Fixing AC polarity issues.
I acknowledge that many of you will never have the need to do a modification like this one to your TC. If you only connect to mains power at your home or at an established RV park, you will most likely be connecting to a correctly wired (30A) electrical outlet.
However, in my case, I never-ever stay in RV parks or campgrounds and I get my AC power when and where I can find it. In addition, my TC's mains power cord has been modified and now has a NEMA 5-15 plug on it, rather than a traditional 30A RV plug. For example' A few weeks ago it we stayed at a rustic site at Lake Santa Margarita park (near San Luis Obispo, CA,) and last week we camped at a private summer camp near Guernville, CA... at both locations the electrical outlets ware incorrectly wired with a hot/neutral reverse. As it turns out, about one-third of the places where I choose to use mains power the outlets are incorrectly wired, and my beeping inverter and AC circuit tester are quick to point out the problem to me.
For the past year or so I have been remedying the issue by manually re-wiring a small jumper-cord between the outlets and my mains plug. However I have finally had enough of this wiring and re-wiring and I decided to fix the issue in a way that was easiest for me.... So I installed a 20A double-pole double-pole switch (in place of my previous single-pole-single throw switch) so that I can now correct polarity issues from inside the TC. In addition, I installed an AC polarity tester at the switch location so that I can verify polarity before closing the switch.
Here's a few photos of the install:
Switch is a Hubbel HBL1386I
Drilling switch wall plate to accept neon indicator lamps
Indicator lamps installed
Circuit board assembly
Final switch and polarity indicator assembly. Switch UP is normal polarity and Switch DOWN corrects a hot/neutral reverse condition. The center position is off.
Of course this type of polarity test lamp cannot test for all wiring issues. For example, it cannot detect a bootleg ground (nor a reverse bootleg ground), but that is a much more uncommon situation than a hot/neutral reverse or a floating neutral/ground.
Cheers,
-Mark
However, in my case, I never-ever stay in RV parks or campgrounds and I get my AC power when and where I can find it. In addition, my TC's mains power cord has been modified and now has a NEMA 5-15 plug on it, rather than a traditional 30A RV plug. For example' A few weeks ago it we stayed at a rustic site at Lake Santa Margarita park (near San Luis Obispo, CA,) and last week we camped at a private summer camp near Guernville, CA... at both locations the electrical outlets ware incorrectly wired with a hot/neutral reverse. As it turns out, about one-third of the places where I choose to use mains power the outlets are incorrectly wired, and my beeping inverter and AC circuit tester are quick to point out the problem to me.
For the past year or so I have been remedying the issue by manually re-wiring a small jumper-cord between the outlets and my mains plug. However I have finally had enough of this wiring and re-wiring and I decided to fix the issue in a way that was easiest for me.... So I installed a 20A double-pole double-pole switch (in place of my previous single-pole-single throw switch) so that I can now correct polarity issues from inside the TC. In addition, I installed an AC polarity tester at the switch location so that I can verify polarity before closing the switch.
Here's a few photos of the install:
Switch is a Hubbel HBL1386I
Drilling switch wall plate to accept neon indicator lamps
Indicator lamps installed
Circuit board assembly
Final switch and polarity indicator assembly. Switch UP is normal polarity and Switch DOWN corrects a hot/neutral reverse condition. The center position is off.
Of course this type of polarity test lamp cannot test for all wiring issues. For example, it cannot detect a bootleg ground (nor a reverse bootleg ground), but that is a much more uncommon situation than a hot/neutral reverse or a floating neutral/ground.
Cheers,
-Mark
