t-2251 rocker switch

aac1431 · 08-24-2010, 11:21 AM

Hi, I am a new owner of not only Sunline (three whole days now), but travel trailers in general (having just graduated from a tent). I am slowly figuring out what everything is but I am having trouble figuring out what a switch does that is located next to my inverter/charger (?). It is a three way switch located directly right of the fuse panel and the top and bottom positions are on while the center position is the off position. Putting the switch all the way down allows me to use the microwave, while in the middle and top position the microwave is off but nothing else (that I can see) is affected, either on or off. Any help is greatly appreciated.

It is a 1995 T-2251 if that helps.

Richard

**Sunline Fan** · 08-24-2010, 03:56 PM

Hi Richard,

Do you live in Canada?

The switch you describe sounds very much like the transfer switch that came standard with CSA Package units. I'm not sure of when Sunline actually started awarding units with the CSA seal instead of RVIA, but yours may have been an early one. I'd like to see a picture of what this switch looks like on yours, as it was mounted by the kitchen sink/stove usually in later models.

The purpose of the switch is to allow you to run the microwave, the electric water heater element, or neither. It will not allow both to run at the same time like RVIA units can. I'm not sure of the exact reasoning for this, but it is a CSA standard.

I'm not sure if you have a gas/electric water heater, if you don't, then I'd say the top position on the switch is just dead. I don't know why they would have bothered putting it in then, but maybe they did anyway.

Jon

henryj · 08-24-2010, 07:05 PM

On our much newer CSA unit, up sends power to the microwave and down sends power to the HWH. This toggle looks like an ordinary light switch, but it is a 3 position toggle, with off in the middle. We usually leave ours down so that the HWH comes on when we flip its switch on the control panel. Otherwise there is no indication whether or not we'll get hot hotter as the control panel rocker lights up regardless of where the wall toggle is. If the microwave doesn't light up it's pretty obvious we need to flip the toggle.

Richard, do you have a microwave?

Henry

**JohnB** · 08-24-2010, 07:56 PM

H'mm learn something new every day on SOC. Never knew of that CSA switch. I know why they are doing it, the HW heater has a 1,400 watt element in it and the Microwave I'm sure is close to 1,500 watts when on high. So both are in the 2,900 watt area which that and the converter overhead if it is battery charging can just about trip the incoming breaker.

Here in the states they just let you go ahead and do it and then trip one of the breakers.

However we do at least interlock the furnace and the AC unit so they both cannot run at the same time. There is a furnace input on the main AC PC board for it.

John

aac1431 · 08-25-2010, 07:34 AM

Thanks to everyone for the answers. I live in Michigan so maybe it was an export model that never made it to Canada or one that was brought back, I don't know. Yes I do have a microwave, The PO thought that it was the microwave/air conditioner switch but the AC worked for me in whatever position the switch was in. I will try to see if it does work the hot water heater. I will also try to take a picture and upload it, although it appears to be a standard light switch that has three positions and is located directly right of the fuse box area which is across from the entrance door. Always good to know what everything does on something you own, this would have driven me crazy flipping it up and down waiting to see what did or did not work.
I have not had a chance to test/play with everything as I picked it up this past Sunday. Again, thank you for your answers and I am sure there will be more to come.