Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram

[Robin]

My 1980 Powerwatch system is toast. I am going to redo it using the old panel.
Can someone direct me to a good circuit diagram that will not trip my GFCI.
Thanks
John Churchill
1980 FC33
LARGE MARGE

[Chuck Wheeler]

All did on mine was change two resistors to get the leakage current below the rip point of the GFI.

- Chuck Wheeler-

1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX

---

From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robin
Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 1:09 PM
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram

My 1980 Powerwatch system is toast. I am going to redo it using the old panel. Can someone direct me to a good circuit diagram that will not trip my GFCI. Thanks
John Churchill
1980 FC33
LARGE MARGE

[Robin]

I am even more confused now. I plugged the survivor into my home kitchen GFCI
and no trip! I guess the next step is to see if the coach trips with the
devices removed.
John Churchill
1980 FC33

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Chuck Wheeler" wrote:
>
> All did on mine was change two resistors to get the leakage current below
> the rip point of the GFI.
>
> - Chuck Wheeler-
> 1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX
>
>
> _____
>
> From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robin
> Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 1:09 PM
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram
>
>
>
> My 1980 Powerwatch system is toast. I am going to redo it using the old
> panel. Can someone direct me to a good circuit diagram that will not trip my
> GFCI. Thanks
> John Churchill
> 1980 FC33
> LARGE MARGE
>

[Chuck Wheeler]

I recently had a problem tripping GFI. It turned out to be the Front heater. It can be a challenge to locate the problem because turning off the breaker will not isolate a ground fault. I had to go through each circuit and disconnect the neutral until I discovered the offending circuit. (Turn off the breaker when the neutral is disconnected!) This required turning off the power to the BB, disconnecting the neutral and turning off the breaker for each circuit, then reapplying power to see if the GFI still tripped. Before I modified the Power monitor it would trip some GFI but not all. It was drawing current right at the trip point so it would trip some, but not all GFIs.

- Chuck Wheeler-

1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX

---

From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robin
Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 4:30 PM
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram

I am even more confused now. I plugged the survivor into my home kitchen GFCI and no trip! I guess the next step is to see if the coach trips with the devices removed.
John Churchill
1980 FC33

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Chuck Wheeler" .> wrote:
>
> All did on mine was change two resistors to get the leakage current below
> the rip point of the GFI.
>
> - Chuck Wheeler-
> 1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX
>
>
> _____
>
> From: "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"
> [mailto:"WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"] On Behalf Of Robin
> Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 1:09 PM
> To: "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram
>
>
>
> My 1980 Powerwatch system is toast. I am going to redo it using the old
> panel. Can someone direct me to a good circuit diagram that will not trip my
> GFCI. Thanks
> John Churchill
> 1980 FC33
> LARGE MARGE
>

[Robin]

Thanks Chuck-
That brings up a point that I have considered. This might be a cumulative
problem with a bunch of small leaks adding up. It seems that the powerwatch
itself is not the only culprit. I've capped the bare wires to the system and
plan on plugging her in again when I get some daylight.

Your troubleshooting procedure seems laborious, lots of trips back and forth.
Any way to check the system with a voltmeter? If there is voltage on the
neutral, I should expect a decrease voltage between hot and white.
How about flipping all the breakers off, disconnecting all the whites, then
reconnecting and re-energizing them one at a time to find which one kicks it
off? What are my chances of frying myself that way?
John Churchill


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Chuck Wheeler" wrote:
>
> I recently had a problem tripping GFI. It turned out to be the Front
> heater. It can be a challenge to locate the problem because turning off the
> breaker will not isolate a ground fault. I had to go through each circuit
> and disconnect the neutral until I discovered the offending circuit. (Turn
> off the breaker when the neutral is disconnected!) This required turning off
> the power to the BB, disconnecting the neutral and turning off the breaker
> for each circuit, then reapplying power to see if the GFI still tripped.
> Before I modified the Power monitor it would trip some GFI but not all. It
> was drawing current right at the trip point so it would trip some, but not
> all GFIs.
>
> - Chuck Wheeler-
> 1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX
>
>
> _____
>
> From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robin
> Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 4:30 PM
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram
>
>
>
> I am even more confused now. I plugged the survivor into my home kitchen
> GFCI and no trip! I guess the next step is to see if the coach trips with
> the devices removed.
> John Churchill
> 1980 FC33
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@
> yahoogroups.com, "Chuck Wheeler" wrote:
> >
> > All did on mine was change two resistors to get the leakage current below
> > the rip point of the GFI.
> >
> > - Chuck Wheeler-
> > 1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX
> >
> >
> > _____
> >
> > From: WanderlodgeForum@
> yahoogroups.com
> > [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@
> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robin
> > Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 1:09 PM
> > To: WanderlodgeForum@
> yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram
> >
> >
> >
> > My 1980 Powerwatch system is toast. I am going to redo it using the old
> > panel. Can someone direct me to a good circuit diagram that will not trip
> my
> > GFCI. Thanks
> > John Churchill
> > 1980 FC33
> > LARGE MARGE
> >
>

[Chuck Wheeler]

I thought of that also after I found the fault. With power off I now have an open circuit between neutral and ground. It won't be much resistance because it only takes 4 - 5ma to trip a GFI. I suppose you could check neutral to ground and disconnect one circuit at a time until you find it. Anything less than 25K would probably trip the GFI.

