Furnace & Norcold refrigerator not working-fried electrical main line

[GrobeSter]

We just got back from week of camping where our awning was ripped off in a storm. We plugged in our trailer to main outlet outside house and the plug started smoking--quickly unplugged it and saw the head and interior of plug was fried. So replaced 110V plug and realized the norcold 9162 model was not working--we had just replace the control board for this unit before trip, and the furnace/air conditioner were not working and half the lights were not working. Checked all the circuit breakers to make sure none were tripped and none were. So I think the fuse on the new control board for refrigerator might have fried, but I have not had time to check. The furnace/air conditioner I have no idea why it is not working. Any suggestions where to look and what to look for to find the culprit. Now we know that there was a surge that did go through the trailer, because my husband's garman watch lost all data and it was plugged into wall outlet at time the surge happened.

[Atlee]

Have you figured out why a power surge happened on the post at your house? That would be a little concerning.

I've never thought about plugging in my EMS when I arrive home.

Originally Posted by GrobeSter

We just got back from week of camping where our awning was ripped off in a storm. We plugged in our trailer to main outlet outside house and the plug started smoking--quickly unplugged it and saw the head and interior of plug was fried. So replaced 110V plug and realized the norcold 9162 model was not working--we had just replace the control board for this unit before trip, and the furnace/air conditioner were not working and half the lights were not working. Checked all the circuit breakers to make sure none were tripped and none were. So I think the fuse on the new control board for refrigerator might have fried, but I have not had time to check. The furnace/air conditioner I have no idea why it is not working. Any suggestions where to look and what to look for to find the culprit. Now we know that there was a surge that did go through the trailer, because my husband's garman watch lost all data and it was plugged into wall outlet at time the surge happened.

[norty1]

I'm not clear about when the surge happened. I think I have read about a reset on the furnace somewhere. Have you checked all the GFCI outlets for reset.

You may have some major damage after it's assessed. A surge can do all kinds of damage to electronics.

Think insurance claim?

[GrobeSter]

It turns out that this electrical charge fried the power invertor unit that allows certain items in trailer needing 12V DC which include the furnace, the lights, and the refrigerator. We plugged the trailer back into the truck and all units worked. Now, we have to see if the power invertors that we have for running my computer inside my truck will work for the trailer or if we have to buy a specific type.

[KennyG]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune with a power surge. This is one of the reasons I have always used a surge protector on my RV.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by Atlee

Have you figured out why a power surge happened on the post at your house? That would be a little concerning.

I've never thought about plugging in my EMS when I arrive home.

I always use the EMS when plugged in regardless of where I'm at. Also, our subdivision has underground utilities that were put in in the late 70's. They tend to be a little flaky when it rains a lot and we have at least one or two outages a year as a result. One time our neighbor got a new section of concrete driveway as part of a 3am repair. We tend to think of our home utilities as being very reliable and stable - and that's generally true. But you don't know when something unexpected is going to happen so I think better safe than sorry.

[Atlee]

Good thoughts you have. It's causing me to reassess using my EMS at home. Main problem I would have is being able to cover it so it doesn't soaked during heavy rains. Our underground wiring is pretty good. Never noticed any flakiness. However, during bad storms, we are susceptible to power outages. Lots of trees and overhead lines that feed the subdivision.

I hadn't given a thought about when the power comes back on.

Originally Posted by ttavasc

I always use the EMS when plugged in regardless of where I'm at. Also, our subdivision has underground utilities that were put in in the late 70's. They tend to be a little flaky when it rains a lot and we have at least one or two outages a year as a result. One time our neighbor got a new section of concrete driveway as part of a 3am repair. We tend to think of our home utilities as being very reliable and stable - and that's generally true. But you don't know when something unexpected is going to happen so I think better safe than sorry.