Two breakers in the equation. 15 amp breaker runs the refrigerator outlet. Another 15 amp breaker runs the microwave. The refrigerator breaker trips occasionally when running the microwave. Messed around with the breakers and here is where it gets weird. The refrigerator breaker feeds the microwave breaker somehow. If the refrigerator breaker is off, the microwave breaker doesn't supply power to the microwave when you flip the breaker on. How is this even possible?

Trail, How many breakers do you have? Are they in a distribution panel? Is the unit a 30Amp service? I think something is seriously screwed up, but I sure can't tell from here exactly what it is. Matt

Sounds like someone was trying to connect two 15 amp breakers to make it 30 amps, but wired them in series.

You need to expose the breakers by removing the cover plate. OK, now look at the black wires going into the bottom of each breaker. Sometimes there will be two black wires going to a breaker, so it "shares" circuits.If that is what is going on here, you can snip black wires and shuffle which goes to which breaker to achieve a more happy combo.The OEM labelling as to what breaker does what cannot be trusted---verify, and re-label as required

It is a 30 amp sub panel fed from the inverter. I already took the cover off and verified that each breaker is wired to it's own separate romex. Once those romex leave the box I have no idea what happens down the line.

trailrider wrote:It is a 30 amp sub panel fed from the inverter. I already took the cover off and verified that each breaker is wired to it's own separate romex. Once those romex leave the box I have no idea what happens down the line."Verify" means turn everything off and see what works and doesn't work when you turn on each breaker. Takes a few minutes. Take notes each time. You could be surprised! :( (Trust but Verify!!!!)

120 Volt Breaker Issue | Good Sam Community

26 Replies

enblethen
Nomad
Dec 05, 2016
Look for the larger #10 wire coming from the shore power cord. Many go to the screw terminal on a 30 amp breaker. This feeds the rest of the breaker via the buss work.
The screw terminals on the 15 amp breakers feed the device/receptacle.
I am guessing that some one replaced the 30 amp breaker with a fifteen amp.
BFL13
Explorer II
Dec 05, 2016
trailrider wrote:
It is a 30 amp sub panel fed from the inverter. I already took the cover off and verified that each breaker is wired to it's own separate romex. Once those romex leave the box I have no idea what happens down the line.

"Verify" means turn everything off and see what works and doesn't work when you turn on each breaker. Takes a few minutes. Take notes each time. You could be surprised! :( (Trust but Verify!!!!)
trailrider
Explorer
Dec 05, 2016
It is a 30 amp sub panel fed from the inverter. I already took the cover off and verified that each breaker is wired to it's own separate romex. Once those romex leave the box I have no idea what happens down the line.
BFL13
Explorer II
Dec 05, 2016
You need to expose the breakers by removing the cover plate. OK, now look at the black wires going into the bottom of each breaker. Sometimes there will be two black wires going to a breaker, so it "shares" circuits.

If that is what is going on here, you can snip black wires and shuffle which goes to which breaker to achieve a more happy combo.

The OEM labelling as to what breaker does what cannot be trusted---verify, and re-label as required
Boon_Docker
Explorer III
Dec 05, 2016
Sounds like someone was trying to connect two 15 amp breakers to make it 30 amps, but wired them in series.
Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Dec 05, 2016
Trail,

How many breakers do you have?
Are they in a distribution panel?
Is the unit a 30Amp service?

I think something is seriously screwed up, but I sure can't tell from here exactly what it is.

Matt

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120 Volt Breaker Issue

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