As an aside, a friend the we frequently camp with had a GFI problem with his SOB. It turned out to be corrosion in the connector that plugs into the coach. I this case it tripped the GFI even with the power cable unplugged from his coach. Of course we didn't discover that until we practically disassembled the whole coach! He did Not have a selector switch like we do. In my case the GFI would not trip until the power switch was on in a position other than Generator.

- Chuck Wheeler-

1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX

---

From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robin
Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 8:54 PM
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram

Thanks Chuck-
That brings up a point that I have considered. This might be a cumulative problem with a bunch of small leaks adding up. It seems that the powerwatch itself is not the only culprit. I've capped the bare wires to the system and plan on plugging her in again when I get some daylight.

Your troubleshooting procedure seems laborious, lots of trips back and forth. Any way to check the system with a voltmeter? If there is voltage on the neutral, I should expect a decrease voltage between hot and white.
How about flipping all the breakers off, disconnecting all the whites, then reconnecting and re-energizing them one at a time to find which one kicks it off? What are my chances of frying myself that way?
John Churchill

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Chuck Wheeler" .> wrote:
>
> I recently had a problem tripping GFI. It turned out to be the Front
> heater. It can be a challenge to locate the problem because turning off the
> breaker will not isolate a ground fault. I had to go through each circuit
> and disconnect the neutral until I discovered the offending circuit. (Turn
> off the breaker when the neutral is disconnected!) This required turning off
> the power to the BB, disconnecting the neutral and turning off the breaker
> for each circuit, then reapplying power to see if the GFI still tripped.
> Before I modified the Power monitor it would trip some GFI but not all. It
> was drawing current right at the trip point so it would trip some, but not
> all GFIs.
>
> - Chuck Wheeler-
> 1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX
>
>
> _____
>
> From: "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"
> [mailto:"WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"] On Behalf Of Robin
> Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 4:30 PM
> To: "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram
>
>
>
> I am even more confused now. I plugged the survivor into my home kitchen
> GFCI and no trip! I guess the next step is to see if the coach trips with
> the devices removed.
> John Churchill
> 1980 FC33
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@ Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com, "Chuck Wheeler" wrote:
> >
> > All did on mine was change two resistors to get the leakage current below
> > the rip point of the GFI.
> >
> > - Chuck Wheeler-
> > 1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX
> >
> >
> > _____
> >
> > From: WanderlodgeForum@ Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> > [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@ Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robin
> > Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 1:09 PM
> > To: WanderlodgeForum@ Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Voltmeter/Polarity indicator circuit diagram
> >
> >
> >
> > My 1980 Powerwatch system is toast. I am going to redo it using the old
> > panel. Can someone direct me to a good circuit diagram that will not trip
> my
> > GFCI. Thanks
> > John Churchill
> > 1980 FC33
> > LARGE MARGE
> >
>

[Ralph L. Fullenwider]

Do a hot skin test, it will usually find the ground and neutral together in
the Coach problem, and help to isolate the errant difference in voltage.

Safe travels,

Ralph & Charolette Fullenwider
'84 FC35 "Ruff Diamond"
Duncan, Oklahoma



At 01:54 AM 3/23/2009 +0000, you wrote:
>Thanks Chuck-
>That brings up a point that I have considered. This might be a cumulative
>problem with a bunch of small leaks adding up. It seems that the
>powerwatch itself is not the only culprit. I've capped the bare wires to
>the system and plan on plugging her in again when I get some daylight.
>
>Your troubleshooting procedure seems laborious, lots of trips back and
>forth. Any way to check the system with a voltmeter? If there is voltage
>on the neutral, I should expect a decrease voltage between hot and white.
>How about flipping all the breakers off, disconnecting all the whites,
>then reconnecting and re-energizing them one at a time to find which one
>kicks it off? What are my chances of frying myself that way?
>John Churchill
>
>
>--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Chuck Wheeler" wrote:
> >
> > I recently had a problem tripping GFI. It turned out to be the Front
> > heater. It can be a challenge to locate the problem because turning
> off the
> > breaker will not isolate a ground fault. I had to go through each circuit
> > and disconnect the neutral until I discovered the offending circuit. (Turn
> > off the breaker when the neutral is disconnected!) This required
> turning off
> > the power to the BB, disconnecting the neutral and turning off the breaker
> > for each circuit, then reapplying power to see if the GFI still tripped.
> > Before I modified the Power monitor it would trip some GFI but not all. It
> > was drawing current right at the trip point so it would trip some, but not
> > all GFIs.
> >
> > - Chuck Wheeler-
> > 1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX
>