Hi,For years I've been using double conversion to power my RV when there is limited shore power. I had a 2500 watt Cobra MSW inverter.Tonight, because a GFI on the house shore power was tripping, I decided to plug in the 9100 PD9140A and then use the Magnum 3000 inverter to power one dedicated outlet in the kitchen.Initially it worked as it did with my old MSW Cobra. But that didn't last. I think (too dark to see) that the reverse polarity fuses on the 9100 PD9140A have blown. I'll dig into this tomorrow.The Magnum was not connected to shore power. I did not have the RV shore power connected to it.If it is the fuses then I am thinking I will replace them with manual reset circuit breakers.

I think resettable CBs take a lot longer to blow than fuses. Not sure if they will offer the same protection.

Don,A fuse will always blow around it's rated amperage. A circuit breaker 'should' trip within a few minutes if slightly overloaded, and few seconds if highly overloaded, but sometimes a circuit breaker will fuse together if the arking to open the contacts is extreme, and it will never trip again.That is why I like to know that I have fuses when working with 480 volts, not a circuit breaker. The auto reset circuit breakers are not all that precise. Manual trippable and manual reset circuit breaker like found on my work truck to power the Tommy Lift are higher quality devices, much more expensive than the typical RV stuff. My guess? If you are in a RV park, perhaps the receptacle is wired backwards? That would explain both tripping the GFI and not allowing the converter / charger to work to keep your battery full while using your inverter.My inverter is a Trace Marine inverter/charger, and it has a relay that bonds neutral to ground. If your inverter is like this one, it probably will trip a GFI. My RV, when new, the portable GFI would trip if I plugged in the RV. SO I found that the battery charger was causing the RV to trip the GFI. Then I installed the inverter/charger, and could not use the portable GFI anymore.Good luck, hopefully daylight will allow you to discover the problems!Fred.

I would replace with same. If they open again find the issue over putting a penny in it.

Hi Fred and smk,I'm urban docking. The house shore power has gfi.A work around, if I can get the converter going again, would be to disconnect the converter before I use the inverter.I'll replace the fuses after I test them. I hope I have not blown the converter.

PTAs the others stated It's a VERY BAD idea to replace fuses with breakers on the converter Those two fuses are connected in parallel with each other and then in series with the converter output stage protecting the unit from both external reverse polarity and a load short circuit Send me a PM if you find the converter to have issuesLast I looked I believe I have several of the PD 91-- units w/ charge wizards around here

double conversion problems | Good Sam Community

22 Replies

Golden_HVAC
Explorer
Mar 31, 2015
Don,

A fuse will always blow around it's rated amperage. A circuit breaker 'should' trip within a few minutes if slightly overloaded, and few seconds if highly overloaded, but sometimes a circuit breaker will fuse together if the arking to open the contacts is extreme, and it will never trip again.

That is why I like to know that I have fuses when working with 480 volts, not a circuit breaker.

The auto reset circuit breakers are not all that precise. Manual trippable and manual reset circuit breaker like found on my work truck to power the Tommy Lift are higher quality devices, much more expensive than the typical RV stuff.

My guess? If you are in a RV park, perhaps the receptacle is wired backwards? That would explain both tripping the GFI and not allowing the converter / charger to work to keep your battery full while using your inverter.

My inverter is a Trace Marine inverter/charger, and it has a relay that bonds neutral to ground. If your inverter is like this one, it probably will trip a GFI.

My RV, when new, the portable GFI would trip if I plugged in the RV. SO I found that the battery charger was causing the RV to trip the GFI. Then I installed the inverter/charger, and could not use the portable GFI anymore.

Good luck, hopefully daylight will allow you to discover the problems!

Fred.
Big_Katuna
Explorer II
Mar 31, 2015
I think resettable CBs take a lot longer to blow than fuses. Not sure if they will offer the same protection.

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double conversion problems

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