Electric question

[Stacyismetoo]

We are plugged into 50 amp at a camp ground and had both ACs running like we’ve always done and this time the AC breaker tripped. We’ve not had that happen before even in hotter weather.
The plug was a little loose to plug into. Would a poor connection at the power source cause the breaker to heat up and trip?

[TXiceman]

A loose connection will cause low voltage, the compressor will draw excessive amps and can trip a breaker. If a plug is loose, I never plug in my trailer. Get the park to come change to a new plug or move you to another site with a properly operating plug.

Also, get a voltmeter so that you can monitor the voltage inside the trailer.

Ken

[Gkri]

Low voltage to your unit will result in higher amp draw which can cause your AC breaker to trip. Use a multimeter to check voltage at the pedestal and your breaker panel. If the voltage is good, then there is excessive current draw in one or both AC units. Have you tried running just one AC? Are you using an EMS? If yes, any voltage loss from a loose plug should be caught and power cut. If you have an EMS and it is not cutting your power due to low voltage, the problem is with one or both AC units.

[Stacyismetoo]

I switched to the plug behind us which had a much better plug and tighter fit. With both ACs on we’re pulling 26amps. That leg is 118v the other leg is 119v

[Stacyismetoo]

I have a watchdog with blue tooth to see all the numbers.

So I turned off the second AC and the 118v leg went up to 119 and amps dropped obviously from pulling less power… dropped to 13 amps

[Stacyismetoo]

Honestly now I’m thinking it’s the campground. Our friends just plugged in next to us and turned on their ac and my voltage went to 117

[flybouy]

A loose receptical will create arcing which will then create heat. If left in that state it will eventually ruin the plug and catch fire. I would suggest you inspect the prongs on the plug for discoloration and signs of heat damage on the plastic where the prongs exit the plug.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by Stacyismetoo

Honestly now I’m thinking it’s the campground. Our friends just plugged in next to us and turned on their ac and my voltage went to 117

Voltage will drop as load is added. This is normal and within the safe range.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Stacyismetoo

Honestly now I’m thinking it’s the campground. Our friends just plugged in next to us and turned on their ac and my voltage went to 117

That is normal in most any campground. Power pedestals are all "interconnected along a circuit pathway" and the power to 5 or 6 (or 15) are all wired from the same energy source. So, essentially, your pedestal and your friends pedestal are very similar in how they're wires when compared to the 110 outlet on the left side of your kitchen sink and the right side of the sink....

One power source feeding all the pedestals "in a row".. So when something draws power from one pedestal, it affects the voltage at all the rest of them "down the line"....

The voltage limits (safe range) for the Progressive 30 and 50 amp EMS units is 104-132 volts.

[Raptor 429]

Originally Posted by Stacyismetoo

We are plugged into 50 amp at a camp ground and had both ACs running like we’ve always done and this time the AC breaker tripped. We’ve not had that happen before even in hotter weather.
The plug was a little loose to plug into. Would a poor connection at the power source cause the breaker to heat up and trip?

All great info above. Never plug into campsite power without a good EMS system.

We pop breakers all the time when running in the heat of summer. Usually it's around lunch time when my wife decides to microwave one of those frozen meals but not always.

The generator breaker will blow for sure if you try to microwave with 2 ACS running.

That said be sure to check the power source covered above and that the plugs aren't getting hot. We melted a plugin in spearfish running a third stand alone ac off that washer/dryer plugin. Make sure you run a separate cord to the pedistal if your going to try that.

[dutchmensport]

This post is interesting because I had something like this happen to me about a month ago. I never figured it out. I was parked at home, everything "solid" with the electric hook-up, NOT at a campground! And yes, I had an EMS plugged in and NO the plugs and connections were not loose. Read it here? Maybe someone here has an answer. It's still a mystery for me what happened, but because the OP posted something identical, maybe we both can get answers!

Click here.

[Gkri]

AC systems have compressor motors. Motor manufacturers give max 5% variation in voltage which is +/- 6 volts for a 120 VAC motor. You "should" have been good at a low of 117 Volts. Low voltage has significant impact on motor start-up in-rush, if two AC units tried to kick in the compressors at the same tine you would see a big, but short, voltage drop and could easily exceed the breaker rating. Odd though, because breakers are thermomagnetic and designed to accept a certain amount of in-rush over their rating. Perhaps the low voltage did not last long enough to register on your EMS?

John - wow, i did not realize the EMS would go as low as 104 VAC. Significant overheating of motor windings and high current (heat) at that low voltage.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

This post is interesting because I had something like this happen to me about a month ago. I never figured it out...
Click here.

