Progressive Surge Major Issue

[edatlanta]

Originally Posted by hoppers4

My first thought on seeing the pictures was that the connection to the wire was loose and that the melted spot on the sensor was a result and not a cause.

I have had two automatic transfer switches fail in this exact same way in the past 9 years full time use. Loose lugs. I check mine annually now.

[Screwby]

Regardless of the outcome I will be going with an external pedestal mount from here on.

[hoppers4]

Originally Posted by edatlanta

I have had two automatic transfer switches fail in this exact same way in the past 9 years full time use. Loose lugs. I check mine annually now.

That's a really good point Ed! I'm going to be pulling covers on both units and checking connections. Also a good time to check terminal tightness on the converter/distribution panel.

Here's another one. My 30 amp power plug had an improperly crimped power wire that charred and melted the plug. I dissected the plug to see what happened and it was obvious the crimp was never properly done.

[Stingray75]

Definitely and eye opener seeing the photos - thanks for posting them. We had a hardwired 50a unit in the prior trailer and never did like the constant humming. I’d remove the cover annually to inspect connections and never found a loose lug. I went with a portable unit this time.

[cekkk]

Not to hijack but I now want to inspect my Progressive unit wiring. I'm DIY challenged so have to ask, this problem is all installation related and nothing to do with the unit itself?

[Loboclone]

We hard wired the same unit and it failed...never hard wire again

[robert9999]

Chaffing of wires is a great concern in RV's. I see wires wrapping around metal edging with out any protection. Its just a matter of time from all the bouncing around that these wires will loose the insulation & short out. Again its the industries poor standards that allows these manufacturers to get away with this.

[Screwby]

Originally Posted by cekkk

Not to hijack but I now want to inspect my Progressive unit wiring. I'm DIY challenged so have to ask, this problem is all installation related and nothing to do with the unit itself?

It’s a little of both. It’s the sharp edge on that pass through sensor that slowly knifes it’s way into the wire next to it. Given the chance to do it again, I’d strip the wires longer and somehow route the wires so the sharp edge couldn’t touch the adjacent wire. It never crossed my mind 3 years ago as an issue that could happen and it wasn’t stated in the directions to do so.

Even if it wasn’t the cause as some people keep insisting, it’s still worth a look to be sure.

[TCNashville]

Keep us informed on your warranty claim with Progressive. Hopefully they'll be on your side.

[dalebra]

Screwby, Thanks for the post!

I will be interested in what Progressive has to say. I too agree with most that the lug was not tight and the heat and melting started at the lug. You can see by your picture that the heat was more intense at the lug.

[jrclen]

I'm an electrician who has seen this many times. My bet is on a loose lug. Also I see wire strands on the left hand conductor which are bent out of place. That points to a sloppy initial installation. A loose connection will heat up under a load. That expands the wire. When it cools, the wire shrinks and makes the connection even worse. That causes even more heat the next time. And so it goes until a serious meltdown occurs such as seen here. Has the company responded yet? How about the installer?

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by jrclen

How about the installer?

I believe he did the install himself and I personally don't think he was at fault as he installed per directions. Through the movement of the trailer caused the sharp edge to slowly cut onto the wire which indicates a possible design flaw. I have a portable but if I had a hard wired unit I'd be checking it closely.

[Screwby]

Originally Posted by jrclen

I'm an electrician who has seen this many times. My bet is on a loose lug. Also I see wire strands on the left hand conductor which are bent out of place. That points to a sloppy initial installation. A loose connection will heat up under a load. That expands the wire. When it cools, the wire shrinks and makes the connection even worse. That causes even more heat the next time. And so it goes until a serious meltdown occurs such as seen here. Has the company responded yet? How about the installer?

Not sure what the bent wires you are talking about consist of, do you meant the ones that are squished and twisted from me pulling them loose? I too do electrical work and repair and replace motors and circuits in commercial and residential equipment. I installed this per the instructions. Not much technique required to strip and twist wires and insert them into a wire block. Tighten down the set screw and assume it’s going to stay that way. True it lasted 3 and a half years without me touching it and I’ve been down some nasty washboard roads but I should have kept an eye on it. Moving forward I would 100% check the wiring annually in my next hard wired unit, although I’ll be using a pedestal unit from now on. Thanks for the input, and feel free to expand on my shoddy attempt at installing a wire into a block. Jury is still out on whether it was the sharp corner or a connection that vibrated loose, either way I’d check any hard wired one just in case

[edatlanta]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

That is one reason I've never been a fan of permanently installed units.

Agreed. I love my PT50X, but it is safely outside.