How do you handle bad campgound power

rk911 wrote:
I ALWAYS check voltage AND polarity before plugging in. afterwards I depend on our Progressive surge protector to protect us. and inside the coach I have a Good Governor voltage/polarity/cycle meter plugged into an AC outlet which constantly monitors the state of our electric hookup.

For greater convenience I built this dongle so I can quickly check the campsite source for errors with a Prime Products AC Line Meter before plugging in.



Inside the camper I've used a Kill-a-Watt meter to monitor incoming voltage but now prefer using my Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C Monitor Panel to keep an eye on incoming source voltage, confident the EMS will shut off the incoming source if it falls out of spec.

TyroneandGladys wrote:

2gypsies wrote:
We wouldn't plug in. We'd ask for a refund and find another park or else wouldn't use the electric. Why would you risk damage?

X2
Yes you check the voltage and it might only be 5 volts over when you plug in but what will the voltage be later. Checking voltage only protects you that very second. Unless you are going to to stand by the pedestal staring at the meter ready to unplug if voltage goes up or down meters are no protection.

no, they're not but checking voltage AND polarity before plugging in is prudent. can something go wrong afterwards? sure it can and that's where a surge protector can protect you. remember, a tire can go flat 5-mins after checking. doesn't mean you don't at least occasionally check your tire pressure before taking off.

us? I ALWAYS check voltage AND polarity before plugging in. afterwards I depend on our Progressive surge protector to protect us. and inside the coach I have a Good Governor voltage/polarity/cycle meter plugged into an AC outlet which constantly monitors the state of our electric hookup.

2gypsies wrote:
We wouldn't plug in. We'd ask for a refund and find another park or else wouldn't use the electric. Why would you risk damage?

X2
Yes you check the voltage and it might only be 5 volts over when you plug in but what will the voltage be later. Checking voltage only protects you that very second. Unless you are going to to stand by the pedestal staring at the meter ready to unplug if voltage goes up or down meters are no protection.

westend wrote:
Typical utility voltage standard is +,- 5 percent. 5 percent of 120V is 6 V.

This is correct - normally. Utility company nominal voltage throughout North America is 120 volts. Always. Voltage must comply with the ANSI C84.1 standard. Discusion by PG&E here. Utility company service voltage should normally be +/- 5 percent (114-126), but utilization voltage is allowed to be as much as +6 to -13 percent (104.4-127.2). "Service" voltage is what the utility company provides to your property and "utilization" voltage is what you get at the point of use after voltage drop is included as allowed by the NEC.

If OP is talking about 5 volts over 120, that is nothing to worry about. If that is with no load plugged in yet (open circuit voltage), it may go down a little or a lot depending on how the CG/RV park is wired. An EMS should not shut down at 125 volts. NEMA says that appliances should be able to operate between +/- 10 percent on nominal (120) volts. Note that a PI EMS unit won't shut you down until at 132 volts. Perhaps a PI EMS range of 104 to 132 volts may come from the min. allowable from ANSI/NEC of 104.4 volts and max. NEMA figure of +10 percent?

Sometimes voltage can deliberately be set high to compensate for a change from lightly loaded to heavily loaded conditions such as in rural areas with long runs or seasonal facilities like CGs. Low voltage is the usual issue in a CG and is relatively common, esp. in the summertime.

It is a good idea to have a plug-in or hardwired voltmeter in your RV. Some will even use a voltmeter at a pedestal before plugging in which is a good thing to do if you don't have an EMS unit. Some CGs have poor or outdated wiring and the voltage may *seem* okay or high at first but once you add load, it can take a nosedive. The NEC has a lot to do with this as the min. wiring requirements are way behind today's RV power demands.

Maybe OP plugged in after someone in a previous post said to just go ahead and plug in and his rig either blew up or he got electrocuted...

SCVJeff wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

Art Davis wrote:
Hmmm. Three pages about a non issue! Five volts over nominal (as others have mentioned) is well within tolerance for any reasonably well designed electrical appliance.

Perhaps you should re-read those 3 pages you're complaining about :R ... the OP never mentioned the voltage so we have no idea whether that +5 volts was over a nominal 120 vac or 5 volts over 130 volts or whatever. :)

Eggzactly

Kinda have the feeling the OP hasn't returned, 'cause he has no idea what the voltage was!..:R

~

SoundGuy wrote:

Art Davis wrote:
Hmmm. Three pages about a non issue! Five volts over nominal (as others have mentioned) is well within tolerance for any reasonably well designed electrical appliance.

Perhaps you should re-read those 3 pages you're complaining about :R ... the OP never mentioned the voltage so we have no idea whether that +5 volts was over a nominal 120 vac or 5 volts over 130 volts or whatever. :)

Eggzactly

OP is gone, and apparently doesn't own a voltmeter.

Art Davis wrote:
Hmmm. Three pages about a non issue! Five volts over nominal (as others have mentioned) is well within tolerance for any reasonably well designed electrical appliance.

Perhaps you should re-read those 3 pages you're complaining about :R ... the OP never mentioned the voltage so we have no idea whether that +5 volts was over a nominal 120 vac or 5 volts over 130 volts or whatever. :)

Hmmm. Three pages about a non issue! Five volts over nominal (as others have mentioned) is well within tolerance for any reasonably well designed electrical appliance.

I guess the OP didn't like answers.
OP didn't want to post what voltage he was reading.