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06-12-2012, 02:44 PM
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#1
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Wichita
Posts: 84
M.O.C. #10846
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Breaker Panel - Incorrectly Labeled
We discovered today when we had a service technician out for our water heater that two of the breakers were incorrectly labeled. These were incorrectly labeled on the inside of the panel access door at the factory. The breaker for the water heater was actually labeled "kitchen" and the breaker for the kitchen GFCI was labeled "water heater". So BEWARE, this could potentially cause a problem if you think you have turned off the power to something and it is still hot.
We plan to go through every outlet, switch and light in our coach and make sure we know which breaker controls each circuit.
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Larry and Sandy
2015 GMC Denali and 2011 Montana 3400RL
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06-12-2012, 03:47 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Benson
Posts: 3,121
M.O.C. #1658
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A good example why you should always check and make sure the power is really off
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06-13-2012, 02:49 AM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake Gaston
Posts: 8,773
M.O.C. #12156
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Glad you caught it! Working with AC is always serious business.
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Mike and Lorraine
2002 3655 FL, 2005 3650RK
2010 3665RE, 2015 3910FB
F350 crew cab dually 6.7
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06-13-2012, 04:48 AM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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Thanks for the info, one more thing to check.
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Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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06-13-2012, 06:26 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Haysville
Posts: 4,261
M.O.C. #3085
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Accurate or not ... at least yours was labeled I haven't tried ultraviolet light on mine yet to check for invisible ink
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06-13-2012, 07:18 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: K.C.
Posts: 11,731
M.O.C. #5980
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Get one of these, Lowes has them
Non-contact voltage detector, always try on a known live circuit forst: Lit lamp..
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06-13-2012, 07:42 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Murrieta
Posts: 5,816
M.O.C. #9257
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Yup, heard about this possibility and checked the rig some time ago. It came in handy when I had a dual 15/20amp circuit breaker fail.
It kinda takes away from the "turnkey" mentality we expect when we buy a new RV, but in the RV industry, "Made in America" doesn't have the same feel as many other industries. There are many documented inexcusable errors we should not be seeing. A forum such as this sure provides the awareness to check those things we take for granted (electrical connections, disconnect switches, labels, levers and handles, loose U-bolts and the list goes on and on). Plus over time the nature of an RV being bounced all over the place means that things loosen or change which means we must constantly check things, even things that should be correct out of the factory.
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06-15-2012, 03:29 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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Yes.It is wise to check everything, It is yet another example of poor workmanship and poor quality control. The little stupid things that over shadow a otherwise very good product. Pull the panels that you can and check the wiring for "rats nest" a few tie wraps can prevent grief down the road.
Note..our 2013 is MUCH better than the 06 3400.We actually see some bundling and tie wraps.
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06-15-2012, 04:15 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New Bern
Posts: 4,387
M.O.C. #8728
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I've been an electrical contractor for longer that I care to admit. ALWAYS check any wiring before you work on it. Don't assume anything or you can get hurt. The technican should have tested the circuit before working on it. The tester that Ozz showed you is an invaluable tool. It won't tell you that you have 120 volts but it will tell you if there is any voltage there. If I walk away from a wire to get something, I'll test it when I get back. As for labeling, I'm willing to bet that of all the house panels I've worked on over the years, 80% were incorrectly labled to some extent.
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06-15-2012, 07:28 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Murrieta
Posts: 5,816
M.O.C. #9257
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Wow, Jim. At first 80% seemed pretty high and you would know and should be proud of the years doing so. On the other hand, I have checked my house circuits in every home I've rented or lived in and while the labeling was mostly good I found the labels to be minimal and info a little misleading. For example, there will be 3 circuits labeled "lights" or "outlets" but no indication of which lights in which rooms requiring me to shut them all out then measure for voltage. I'm guessing that this would count toward improper labeling. In one case it was so bad, I buzzed things out and came up with a more descriptive label. This took forever (it was a big house).
I guess all this points to the fact to always check the voltage which is what I've been doing for quite some time and I'm not an electrician, but I have been "touched" by live AC wire only once in my life and don't like that feeling. Never again so I use a VOM, but that device looks interesting and could save lots of time when doing this.
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