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12-03-2009, 04:16 PM
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#21
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Centerville
Posts: 1,350
M.O.C. #9051
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by farmboy
If switch is turned off the GFCI will not trip. GFCI's do not work with neutral to ground relationships. They work with the relationship of hot to neutral.
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Maybe we mean two different things here, not to argue, but a burned electric water heating element that remains wired up will trip a GFCI breaker. It will not matter if the breaker in the fifth wheel is turned off or not , nor if the switch at the water heater is shut off. I know this to be true. I just went thru this a month ago when winterizing. I drained the water heater with the trailer plugged in and the switch at the water heater still on, which of course burned up the the heating element which I did not know for a couple days, when I was finishing the winterizing, and noticed there was no power to the trailer. Then realizing what I did with the water heater knowing that I burned it up. checked the GFCI outlet and it was tripped tried to reset no luck, thats when I shut off the breaker to the water heater as well as the switch at the water heater still no luck, would not reset. At this point I don't know what the problem is. I asked the question on RV net, and the answer was unwire the element and everything will be back to normal. I did and the GFCI would reset, and remains that way today. So this info is not just coming from me, actually two or three different guys replied to my question, and answered the same way.
Here is an answer about certain converters. I will quote what I was told, take it for what it is worth
Some converters do not play nice with GFCI Outlets
Now these fall into three groups
1: Always trip
2: Trip if the batteries are near empty
3: Trip if the batteries are near full
I have had four different trailers in a period of ten years plugged into the same GFCI outlet, and batteries in various stages of charge, and have not had the outlet trip, so like I said take it for what it is worth, but apparently someone has had converters that trip GFCI outlets. My point here is Bingo had a dead battery ,and burned element and a GFCI problem, dead battery along with a burned water heater element would cause the GFCI to trip. IMO it was the burned element, but its possible his dead battery is also the issue. In my case it was the burned element . The battery, converter etc had nothing to do with MY problem.
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12-05-2009, 03:03 AM
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#22
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Frostproof
Posts: 512
M.O.C. #7125
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Bingo, glad you guys had a good trip. On your problem, first check the water in the battery. Check the fused 12v charge line from the truck. If your battery needs replaced, put in a 27 series. You need 12v for the frig to function properly, and also for the H/W heater. Your GFI at the house may have tripped when you plugged in because the converter was trying to charge a dry battery. The fuse in your truck may have blown for the same reason. Give me a call later it you need some help.
Kerry
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12-05-2009, 06:20 AM
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#23
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: North Vernon
Posts: 261
M.O.C. #9087
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PSFORD99, It may have worked for you but that does not explain to me why, and I realize that you really do not care why, just that it just did. That is just the electrical part of me and we can agree to disagree. Happy rving.
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12-05-2009, 08:55 AM
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#24
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: cottam
Posts: 318
M.O.C. #6133
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farmboy instead trying to correct veryone elses ideas try giveing a solution of your own .just my idea .so we can agree to disagree.
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12-05-2009, 11:03 AM
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#25
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pagosa Springs
Posts: 3,711
M.O.C. #3120
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Guess we can all agree that this topic had lots of good information to solve a particular problem; now we can all agree that it has turned stupid....just another day on the MOC.
Bingo, when you get your problem fixed, please let us all know the solution so we can all be a bit smarter.
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12-05-2009, 11:07 AM
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#26
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Centerville
Posts: 1,350
M.O.C. #9051
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by farmboy
PSFORD99, It may have worked for you but that does not explain to me why, and I realize that you really do not care why, just that it just did. That is just the electrical part of me and we can agree to disagree. Happy rving.
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Can't agree to anything, there is nothing for you to disagree on what I have posted on this subject. If YOU burn a electric heating element on an rv, and leave it wired up it WILL trip a GFCI outlet, until you unwire it. Shutting off the breaker to the water heater will do nothing for the problem it will still trip the GFCI outlet. There was nothing in my posts to try and mislead or BS, anyone only to help with a problem, and as something I will always do before I continue a disagreement, first I will find out all the facts to what I have posted to make sure that I am either right or wrong, and regardless I will post it. In this case the facts below will hopefully clear up whatever problems you are having with what I was trying to do to help a fellow member, and happy rving to you
The breaker ONLY disconnects the hot (black) wire going to the water heater. The grounded conductor (neutral) is simply tied to all the other grounded conductors in the panel and then one wire from there to the GFCI the camper is plugged into. So, when the element melts, it shorts the grounded conductor (neutral) to the grounding conductor or case of the water heater allowing some of the current that SHOULD return on the Grounded conductor back to the GFCI to pass through the water heater case and return on the grounding wire. When it returns on the ground, the GFCI senses this as current not returning and trips thinking someone is being electrocuted.
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12-05-2009, 11:24 AM
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#27
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Centerville
Posts: 1,350
M.O.C. #9051
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My only reason for persistence here is I have just went thru this, and know for a fact as to the solution , if someone wants to disagree about the solution to a problem after asking I am done let him chase his tail, but in this case I feel the OP was getting mislead , and I was trying to keep him from chasing his tail. Hopefully Bingo has his problem taken care of.
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12-05-2009, 11:39 AM
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#28
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 3,430
M.O.C. #29
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