upgrading power converter
My power converter has apparently bit the dust, lights flickering for past couple of years now no charge to batteries... Anyhoo, we do a lot of dry camping, where we need to daily boost the batteries...
Forum Discussion
BFL13 wrote:TnTtravelers wrote:2oldman wrote:
The owner's manual for the converter will state what wire size is required.
Okay, thanks, I'll have to go looking for the manual. Hopefully Keystone did in fact add that information.
BTW, the only wire of concern would be the wire from shore power plug to converter, right?
The wire that matters is your positive DC path from converter (DC fuse panel battery lugs) to the battery. That wire will be #8 for a 55amp converter, unless it is extra long routed and they made it a #6 for at least some of the way (which they did on ours)
the negative DC path will be via the trailer's frame so it can take lots of amps.
The 120v wire for the input to the converter only matters if you have to go from 15a to a 20a circuit, such as when you go to a higher amp converter that is not PF corrected. Somewhere around 70 amps non-PF corrected, on up, you need a 20a circuit
I just bared the weather and went out to look at the wires (now am wet :) ). It looks like a #8 to me, though I'm not an electrician. Saw no identifiers on the wires but figure it to be a #8. The wire is completely accessible so I could change it to a larger size if necessary. The wire is probably 20 feet long. Can I go to a larger converter if I change out this wire to a #6 or maybe #4, or is there something else I would need to change as well? I was thinking 70 amps.
I think I am understanding correctly, that a larger unit will in fact charge faster? I seem to be perceiving varying answers on this, if I'm reading correctly.
