A Thank You to the members about low voltage
This weekend I went to a campground that I have never been to before. After plugging in my 30 amp plug into the outlet and turning on the Air Conditioner I took a glance at my cheap voltage gauge that...
Forum Discussion
Checking a pedestal's voltage before plugging in or even backing into a site is not a bad idea but realize that you're testing open circuit voltage and it could drop out of sight with a load on it. Low voltage is common, esp. during the summer heat and in older CGs (due to how they used to wire them).
If you travel around to unfamiliar CGs, an EMS is a highly valuable tool to protect your AC unit and other components automatically against low voltage as well as other potential issues like open ground, open neutral, reverse polarity, etc.
A permanently mounted voltmeter inside is also a very good thing to have. Not only for when you first hook up, but to monitor it during the day. Voltage can look good when you arrive, but go up & down over 24 hours like a yo-yo in some cases. If you had an autoformer, you might decide you should hook it up at some point. I installed an LED voltmeter and also an ammeter at the entry door and find them very useful.
Low voltage could also be an indication of a bad connection at the pedestal that should be checked. If you can't move to another site, you might need to keep loads to an absolute min. to reduce chances of a meltdown.
When voltage gets low, the performance of resistive appliances like toasters, coffee makers, etc. and even the fridge can suffer and you can lose 25% of their rating at 105 volts. If your fridge doesn't seem to be cooling enough, it could simply be the voltage.
Worst voltage I've seen was 106 volts before turning anything on. Just the current draw from the converter/charger was enough to push the voltage below 104 volts and the EMS shut us down. Tried 2 more pedestals and same thing. Moved to a section with new electrical and 50 amps and had rock solid 120 volts. The EMS also detected an open ground. Cr*p wiring at that CG for sure!
If you travel around to unfamiliar CGs, an EMS is a highly valuable tool to protect your AC unit and other components automatically against low voltage as well as other potential issues like open ground, open neutral, reverse polarity, etc.
A permanently mounted voltmeter inside is also a very good thing to have. Not only for when you first hook up, but to monitor it during the day. Voltage can look good when you arrive, but go up & down over 24 hours like a yo-yo in some cases. If you had an autoformer, you might decide you should hook it up at some point. I installed an LED voltmeter and also an ammeter at the entry door and find them very useful.
Low voltage could also be an indication of a bad connection at the pedestal that should be checked. If you can't move to another site, you might need to keep loads to an absolute min. to reduce chances of a meltdown.
When voltage gets low, the performance of resistive appliances like toasters, coffee makers, etc. and even the fridge can suffer and you can lose 25% of their rating at 105 volts. If your fridge doesn't seem to be cooling enough, it could simply be the voltage.
Worst voltage I've seen was 106 volts before turning anything on. Just the current draw from the converter/charger was enough to push the voltage below 104 volts and the EMS shut us down. Tried 2 more pedestals and same thing. Moved to a section with new electrical and 50 amps and had rock solid 120 volts. The EMS also detected an open ground. Cr*p wiring at that CG for sure!
