Power going on and off

[jbagnall]

2018 19h. This is our third trip. We noticed the AC was turning off and on randomly throughout the night last trip. This trip it's been doing it more often. Seems like the fridge loses power too. Then it magically comes back. We're on shore power at a seasonal site. Also have an EMS in line.

What should I check for? It's hot out!

[Grumpy]

Probably a voltage drop at the CG what does your EMS say? Should have a code on the readout.

[jbagnall]

It's a pretty simple one. It shows green when it's good. I'll have to catch it next time and see if it shows a red indicator. Thanks for the reminder to check that. Hoping it shows red next time it happens so then I at least know it's the CG and not my hybrid.

Will report back if/when it happens again.

Thanks!

[DrSmart]

If you have a volt meter handy, check the voltage. When the weather gets hot and lot's of air conditioners running in the park, the voltage will drop. If it gets low enough, your EMS will cut power to protect your electronics and appliances. Your EMS manual will tell you at what level it will cut out.


Dave

[RetiredOne]

Could be a loose 30 amp recepticle on the pedestal, if you're plugged into that one. Many older CG have worn female outlets, as as your amperage rises and falls, one of the prongs of your plug might just be making contact.

Check and see if the connect feels really loose and sloppy.

[jbagnall]

I was able to catch it in the act. Yep, it's the EMS. Talking with my neighbors it seems the site may have recent electrical gremlins. I'm in a 50a plug with my 30a adapter.

Pretty sure it's the EMS doing its job. Thanks!

[RVermont]

Similar issues when plugged into 30 amp circuit when we got there it was reading 112 volts, during the middle of the day with everyone running their equipment voltage dropped to 98 and everything started to cycle on and off as the protection gear dropped in and out as the voltage varied. Glad i had the system to protect from this exact situation.

[jbagnall]

The only strange thing is that the microwave (and other) lights stay on, and the water heater seems to be working too (set to electric). But the bulk of things (outlets, AC, fridge) lose power.

[RogerR]

A little meter for $9 on Amazon helps identify voltage at a glance. I don't have an EMS but like to know what is going on with my camper. I also have one that plugs into the 12 volt socket to watch voltage on the battery.

Eversame Flat US Plug AC 80-300V LCD Digital Voltmeter Voltage Measuring Monitor, AC 110V 220V Voltage Panel Power

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by RogerR

A little meter for $9 on Amazon helps identify voltage at a glance. I don't have an EMS but like to know what is going on with my camper.

That's exactly what I did, plugged into the outlet on the side of the cabinet by all the other switches. This way, with a quick glance, I can see what the incoming AC voltage is.

[bankr63]

Does the microwave actually operate, or does the display just stay on? Many microwaves will have enough capacitance to keep the display going for a short time when power is cut. Some probably design this on purpose, so you aren't constantly resetting the clock. Suspect if you tried to turn on the microwave, it would not start.

HWT would be hard to tell; the water wouldn't cool down that quickly. The light on the HWT tank switch is lit by 12v so it will light even if the tank isn't actually heating. The control circuitry is low voltage; the heating element is high AC voltage.

Most lights should continue to work; they simply switch over to using the battery for the 12v instead of the converter. Sounds like things are operating as designed.

I would be interested in seeing if there is a 50 to 30 dogbone that lets you select which leg of the 50A you are using. Often times a CG can have unbalanced power usage and while one leg is low voltage the other leg can be okay because there is less draw on that side.

[jbagnall]

Thanks. Just ordered one. But I'm not sure how useful it will be because it's on the "protected side" of the EMS. Either way for $9 - it's on its way!

[jbagnall]

That makes sense. It's likely switching to the battery, and it's switched on. The bathroom fan works as well when the power trips, so likely the same thing.

[jbagnall]

Would you believe that there was a car accident a mile or two away that just knocked out power for everyone! Rough weekend for the CG, hah.

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by jbagnall

Would you believe that there was a car accident a mile or two away that just knocked out power for everyone! Rough weekend for the CG, hah.

Yup. Last summer the CG we were in lost power due to a car accident. The power was restored after a few hours, BUT the accident also damaged a part of the city's water system. The CG water was out for about 18 hours. Glad I keep our fresh water tanks full.

[blujay40]

Those that don't use an EMS live in a world where ignorance is bliss (no power cutoffs) but that can also be expensive!

So you buy an EMS to protect your electronics from low voltage and other stuff and you find sites/parks that have issues like that and have to deal with the EMS cutting off power.

Situations like that are why I added an autoformer to my setup. Low voltage is bad on electronics but so are repeated power cutoffs and heaven forbid it happens when the DW's soaps are recording on the sat dish!

They aren't cheap but do resolve low voltage issues when they arise and unfortunately are commonplace at our seasonal site so it made it a worthwhile investment.

[jbagnall]

The EMS I have is the surgeguard 35530. It's actually pretty useless as far as telling you what the issue is.

I'm thinking about adding a remote monitor. Looks like it might tell me more info.

Here's a handy video on the installation and what the monitor tells you so you can have a better idea of what's going on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztw0-xMapBM

[saarf]

During the last hot spell here, campground power was going below 100. I know two people who lost their power converters because if this.
I use an auto former to keep the voltage up.