Electrical Issue - Any Ideas

[BUDU]

So all electric shut down in the RV. Went to the breakers, all in tact and on. Turned them all off then back on. No help. However, I noticed that the last breaker in the panel, which is labeled as 'Converter', when you switch it off, power will come on for less than a second and then off again. If you switch it on, same thing. Power for just a brief second.

I know I shouldn't have done it, but I had a friend hold the switch down for the slides in while I flipped the breaker back and forth. Took about 40 times to do it but the slides came all the way in. Same with the awning.

The issue happens with both shore power and generator running.

From what I have been reading, I have to assume that there is a problem with the converter although I guess it could be a problem with the breaker for the converter. When you reset all the other breakers, there is no response, doesn't matter if the Converter breaker is in the on or off position. But as soon as you toggle the converter breaker, you get a brief moment of power.

Anyone ever seen this? Thx....

[chuckster57]

Welcome to the forum!!
When you say ALL, do you mean both the 120VAC items and the 12VDC items?

If the AC items (microwave/air conditioner) works then the issue is probably the converter or battery. A little more information would help. How old is the battery? Recently changed?

[ctbruce]

Breakers are for AC. Fuses are for 12V.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[NealBlue]

Are you saying the slides are affected by this? I don't think I have ever seen a slide operated by the 110 ac side.

[frankyb01]

I'm going to take a wild guess here, but it sounds like the batteries are dead because the converter is not working, and the converter is probably not working because the breaker powering it is bad.

[Desert185]

Originally Posted by frankyb01

I'm going to take a wild guess here, but it sounds like the batteries are dead because the converter is not working, and the converter is probably not working because the breaker powering it is bad.

Or the breaker is doing it's job in protecting the circuit. Constant resetting is not a good policy.

[BUDU]

Batteries were purchased a year ago. But not used much (our primary use is tailgating at college football games). The batteries have no problem starting the Generator and the Chassis (battery was dead on it recently so I started it with the aux batteries).

I mean ALL power, both the 110V items (AC fan will come on for a half a second when converter Breaker is toggled either up or down) and 12V (lights will also come on for a half a second).

I can hear something running under the bed in the back for a second or so. I know the water pump is under there, but I don't know if that is what is making the noise or not. It does it even when the pump is in the off position.

Yes, Slides, Awning and Lights (all 12V right?) and AC, Fridge (110V right?). All power to the motor home.

The only reason I assumed it was the Converter was due to the toggling of the Converter Breaker that gives the brief power. I understand that the breakers have no control over 12V but there is something that is connecting the two power sources somewhere because I get brief power on both sources when I flip the breaker.

And maybe this is a dumb question, but why, if the batteries will start the generator wont they also power the overhead lights. Are they not on the battery bus? And now that I think about it, I am not 100% sure that I connected the batteries to the motorhome using the battery connect switch by the door. I may have in the past disconnected it thinking that the battery my overcharge by keeping it connected (I keep the unit plugged in to keep the fridge cold).

I will be back to the unit on Thursday and will start trying to figure it out. But one dumb question first (I am fairly mechanical minded until it comes to electricity). Is is possible that I have the batteries disconnected by the disconnect switch and that the 12V items are getting their pulse from the power supplied by the inverter from the 110V source (either shore line or genterator) and that is the reason that I see lights flicker at the same time that the AC fan comes on? And second dumb question, if that is so, is it possible that I just have a faulty breaker (since the pulse of power comes by toggling both on and off) (Thanks Frank and E.B for suggesting that - I was planning on replacing the breaker first)?

Thank all of you guys for the responses. I just discovered this forum and you guys really have some great knowledge.