AC / Refer breaker problem

[Scott and Shelli]

Greetings! I'm having a problem with my AC and refer running at the same time. The problem is...they don't! They're on separate circuits, but the AC breaker pops every time the fridge compressor kicks on, even when using park 50A service. My dealer says the only solution is to run the refer on propane, but I'm having a hard time buying that. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks...

[Thunderman]

Scott,
Did the dealer check to see if there is a weak breaker involved?
That is certainly not normal.
There are times when there may not be enough voltage for both appliances even if you are connected to 50 amp service. You need to check the voltage when connected to 50 amp....you can pick up a small plug in tester at Camping World or other RV supply stores for around
$18. Plug this tester in any receptacle to see what the voltage is. It should be 107 at least if you run a/c and refrigerator. Did you switch your HW heater to propane to see if that made a difference?
Good luck!

[Montana_2785]

quote:Originally posted by scottanglim

[...]the AC breaker pops every time the fridge compressor kicks on, even when using park 50A service.[...]

Scottanglim,

Actually, your refrigerator doesn't HAVE a compressor. An RV refrigerator is an "absorbtion cycle" design. It is a gravity feed system with NO MOVING PARTS... A boiler is heated using either a propane flame or an electric heating element. The electric heating element should only be on the order of 250-300 watts.

I would agree with Thunderman that you should be looking for other much higher wattage appliances (like the electric water heating element).

Eric

[HamRad]

Scott & Shelli,
It may be that you have a loose connection at one of the plugs or wire junctions. We've had a number of folks report this type of thing. When they checked it out they found a loose wire. Once they fixed that everything worked fine. Good luck and let us know when you find the problem.

HamRad

[Scott and Shelli]

The water heater wasn't running at the time, so I don't think that was a contributing factor. As for the refer compressor...well, call me newly educated I will certainly pick up the tester at Camping World, and check for possible loose wires / weak breaker. I'm just glad to hear that this is not normal, and will post once I figure out what it could be.

[Garin1]

I had a similar problem with the a/c in my 3650rk popping after two days. I went to Lowes and got a replacement. No more problems

[sreigle]

With a 50amp connection you should be able to run a whole lot more than that. At this very moment our AC is running, the fridge is on elec, two laptops are plugged into 110v, several lights are on and the ceiling fan is on. And the TV. And a small fan sitting on the bedroom dresser. In a bit I'll be running the microwave. We're doing this connected to 30amp. You should be able to do at least that much simultaneously. Our water heater is running on propane, though. That draws a lot of juice and kicks in and out and can push us over the edge.

[ronstan]

I can't believe your dealer told you to run the fridge on propane. We have a 3295 and can run the just about everything at once except the microwave when w/h and a/c are going at the same time if w/h is on electric. It might be that your water heater is pulling to much.

[montanared]

Although I am not a licensed electrician, my late father was a master electrician and he taught me a lot. Many problems are caused by simple loose connections. This forum is loaded with brake controller problems that were finally traced to a loose wire. In a house I lived in in England, a certain light bulb never lasted more than a month. After changing about a dozen bulbs, I finally pulled the switch and discovered one of the wires was loose. A quarter turn of the screwdriver and I never replaced another bulb in 4 years.

Loose connections actually draw more current to overcome the resistance of the loose connection. This can cause breakers to pop (or bulbs to burn out).

On my old TT, I had a problem with turn signals on the trailer. Ended up being a loose ground wire, and once located was easy to fix. These problems can be hard to locate, and if you are not comfortable working with electricity, you should consult a professional. In my not so humble opinion, a professional would never tell you to run your fridge on propane as a solution to your problem.