can power the trailer on 15 amps: cool the refrigerator, run small space heater, and use power tools.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

I've plugged into 20A household circuits now and then, but never 15A. Does 15A work for others here? Even with 20A, a toaster in the trailer tripped the breaker in the house.

Originally Posted by Pupfish

I'm away from home or I'd check, but my home receptacles are of the standard 15 amp configuration, so I'm sure i can power the trailer on 15 amps: cool the refrigerator, run small space heater, and use power tools.

A toaster shouldn't trip a 20A breaker. They routinely plug into a 15A circuit.

A 15A circuit is fine for doing most things. If you're visiting someone you can plug into one of their 15A circuits. The only thing that you can't do is the items you listed above and also plug in an A/C. It'd be one or the other.

Ron

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Unit # 1

.... My understanding is the system will only work in bypass if there is not a good "earth ground" on the shore power supply. ....

Just FYI, this verbatim clip from the EMS-HW30C manual:

ByPass: This switch is located on the remote display and allows the user to bypass the EMS in the event of failure, thus allowing AC power into the RV. This does not disable the surge protection portion of the EMS; however, all other features are disabled.

[Crows Nest]

I’m glad i still have the surge protection. Thanks for that information

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

A toaster shouldn't trip a 20A breaker. They routinely plug into a 15A circuit.

A 15A circuit is fine for doing most things. If you're visiting someone you can plug into one of their 15A circuits. The only thing that you can't do is the items you listed above and also plug in an A/C. It'd be one or the other.

Ron

Well, my wife used the toaster, and she might have also had the microwave running, so the two together could've tripped the house breaker.

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Well, my wife used the toaster, and she might have also had the microwave running, so the two together could've tripped the house breaker.

Congratulations on figuring it out yourselves.

In our experience, yes, possible, likely. We do not have a microwave and we mostly boondock, but when hooked up we go as electric as we can. We've learned that we need to shed loads by taking turns with applicances. The first no brainer is electric water heater off. The second no brainer is cube heater off. The third no brainer is induction hot plate powered down to 750 watts or less, etc etc. You can then alternate between appliances as you need them.

Just be glad you weren't flying an airplane which required timely manual load shedding to keep the one remaining generator on line so you could fly the approach in bad weather to minimums before running low on fuel. At night.

John

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Well, my wife used the toaster, and she might have also had the microwave running, so the two together could've tripped the house breaker.

Many years ago I visited my sister and set up my trailer in her back yard, I was parked next to a multi-stall garage that my brother-in-law stored his restored Morgan (mostly), Austin, and Triumph sports cars. I was plugged into a 15 amp outlet controlled by an ancient entry panel protected by glass fuses. The weather was such that we did not need A/C or heat, but I quickly leaned two things. First, running two things at once was fatal to the electric supply and, two, glass screw in fuses are difficult to find and expensive. I watched my power use for the rest of the visit. He had an circuit breaker entry box that he had purchased second hand that supposedly he was going to replace the one with fuses (that he had purchased used, at a bargain price) but I think that 8 years later the fuse box is still in use. The moral of the story is that you can run some low draw appliances and keep the house battery(ies) charged on 15 amps, but if you want to brew a pot of coffee, make sure nothing else is running.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Many years ago I visited my sister and set up my trailer in her back yard, I was parked next to a multi-stall garage that my brother-in-law stored his restored Morgan (mostly), Austin, and Triumph sports cars. I was plugged into a 15 amp outlet controlled by an ancient entry panel protected by glass fuses. The weather was such that we did not need A/C or heat, but I quickly leaned two things. First, running two things at once was fatal to the electric supply and, two, glass screw in fuses are difficult to find and expensive. I watched my power use for the rest of the visit. He had an circuit breaker entry box that he had purchased second hand that supposedly he was going to replace the one with fuses (that he had purchased used, at a bargain price) but I think that 8 years later the fuse box is still in use. The moral of the story is that you can run some low draw appliances and keep the house battery(ies) charged on 15 amps, but if you want to brew a pot of coffee, make sure nothing else is running.

Of course with the glass fuses, you must remember the old trick—put a penny in under the burnt fuse, and you're good to go!

Well, until you burn the house down.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Of course with the glass fuses, you must remember the old trick—put a penny in under the burnt fuse, and you're good to go!

Well, until you burn the house down.

MrLynn, you left out a word……old DANGEROUS tip. 🔥

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

MrLynn, you left out a word……old DANGEROUS tip. 🔥

I did point that out in the next sentence.

Merry Christmas, btw!

[Dave Miller]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Well, my wife used the toaster, and she might have also had the microwave running, so the two together could've tripped the house breaker.

If you’re battery is not fully charged when you plug into shore power it will create a load as well. 55amp at 12v is 6 amp at 110 volt.

I run my e19 from a 15amp garage outlet with the adapter without issue. Battery charger and compressor fridge and lights. No water heater or electric heaters. I did test the AC and it works when the batteries are charged and not drawing power.

I have a 30amp outlet I’m installing on the 15 amp circuit so I won’t need the adapter.