POWER CONTROL HUM

[Fire5er]

Anyone else have a loud Power Control Center? Our Progressive Dynamics PD4500 series power control center hums like an old transformer. It is in a 2014 BS382RL that we just purchased a month ago new off the lot.

[rohrmann]

We get a little noise from the fans running if we are using a lot of 12 volt power, but it's not too load. Maybe you have a bad fan motor or there is something contacting one of the fans.

[WeBeFulltime]

Ours is not noisy.

[Dam Worker]

Mine is loud enough that you can easily hear it unless the TV is on.

Tom Marty
3160RL

[bigskyjimmy]

Nope never have even heard mine,quiet as a mouse,so was my 2012

[1retired06]

Super quiet here

[Fire5er]

Fan is not on and not using any lights. Plugged in to 15A 120v at home to keep batteries charged. If TV was on I probably couldn't hear it, but our 2007 3400RL never was this loud.

[jhudson]

quote:Originally posted by Fire5er

Fan is not on and not using any lights. Plugged in to 15A 120v at home to keep batteries charged. If TV was on I probably couldn't hear it, but our 2007 3400RL never was this loud.

Do you have a transfer switch in your unit. I had one that had AC coils and had a hum that drove me nuts. Replaced it with one with dc coils. It is silent. My EMS internal was also noisy with a hum that I didn't like but my wife never noticed. I removed and bought a portable EMS and once again camper was silent.

I thought I would mention this as I thought my converter was humming until I followed the noise to both of the components I installed.

[Fire5er]

My rig is in storage at my house plugged in to an extension cord to keep the batteries charged everything else is off.

[Fire5er]

I kept digging into the humming noise under the stairs and found it coming from the generator automatic transfer switch. So it's not the power control panel and converter. I don't even have a generator, the rig is just set-up for one. Any idea what to do to make the humming stop?

[jhudson]

quote:Originally posted by Fire5er

I kept digging into the humming noise under the stairs and found it coming from the generator automatic transfer switch. So it's not the power control panel and converter. I don't even have a generator, the rig is just set-up for one. Any idea what to do to make the humming stop?

Yes, but you most likely will not like the answer. Your transfer switch when you plug into power benergizes a AC coil that is that moves contacts that allow power into the camper. When you run a generator, another relay (electic magnetic switch ) will energize and allow power from the generator into the camper. Keystone uses a transfer switch which uses AC to energize the magnetic coils. I bought one like Keystone uses to install in my camper to allow my generators to plug into a another power inlet I installed in the front of my camper. Didn't do my research first and made assumption that Keystone knew what they were doing. The unit they use is a cheaper unit and works well but is noisy. You will not noticed it with the generators but when plugged in at the campsite different story.

The first transfer switch which worked well cost me around $100 dollars. Gave it away to a friend that now uses it in his RV and does not mind the noise. Bought my second transfer switch for $239.40 from RV power parts plus. It is a 50 amp transfer switch made by Intellitec which uses DC coils to do the switching and has it configured that the power from the line runs through contacts that are normally closed thereby passing the current directly through to the camper. When you start the generators the DC relays activate and switch to generator power after a brief delay allowing the generators to stabilize. Even with the generators this switch is silent.

The problem with the switch that Keystone uses, is it requires one AC relay to be energized to allow power into the camper. This AC relay in a no power situation in normally open. It needs power to allow power into the camper. That is why you will here a click when you plug in if you are standing close to the switch you have now.

In my opinion, your options, one live with it ( I sure couldn't ) or replace it with one that uses different technology. My learning experience was a little costly.

Hope I was not to long winded with my response.

Jay

[iowaone]

If you don't ever use a gen why not just bypass it.

[Dam Worker]

Thanks for the great information Jay. I will now have to check in more detail exactly which component is making the obnoxious humming noise. It is defiantly near my stairs. I will have to take the cover off in the storage area to confirm the culprit.

Tom Marty

[Rondo]

Karl-- Since your unit is a 2014, it should be under warranty yet and I'd take it back to the dealer and have them take care of the problem whether it needs to be replaced or whatever needs to be done to silence it.

[Fire5er]

Thanks for the info guys. I was sick yesterday so was not able to get on here are see the info you all shared. I plan on taking it back to the dealer and letting them take care of it. But if it is "Normal" then I plan to just by-pass the transfer switch because I do not plan on using the on board generator wiring. Jay I do hear the click when plugging the rig into a power source and assumed it to be the transfer switch. Thanks again for all the great feedback.

[Sundown08]

Hi:

We have a 2015 379RL which makes the same hum. It is the Transfer switch behind the wall in your pass through storage. It is normal but obnoxious. You can buy a better switch or bypass it if you are not using a generator. I plan to bypass mine when I have time.

Regards,

Steve

quote:Originally posted by Fire5er

Thanks for the info guys. I was sick yesterday so was not able to get on here are see the info you all shared. I plan on taking it back to the dealer and letting them take care of it. But if it is "Normal" then I plan to just by-pass the transfer switch because I do not plan on using the on board generator wiring. Jay I do hear the click when plugging the rig into a power source and assumed it to be the transfer switch. Thanks again for all the great feedback.

[Dam Worker]

While I was camping this weekend (boon-docking) every time I turned the generator on the transfer switch took 5-15 seconds to engage and then it does so with a loud bang. At least it did not buzz loudly as we were not hooked up to any AC besides the generator. It is on the list for the dealer to check out for both the loud humming/buzzing noise and for the banging when switching for current from the generator. It was not under any more load than normal. In other words I did have the HW heater switch off so it should have been mainly DC current being used from the converter.

Tom Marty

[DCB]

Saw these comments on another site.

Person A
“The only problem with this is, say your batteries are low, and you need 120 volts from either a pedestal or a generator to get your charger/converter to charge the batteries, how do you get enough DC voltage to close the contactor in the transfer switch?“

Person B
“Person A has a point about it being preferable to use 120 VAC line power to control the coil. There are a few other options if you want to use AC line power but use DC coils for better contact life and reduced humming. One option is to install a full wave bridge rectifier on the AC power going to the coil, then use a 125 VDC coil. Another option, if you want to scrounge parts from medium voltage motor controllers, is to use a contactor economizing module. The CEM takes in 120 VAC power going to control the coil. Initially when it receives power it passes rectified 120 VAC to the coil, then after a few seconds it drops the voltage down to maybe 20-30 VDC, I don't recall exactly. This prolongs the coil life and eliminates the humming.“

I’m in over my head, but would like to do further research. Can any of you speak to this from your own experience as to whether Person A’s issue is significant? And/or can any of you translate Person B’s response into plainer English?

Thanks!

[Dam Worker]

This topic was from a few years back. RookieDCB I have just lived with the obnoxious hum from my transfer switch. My guess is that so long as I have the obnoxious humming than my batteries will be totally charged up so if I had the DC style transfer switch the batteries would still be charged. Last but not least is if I am boon-docking and start my generator it still takes somewhere around five to ten seconds for the transfer switch to work so my guess is if your batteries will start your generator than they will have enough juice to operate your DC transfer switch.

Tom Marty

[Livin salty]

I might be a little late but I kind of just had the humming issue.
I reset the breaker at the pole for 20 seconds and the humming went silent.
This humming started after turning off the breaker at the post, firing up the generator to exercise it under load for 20 minutes, shutting down the gen then turning back on the power at the pole. I am assuming since I have not exercised my transfer switch that it “might” of got hung up even though I had full power. Maybe maybe not but it worked.
Hope this helps.