Generator voltage and 12V system fluctuations
Recently noticed the 12V lights flickering in our 2003 Dolphin. Used this as an excuse to upgrade the converter to a Boondocker 4 stage unit thinking our old Magnetek was going out. Also replaced ou...
Forum Discussion
Matt_Colie wrote:
Willie,
Unless you have a house electrical system that is very different than anything I have seen either in boats or RVs, the AC power (be it from the genset (APU) or shore power has almost nothing to do with the things like lights and pumps that are run on the DC power.
Yes, problems with the batteries and converter could possibly be it, but you did the right thing there.
You say flickering, but you don't say if that flicker is connected to anything else that might be happening. If it continues after you have checked/cleaned/tightened all the connections you can find, then go looking to a load that has activity that is sort of connected to the flicker. I had to solve a problem for an owner once that though he had a random flicker, but when I sat there long enough, I realized that it happened every time his reefer kicked in. I was electric, but it was have a bad time starting and drew down the power when it did.
Matt
Gensets can have Frequency or fluctuating AC voltage when malfunctioning. THAT will cause problems with a Power Converter DC system in an RV. The Converter DC output will go up and down if the AC voltage is also going up and down. I would suspect a FREQUENCY (Htz) problem with the Genset which is directly rated to the LOW voltage the OP states. His Onan should have a NO LOAD AC voltage of 126 to 132 volts. NOT below that. The NO Load Voltage and he should have 60 Htz, which I will bet he does NOT have. The bad Htz will cause the DC flickering. Doug
