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BobnSofi's avatar
BobnSofi
Explorer
May 27, 2014

Converter !!! LOADING UP GENY !!! WFCO WF-8875

Hi All

In recent months we would run our 1996 Onan 5500 Marquis Gold

at about 5-10 mins it would !!! LOAD UP !!!

LOAD UP... DEATH LOAD UP... STRUGGLE TO STAY ALIVE LOAD UP

I thought it was a spun bearing in the geny armature, that would grind once hot

We have been turning off breakers, and we ran both a/c units for 20min... thus a HEAVY LOAD...

NOTHING... NO GENY DEATH LOAD

We have a WFCO WF-8875

It has been a GREAT CONVERTER... PUMPS UP THE HOUSE BATTERIES GREAT

Just ran it solo... Yep, it stops charging and loads the geny up

The WFCO WF-8875 is on a 15 amp breaker... A wimpy 15amp breaker

Have any of you ever heard of anything like this?

8 Replies

  • RJsfishin's avatar
    RJsfishin
    Explorer
    May 27, 2014
    He said that he ran the 15 amp circuit solo, (doesn't that mean by it self?) and it fully loads the 5500 watt genset.
  • MrWizard's avatar
    MrWizard
    Moderator
    May 27, 2014
    Water heater electric element, plus full charge from converter could be close to 3000 watts and are on different circuit breakers in your distribution panel, but all are on the same leg/winding of the Onan
    The a/c will be on the other winding/leg
    Trying to power everything but the A/C can be too much for that one winding

    And yes the converter or batteries could be bad
    You need to test
    Turn off water heater, turn off fridge, the try converter
  • Hurricaner's avatar
    Hurricaner
    Explorer
    May 27, 2014
    It might be possible for the converters power factor to have gotten worse than it already is. The WFCO converter like many switching converters has a really lousy power factor which effects non inverter gens. Normally it is not a problem but perhaps in your case either the converter has gotten worse or for some reason the gen is more susceptible to the problem. I don't think you have much of a choice here but to replace the converter. In your case I would replace it with a converter that is power factor corrected.

    Sam
  • RJsfishin's avatar
    RJsfishin
    Explorer
    May 27, 2014
    What you're saying is impossible,.....I don't care if a whole city is on that circuit,......a 15 amp breaker cannot overload a 5500w generator.
    Try again.
  • MrWizard's avatar
    MrWizard
    Moderator
    May 27, 2014
    You can run the A/C but you can't run the WFCO converter,
    And the breaker does not trip ?
    You need to try a portable generator plugged into shore cord for testing and comparison purposes

    NOT SHORE POWER. ...You need to test with limited power so as to not burn down the RV

    What else is on that circuit

    One breaker on generator supplies whole RV except a/C
    Other breaker on generator supplies only the A/C

    Sounds to me like you are trying to run wh..fridge..And converter at same time, batteries are low or bad too much power draw for that circuit from.generator
  • hmknightnc's avatar
    hmknightnc
    Explorer
    May 27, 2014
    smkettner wrote:
    Stops charging and loads up the generator? 1000+ watts of heat in the small box should release smoke in a minute or less. Must be something else going on.

    Are you sure the battery is OK?
    Does the generator run the electric water heat OK?

    Could it be a fuel filter?


    X2. You'd smoke that converter in a matter of minutes or trip the circuit breaker
  • time2roll's avatar
    time2roll
    Nomad
    May 27, 2014
    Stops charging and loads up the generator? 1000+ watts of heat in the small box should release smoke in a minute or less. Must be something else going on.

    Are you sure the battery is OK?
    Does the generator run the electric water heat OK?

    Could it be a fuel filter?
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    May 27, 2014
    15A circuit S/B fine as it only draws 13A (or roughly 1300 watts).

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