I'm with your licensed electrician -- a neighborhood power sag, not enough to trigger your EMS, but enough to cause enough of an extra current draw from your power-hungry A/Cs to pop their individual breakers.

[NH_Bulldog]

We were at an RV park last year and the pedestal plug was sloppy. Called the park manager and his solution was going to be pull out his Leatherman and bend the prongs of my plug…..I said no way, do what’s right. That turned out to be us moving sites, but it solved our problem. Unfortunately, the guy at the end of our row at the new site location had his pedestal breaker trip and he couldn’t get the manager to reset it anytime soon. We were thankful for our EMS but won’t be going back there again..

[LHaven]

I wooda told him to take out his Leatherman and bend the prongs of his receptacle.
Then I wooda sat in my chair, popped a cold one, and watched.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Gkri

...

John - wow, i did not realize the EMS would go as low as 104 VAC. Significant overheating of motor windings and high current (heat) at that low voltage.

1800 watts at 132 VAC is 13.6 amps (EMS UPPER VOLTAGE LIMIT)
1800 watts at 126 VAC is 14.3 amps
1800 watts at 120 VAC is 15 amps
1800 watts at 110 VAC is 16.4 amps
1800 watts at 104 VAC is 17.3 amps (EMS LOWER VOLTAGE LIMIT)

To "compound the danger", consider that a 30 amp trailer is "double that wattage" which means there's a 7.4 amp "swing" between the EMS upper and lower voltage limits (34.6 amps @104 VAC and 27.3 amps @132 VAC). When you're operating a 30 amp trailer "close to the max power" it's easy to see where 7.4 amps can mean the difference between being comfortable at 120+ VAC or consistently popping the circuit breakers at 105-110 VAC.... It really gets to be a PITA every time the air conditioner kicks on and pops the campground pedestal circuit breaker because of that low voltage that is theoretically still in the acceptable limits...

As you can see, at 15 amp circuit breaker with 14 ga ROMEX is "safe" at the upper voltage range of the EMS, but as voltage drops, amperage increases to maintain the watts needed to operate electrical appliances. Anything less than 120 VAC begins to "load up a 15 amp circuit when running a "high wattage user".... Air Conditioners, microwaves, water heaters and "resistive space heaters" all start to get "right close to the circuit breaker rating.

[Gkri]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

1800 watts at 132 VAC is 13.6 amps (EMS UPPER VOLTAGE LIMIT)
1800 watts at 126 VAC is 14.3 amps
1800 watts at 120 VAC is 15 amps
1800 watts at 110 VAC is 16.4 amps
1800 watts at 104 VAC is 17.3 amps (EMS LOWER VOLTAGE LIMIT)

To "compound the danger", consider that a 30 amp trailer is "double that wattage" which means there's a 7.4 amp "swing" between the EMS upper and lower voltage limits (34.6 amps @104 VAC and 27.3 amps @132 VAC). When you're operating a 30 amp trailer "close to the max power" it's easy to see where 7.4 amps can mean the difference between being comfortable at 120+ VAC or consistently popping the circuit breakers at 105-110 VAC.... It really gets to be a PITA every time the air conditioner kicks on and pops the campground pedestal circuit breaker because of that low voltage that is theoretically still in the acceptable limits...

As you can see, at 15 amp circuit breaker with 14 ga ROMEX is "safe" at the upper voltage range of the EMS, but as voltage drops, amperage increases to maintain the watts needed to operate electrical appliances. Anything less than 120 VAC begins to "load up a 15 amp circuit when running a "high wattage user".... Air Conditioners, microwaves, water heaters and "resistive space heaters" all start to get "right close to the circuit breaker rating.

That really puts it all into perspective. And circuit breakers right at their limit will take a much longer time to trip than when well over or a direct short. That is why your appliances may be working when you leave the trailer and be off (tripped breaker) when you return leaving you to scratch your head.

[Windsormike6]

Hi Windsormike6 here I have no dc power ! Came back to trailer that was in storage used it 2weeks prior with no issues, got into trailer and I had left on my hot water heater by accident, but the fault light was on and now no dc power no lights no pop out power nothing except 120v inverter power from solar , replaced the hot water heater element, still nothing caked batteries 13.4 all good checked all the fuses on the front of the trailer and in the fuse box all good checked my transfer switch all good so I replaced the entire electrical panel wired it all up got 120 v works still no 12v retired the converter back to the circuit breaker in panel had been wired directly to the transfer switch turned it on and got 12dc power turn off the converter breaker and no 12v dc power , disconnected the dc negative line to the fuse side and nothing , touch the 120ac side negative line with jumper to dc side and there’s power to the fuses but still no lites, turned on breaker and lites on could this be a bad ground bar that behind the panel under the fridge which the dc negative goes to?