Ultraheat Tank Heater Pad Issue
My converter fan is running continuously when I switch on my 2 forward UltraheatTH-624 heat pads. When only middle TH-1218Ultraheat and rear TH-624Ultraheat heat pads are on the inverter fan does not run.
The 2 front tank heat pads are switched on by one red lighted interior switch and middle and rear tank heat pads are on the other red lighted switch mounted top and bottom on wall in kitchen area at rear of trailer. The converter is located near middle of 33' 2005 Dutchman Colorado by Thor trailer. All 4 tank's heat pads have been on for three days with no change. Ultraheat pads are engineered to turn on at 44* and off at 64* allowing tollerances of plus or minus 10* which seems excessive to me.
AC plugged in and have underbelly down.
So far have:
1. Removed small patch of paint from frame and reattached main grounding wiring lugs, cleaned and tightened all grounding contact points.
2. Swapped red lighted interior on/off tank heat pad switches. Each switch operates 2 tank heaters. Top Switch Grey#1 and Black tanks. Lower Switch Fresh Water and Grey#2 tanks.
3. I have cut the hot wires to each mis-behaving TH-624Ultraheat Pad on forward Grey#1 and Black tanks and done many 12volt attached and detached on/off testings. Converter fan runs at the same speed whether only forward Grey#1 TH-624Ultraheat Pad is operating, or only second tank back Black Water TH-624Ultraheat Pad is operating, or when both Grey#1 and Black Water UltraheatTH-624 heating pads operate together simultaneously.
4. Volt readings taken while checking wiring at each tank for 12 Volt power: Grey#1(11.8 volts), Black Water(11.8 volts), Fresh Water(12.6 volts), Grey#2 (12.8 volts)
5. Tank Temperatures front to back taken with Infrared Thermometer when outside temperature is 38* to 44*
#1 Grey TH-624 Ultraheat Pad: 59*, Outside of Tank 43*
Black Water TH-624 Ultraheat Pad 71*, Outside of Tank 44*
Fresh Water TH-1218 Ultraheat Pad 56*, Outside of Tank 46*
#2 Grey TH-624 Ultraheat Pad 48*, Outside of Tank 44*
Converter fan also runs continulosly at temperatures 44* and up when two front heat pads switched on.
Suggestion from Ultraheat and RV shop was to run new 12 gauge wiring from 2 forward TH-634 Ultraheat Pads to upper switch. Reasoning being there might be resistance build up in long wire runs. Would this really work and be worth the effort? Would be very difficult to run wire as present wire from switches is incased inside of wall between Refrigerator and Gas Stove inside inaccessible black plastic flexible split loom tubing. All wire appears to be 14 gauge and OEM which I would think was designed to be sufficient to operate all Ultraheat pads together when trailer was built. Running new wire would require having to do some (most likely) very difficult wire fishing. Going to try by-passing switch and temporary hard wire 2 front heat pads directly to converter and see what happens.
As RV store pointed out, if boon docking in freezing temperatures with front 2 Heating Pads running continuously on batteries, charge would drain down quite quickly.
Any suggestions or ideas appreciated.
The 2 front tank heat pads are switched on by one red lighted interior switch and middle and rear tank heat pads are on the other red lighted switch mounted top and bottom on wall in kitchen area at rear of trailer. The converter is located near middle of 33' 2005 Dutchman Colorado by Thor trailer. All 4 tank's heat pads have been on for three days with no change. Ultraheat pads are engineered to turn on at 44* and off at 64* allowing tollerances of plus or minus 10* which seems excessive to me.
AC plugged in and have underbelly down.
So far have:
1. Removed small patch of paint from frame and reattached main grounding wiring lugs, cleaned and tightened all grounding contact points.
2. Swapped red lighted interior on/off tank heat pad switches. Each switch operates 2 tank heaters. Top Switch Grey#1 and Black tanks. Lower Switch Fresh Water and Grey#2 tanks.
3. I have cut the hot wires to each mis-behaving TH-624Ultraheat Pad on forward Grey#1 and Black tanks and done many 12volt attached and detached on/off testings. Converter fan runs at the same speed whether only forward Grey#1 TH-624Ultraheat Pad is operating, or only second tank back Black Water TH-624Ultraheat Pad is operating, or when both Grey#1 and Black Water UltraheatTH-624 heating pads operate together simultaneously.
4. Volt readings taken while checking wiring at each tank for 12 Volt power: Grey#1(11.8 volts), Black Water(11.8 volts), Fresh Water(12.6 volts), Grey#2 (12.8 volts)
5. Tank Temperatures front to back taken with Infrared Thermometer when outside temperature is 38* to 44*
#1 Grey TH-624 Ultraheat Pad: 59*, Outside of Tank 43*
Black Water TH-624 Ultraheat Pad 71*, Outside of Tank 44*
Fresh Water TH-1218 Ultraheat Pad 56*, Outside of Tank 46*
#2 Grey TH-624 Ultraheat Pad 48*, Outside of Tank 44*
Converter fan also runs continulosly at temperatures 44* and up when two front heat pads switched on.
Suggestion from Ultraheat and RV shop was to run new 12 gauge wiring from 2 forward TH-634 Ultraheat Pads to upper switch. Reasoning being there might be resistance build up in long wire runs. Would this really work and be worth the effort? Would be very difficult to run wire as present wire from switches is incased inside of wall between Refrigerator and Gas Stove inside inaccessible black plastic flexible split loom tubing. All wire appears to be 14 gauge and OEM which I would think was designed to be sufficient to operate all Ultraheat pads together when trailer was built. Running new wire would require having to do some (most likely) very difficult wire fishing. Going to try by-passing switch and temporary hard wire 2 front heat pads directly to converter and see what happens.
As RV store pointed out, if boon docking in freezing temperatures with front 2 Heating Pads running continuously on batteries, charge would drain down quite quickly.
Any suggestions or ideas appreciated.
