power converter question

[mainah]

Go to the hardware store and buy a plug in test light it will have 3 little lights on it it is also some thing every RVer should have any way it tests the incoming camp ground wiring. They are about 5 bucks. Inside the outside door for the fridge is a 120 volt socket just like a house socket it is what supplies the 120 volt power to the fridge. Plug in the little test light turn off the breaker for the converter and see if the test light is still on if it's not than you need to regroup.

[Janalee]

Easier and cheaper to take a lamp,radio,or nightlight and plug one of them into the outlet your fridge uses ( outside in the fridge panel door)...then go inside and flip the breaker off...saves a trip down that mountian to a hardware store.!!
But I also agree with the white noise theory--lots of sleep music and sounds free on the computer...
One more option would be to run an extension cord for the fridge use to your piwer source. Also, your food will stay cold for
at least eight hours w/o power providing you don't open the fridge.
And last but not least,if your fridge is 3way,then why not use the propane at night if you lose your AC operation?......

[mainah]

That's true about a lamp but I stand by my tester and every rv having one it's a good safety device I never unplug mine.

[noralee]

mainah and janalee, great idea about the plug! didn't even think of it.

[bunjin]

Why not just plug the fridge 120 plug directly into your shore power?

[Janalee]

Bunjin...Yeah..I mentioned that in my post also as one option...I have also done that in my larger campers when I needed two electric heaters....

[mainah]

Generally there are at the most 3 breakers in a small trailer. One as a main at 30 amps (often not installed), one for the A/C at 20 amps and the other at 15 for every thing else. The A/C is wired to a point in the ceiling for the A/C even though it has no A/C. Most of the RV boxes will except a double breaker so it's fairly easy to add another circuit. The 15 amp breaker wiring is daisy chained it leap frogs from converter to outlets to fridge (not all ways in that order) but if there has been a breaker added it was for a reason so if the lamp test turns off your fridge a picture of the breaker box would help. It is far easier and safer to do a little rewiring than drag extension cords around. The only other option would be to replace the converter/charger with a modern one it has no transformer inside to hum and your demands are so small that the little internal fan probably would never come on.

[OhhWell]

Originally Posted by mainah

That's true about a lamp but I stand by my tester and every rv having one it's a good safety device I never unplug mine.

They are useful, that is for sure. Usually as a simple and small way to test outlets for power but one time, I was having the oddest issues with my microwave in our previous Keystone TT. I plugged the tester into the outlet and it let me know the wiring was reversed. After checking a few other circuits, I found out that someone had replaced the 30amp Shore power plug and had reversed the live and neutral wires.

[JerryJ]

Originally Posted by OhhWell

They are useful, that is for sure. Usually as a simple and small way to test outlets for power but one time, I was having the oddest issues with my microwave in our previous Keystone TT. I plugged the tester into the outlet and it let me know the wiring was reversed. After checking a few other circuits, I found out that someone had replaced the 30amp Shore power plug and had reversed the live and neutral wires.

We found that issue a few years ago with one of my in-law's neighbors. I guess the, then, homeowners decided to do his own wiring and he reversed his hot & neutral. It's not really called polarity but let's call it that for now.

His neutral was being switched off and on instead of the hot wire it resulted in a fire 75% of the house was gutted. That meant the device or what ever was actually very active and if an artificial ground came in contact. Fire for sure.

Advice to anyone, never guess or play with anything electrical AC or DC. Fires do happen because of sloppy workmanship.

Another thing I recommend: when connecting DC wiring I have always been in the habit of soldering the two wires and then heat shrink the connection. I have also used crimps but only in conjunction of using solder and then heat shrink. I'm not a fan of crimps and worse, those silly twisted wire connections and hiding the joint with loose electrical tape

[mainah]

Originally Posted by OhhWell

They are useful, that is for sure. Usually as a simple and small way to test outlets for power but one time, I was having the oddest issues with my microwave in our previous Keystone TT. I plugged the tester into the outlet and it let me know the wiring was reversed. After checking a few other circuits, I found out that someone had replaced the 30amp Shore power plug and had reversed the live and neutral wires.

Yes that is fairly common and if it was not for the fact the camper is treated as a sub panel it could have been very dangerous. That is the reason I said every RV should have one many camp grounds do not hire the best and the brightest so the same goes for the camp ground outlets.

[noralee]

well, this has been resolved. i tested the outlet where the fridge plugs into while i turned off the left switch on the fusebox, the one that turns off the converter. the fridge stays on. yay, some good news. the left switch only turns off the converter, so i can turn it off at night. aahh, quiet times.

[mainah]

Happyness is a quiet camper!

[JerryJ]

Originally Posted by mainah

Happyness is a quiet camper!

Better still, is "happiness is when you know things are fixed the way YOU want it"