Keeps kicking breaker..

Hi, just bought an new toy hauler today and decided to chime in.

Im an industrial electrician, started from resi and commercial. 120v circuits, especially on GFCI has stumped even the most competent electricians. A GFCI senses power leaving the breaker and the power returning on the neutral and if it is off by .8 amps, it will trip.

That being said, the water heater appears to be your problem, simple check, get an ohm meter, any one will do. Disconnect water heater and put your ohm meter where the wires would be landed on the water heater.

You should read something, I'm guessing in the neighborhood of 50 ohms. If you read open, your heating element is open and needs replaced. If it reads 0 or fairly close, you have a short between the element and it has to be replaced.

It may not trip the breaker with no gfci protection because the short circuit is being bleed off to ground, however if you lose your ground for whatever reason, you will have potential running through the water! Meaning you could be electrocuted. Water and electricity don't mix well!

Try ohming the water heater, I have seen many fail open or short. Let me know what you read in ohms. Also look on the water heater nameplate and post that. I can figure out exactly what you should be reading by watts alone, but may include ohms on nameplate. Good luck!

ronixrider82 wrote:
It is a suburban hot water heater. Took it to the dealer and they couldn't find it.. Guess I will have to take it to another one. But if you turn anything on or put a load on the plug it will kick it.

Unfortunately many RV dealers do not have a good electrician. And electricians are not familiar enough with RVs.

Might try a mobil service tech but check that he is good at finding a ground fault in the 120v system before he come out. You don't want to pay for three hours work to find nothing.

To find the issue they need to isolate each branch to determine where the problem is. Then isolate the components on that branch to find the issue.

ronixrider82 wrote:
It is a suburban hot water heater. Took it to the dealer and they couldn't find it.. Guess I will have to take it to another one. But if you turn anything on or put a load on the plug it will kick it.

Where is Shepherdsville ?

It would be fairly easy to find if a knowledgeable person took a methodical approach to tracking it down.

My Weekend Warrior had a ground fault from the factory. It took me about two hours work to isolate the problem to a wire in the ceiling that had a staple through it.

It is a suburban hot water heater. Took it to the dealer and they couldn't find it.. Guess I will have to take it to another one. But if you turn anything on or put a load on the plug it will kick it.

OK, I'll bite

I have a 93 Pace Arrow Diesel Pusher (for Sale). It's 50 amp.

Pulled into CG with 20amp GFI outlet. EVERY time I plugged my coach in the GFI would trip on the pedistal. I shut off ALL 120v breakers......Still tripping the GFI when I plugged in!

Got really tweaked and was determined to find the culprit!

removed the cover on the LARGE Xfer switch.

Would disconnect a load, plug in. If the GFI tripped I would reconnect the load & move to te next.

FOUND IT!

I traced the line/load that was tripping the GFI and found a 120VDC cut out relay. The purpose of this relay was to dis-connect the forward AC from the 120VAC panel when the inverter is running. Basically, prevents the ibverter from trying to run the front AC.

As most of you know, you can't run a DC relay with AC power, the relay will chatter & heatup. Don't know why a DC relay was used...

To smooth out the AC, a 1/2 wave rectifier (two diodes & capacator). I believe it was the capacitor, about the size of my pinkey! When 1st plugged in that capacitor would charge, this was tripping the GFI!!!!!

What I did to correct is install a FULL WAVE rectifier (just 4 diodes)

did not spell check! LOL


Issue Resolved.

I see the gremlin hunt is still going.
What brand and model number is the Electric/Gas WaterHeater you have in this Trailer?

You need a competent electrician to repair your RV electrical system.

I have no generator in the camper.... I was testing the receptacles that are tied into the converter which is on the GEN breaker...