Has anyone had the problem of the hot wire coming into the inverter getting hot and melting the wire nut connecting it to the inverter? I've had this happen twice and when it does of course you lose all of the outlets on the inverter circuit in the motorhome. Recently one of my friends had it happen to him with the same setup. Why doesn't it pop the 30amp breaker before it gets that hot? We both have a Samsung 18 cubic ft. residential refrigerator on that circuit, but of course not using the inverter when plugged into shore power. The strange thing is you can still operate that circuit on the inverter when it happens, but of course the batteries will not get charged.

1. The wire is too small for the current draw.2. Wire nut; another problem area use crimped splices.

1. The Wire Nut is not the correct gauge for the amp connection2. The 2 wires are NOT tight in the wire nut and are slightly loose and that cause minor arcing and heat build up on high amp current draws. Which gets worse as the wires get hot and more loose until it melts the wire nut. Make sure you strip back the burnt wires until you get good clean shiny copper. Doug

You ARE using the inverter when plugged in to shore power. It is called pass thru current and it will trip the circuit breakers on the inverter if you exceed the limits.

I thought the wire nut might be one of the problems. But, that's what they put on it when it was installed at the factory. The xantrex itself has no. 10 wire in it. I think no. 10 romex is usually orange and if that's the case that's what's going into it on both of our units. I think also one of the problems might be that the wire in the inverter is stranded and the romex of course is solid. Not good for a wire nut either.

rgatijnet1 wrote:You ARE using the inverter when plugged in to shore power. It is called pass thru current and it will trip the circuit breakers on the inverter if you exceed the limits.I knew the current went through the inverter when on shore power. If you do the wiring yourself that is quite evident. The breakers on the inverter did not trip. In fact no breaker on the motorhome tripped. In order to remedy the problem temporarily I just pulled in wires and the out wires and connected them together and bypassed the inverted. But, before we leave to go back up north I want to wire it back up properly. I think the remedy will be the crimp typed connectors.

xantrex freedom 458 inverter problems | Good Sam Community

12 Replies

n4hwl
Explorer
Feb 20, 2016
On the connector that is getting hot do this. Why don't you clean those 2 wires real good, twist them together just like you were going to use wire nuts and solder those wires together before you put that big wire nut on. I believe that would give you a better connection.

Ken
nemo45
Explorer
Feb 14, 2016
msturtz wrote:
Depending on where the inverter is installed it may be due corrosion if it is in an outside bay it may be subject to humidity that can cause the wire nut to corrode which increases the impeadance. This increased impeadance creates heat. The solution is dielectric grease. That will solve the problem.

I ordered butt connectors with heat shrink on the ends and I have a tube of dielectric grease. I think these will take care of the problem.
JR45
Explorer
Feb 14, 2016
We had a 2003 Alpenlite 5re and while setting in the driveway one winter with just a heater running our xantrex freedom 458 inverter went out, the wire nuts came loose got hot and went up in smoke. I removed the inverter then cut back all burned wire (about 2" left) got some heavy duty butt connectors and rewired it, better than factory.
When I had my Xantrex 458 removed and the Magnum 2812 installed in my coach, I made sure everything was installed right.
JR
msturtz
Explorer
Feb 14, 2016
Depending on where the inverter is installed it may be due corrosion if it is in an outside bay it may be subject to humidity that can cause the wire nut to corrode which increases the impeadance. This increased impeadance creates heat. The solution is dielectric grease. That will solve the problem.
nemo45
Explorer
Feb 14, 2016
hershey wrote:
nemo45 wrote:
rgatijnet1 wrote:
You ARE using the inverter when plugged in to shore power. It is called pass thru current and it will trip the circuit breakers on the inverter if you exceed the limits.

I knew the current went through the inverter when on shore power. If you do the wiring yourself that is quite evident. The breakers on the inverter did not trip. In fact no breaker on the motorhome tripped. In order to remedy the problem temporarily I just pulled in wires and the out wires and connected them together and bypassed the inverted. But, before we leave to go back up north I want to wire it back up properly. I think the remedy will be the crimp typed connectors.
You know that by doing this, there is no fused protection in that circuit except for the shorepower breaker.

That is not true. There is a 30amp breaker on that whole inverter circuit and each of those outlets in that inverter circuit are on a 15 or 20 amp breaker.
hershey
Explorer
Feb 13, 2016
nemo45 wrote:
rgatijnet1 wrote:
You ARE using the inverter when plugged in to shore power. It is called pass thru current and it will trip the circuit breakers on the inverter if you exceed the limits.

I knew the current went through the inverter when on shore power. If you do the wiring yourself that is quite evident. The breakers on the inverter did not trip. In fact no breaker on the motorhome tripped. In order to remedy the problem temporarily I just pulled in wires and the out wires and connected them together and bypassed the inverted. But, before we leave to go back up north I want to wire it back up properly. I think the remedy will be the crimp typed connectors.
You know that by doing this, there is no fused protection in that circuit except for the shorepower breaker.
MrWizard
Moderator
Feb 13, 2016
Most likely the wire nut is not 30 amp rated
nemo45
Explorer
Feb 13, 2016
rgatijnet1 wrote:
You ARE using the inverter when plugged in to shore power. It is called pass thru current and it will trip the circuit breakers on the inverter if you exceed the limits.

I knew the current went through the inverter when on shore power. If you do the wiring yourself that is quite evident. The breakers on the inverter did not trip. In fact no breaker on the motorhome tripped. In order to remedy the problem temporarily I just pulled in wires and the out wires and connected them together and bypassed the inverted. But, before we leave to go back up north I want to wire it back up properly. I think the remedy will be the crimp typed connectors.
nemo45
Explorer
Feb 13, 2016
I thought the wire nut might be one of the problems. But, that's what they put on it when it was installed at the factory. The xantrex itself has no. 10 wire in it. I think no. 10 romex is usually orange and if that's the case that's what's going into it on both of our units. I think also one of the problems might be that the wire in the inverter is stranded and the romex of course is solid. Not good for a wire nut either.
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Feb 13, 2016
You ARE using the inverter when plugged in to shore power. It is called pass thru current and it will trip the circuit breakers on the inverter if you exceed the limits.