Quote:
Originally Posted by rohrmann
Prior to installing a 50 amp PI EMS, we just had the portable PI surge arrestor. We had a voltage bump from the utility which took out both our satellite boxes. Since installing the hardwired EMS, we have seem missing neutral, missing ground, and numerous low voltage conditions. The one missing ground turned out to be a broken ground prong on our shore cable plug, which would not be visible with a portable device, as any of these units only look back toward the source, meaning the pedestal and beyond. With the hardwired units, they see all the RV internal wiring from the hardwired device out to the pedestal, too, which can’t be seen by the portable units. Also, with the hardwired with the remote display, there is a bypass switch that can close the contactor to turn on power, which cuts out the voltage checking and protection but still keeps the surge protection feature working. So, for a voltage issue that causes the unit to turn off power, if you dare risk damage, you can manually bypass these units to get power into the rig. You really should not do this as you risk not only damage but also a hot skin condition that can shock you or anyone touching the rig, which can be extremely dangerous.
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Bob,
Thanks for the reply! Very helpful information!
So, the Surge Guard 34XXX series makes the claim that the units can measure LOAD ground conditions as well. If that's true, I would think that a portable unit would / could measure a bad ground on the RV plug too.
It's very possible that I don't understand what they mean when they say load monitoring, and/or I could be reading something into that that isn't there.
I had not heard about the PI turn-it-off feature, and while I like that, if I put the hardwire unit close to the input plug, there's no easy way to get the remote monitor panel switch console, which is where I would want it. And, like you said, you're gambling at that point anyway. That wouldn't be any different gamble that plugging in, finding you have a bad ground, and then unplugging an external one so that you could still have power.
At the end of the day, I decided to go with the SurgeGuard 34951 with remote monitoring, since it's wireless. At this point, I'm into the easiest solution, and any solution is better than no solution...