MicroWave or 110 Outlets No Longer Work

[goreds2]

While exercising generator yesterday, I thought turning on the microwave would help out. The microwave and the 110 outlets do not work now even when plugged into shore power. I reset all the breakers, the 30 amp does not want to stay in the on position (all the way to top?). Is it probably a fuse? Note that this is on my girlfriend's 2002 Dynamax Carri-Go.

Thanks,

[DrewE]

Bumpyroad wrote:

DrewE wrote:
It's not good to run a microwave oven with nothing in it. If you have a big bowl of water or something, there's nothing wrong with using it as a load for the generator, though other things may be somewhat more convenient.

I was going to mention the same thing but I believe that this is no longer the case for newer microwaves. don't know it for a fact however, but I always put a cup of water in there before turning any of mine on without a load.
bumpy

It's still very much true and largely unavoidable. It has to do mainly with the fact that there's nothing in the cavity to absorb the microwave energy, so it tends to bounce around and much of it ends up being absorbed by the magnetron, heating it up beyond what it normally does. A short period of time running empty accidentally isn't likely to cause damage, but it's a bad idea in any case.

[DownTheAvenue]

goreds2 wrote:
While exercising generator yesterday, I thought turning on the microwave would help out. Never operate a microwave without something in it. Even a cup of water will do. The microwave and the 110 outlets do not work now even when plugged into shore power. I reset all the breakers, the 30 amp does not want to stay in the on position (all the way to top?). To reset a circuit breaker, turn it all the way off then back on. If you merely try to turn a tripped breaker on after it has tripped without turning it off first, it will return to the tripped position. Is it probably a fuse? Note that this is on my girlfriend's 2002 Dynamax Carri-Go.

Thanks,

[j-d]

Microwave may have tripped your breaker on its way "out." It's usually possible to replace a failed "RV" microwave with a residential counter-top one given a little ingenuity.

THANKS for the update! Glad you're powered up again.

[goreds2]

(I am the original poster) Well, I finally got back to my girlfriends house to check out the RV again. The breakers reset great this time as the outlets work now. The microwave could be history now as I tried plugging it in via different outlets and it still does not power on. We never used it much anyways as the NuWave oven is used to warm up things. Thanks for everyone's comments.

[Dusty_R]

Was the main breaker tripped before you tried to reset it ?
If it was tripped, did you move the handle farther to the off position, to reset it, before moving it to the on position ?

Dusty

[Bumpyroad]

DrewE wrote:
It's not good to run a microwave oven with nothing in it. If you have a big bowl of water or something, there's nothing wrong with using it as a load for the generator, though other things may be somewhat more convenient.

I was going to mention the same thing but I believe that this is no longer the case for newer microwaves. don't know it for a fact however, but I always put a cup of water in there before turning any of mine on without a load.
bumpy

[DrewE]

It's not good to run a microwave oven with nothing in it. If you have a big bowl of water or something, there's nothing wrong with using it as a load for the generator, though other things may be somewhat more convenient.

[ncscz]

goreds2 wrote:


I am the original poster. Was running the microwave in the first place to excercise the generator a bad idea? I set it to run for 19 minutes while generator was running.

In hot weather I always use the AC.
In cool weather I use an electric space heater or the heat strip in the AC.

[goreds2]

goreds2 wrote:
While exercising generator yesterday, I thought turning on the microwave would help out. The microwave and the 110 outlets do not work now even when plugged into shore power. I reset all the breakers, the 30 amp does not want to stay in the on position (all the way to top?). Is it probably a fuse? Note that this is on my girlfriend's 2002 Dynamax Carri-Go.

Thanks,

goreds2 wrote:


I am the original poster. Was running the microwave in the first place to excercise the generator a bad idea? I set it to run for 19 minutes while generator was running.

[Mocoondo]

Check the GFCI outlet. Most likely in the bathroom.

[goreds2]

(I am the original poster)

I need to see it there is a reset button on the actual outlet inside the RV next time I go to her house.

[Bobbo]

goreds2 wrote:
I reset all the breakers, the 30 amp does not want to stay in the on position (all the way to top?).

Unless you turned it all the way off before trying to turn it back on, it won't stay up.

If you DID turn it all the way off first, then I agree that you have a short somewhere. The suggestion of turning off all of the breakers and turning them back on one at a time is a good one. It will identify the circuit with the problem. That will narrow down the possibilities a lot.

I disagree with the ATS as a suspect. It is before the breaker box. If it was the problem, the breaker at the pedestal would be the one tripping, not the breaker in the RV.

[Old-Biscuit]

DrewE wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
30 amp does not want to stay in the on position :H

That is the MAIN AC Circuit Breaker
With it tripping NO AC Power from gen or shore power

YOU have a short/loose wiring most likely in the 'ATS' (Auto Transfer Switch)
IT is the 'box' where shore power cord and gen power cord goes into and then wiring goes out to main panel

IF yo don't have an ATS and have to plug gen in then problem is in that outlet or wiring going to main panel

A 30A (or other) breaker not staying in the on position is indeed indicative of a short/overload or (much more rarely) of a bad/worn out breaker.

If this is the 30A main breaker in the RV's distribution panel, the problem is not with the ATS as the breaker is after the ATS, and likely something in the main panel itself (since otherwise one of the branch circuit breakers would be tripping). Another possibility is that you have some combination of loads that exceeds 30A, but where each load does not individually exceed the branch circuit ratings--such as the microwave, the air conditioner, and maybe the converter and water heater all trying to run at once.

If it's the breaker on the generator, it could be the ATS or the wiring between the generator and the transfer switch.

Obviously, if you don't have an ATS, it's not the problem.

YEP......
I was not thinking correctly when I posted.
Open ALL circuit breakers in RV MAIN AC PANEL (Main 30A and ALL individual CBs 15/20A)
Plug in shore power cord to power source OR start Generator.
Then close 30A Main........does it trip?
Then close each individual CB until 30A trips.

[DrewE]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
30 amp does not want to stay in the on position :H

That is the MAIN AC Circuit Breaker
With it tripping NO AC Power from gen or shore power

YOU have a short/loose wiring most likely in the 'ATS' (Auto Transfer Switch)
IT is the 'box' where shore power cord and gen power cord goes into and then wiring goes out to main panel

IF yo don't have an ATS and have to plug gen in then problem is in that outlet or wiring going to main panel

A 30A (or other) breaker not staying in the on position is indeed indicative of a short/overload or (much more rarely) of a bad/worn out breaker.

If this is the 30A main breaker in the RV's distribution panel, the problem is not with the ATS as the breaker is after the ATS, and likely something in the main panel itself (since otherwise one of the branch circuit breakers would be tripping). Another possibility is that you have some combination of loads that exceeds 30A, but where each load does not individually exceed the branch circuit ratings--such as the microwave, the air conditioner, and maybe the converter and water heater all trying to run at once.

If it's the breaker on the generator, it could be the ATS or the wiring between the generator and the transfer switch.

Obviously, if you don't have an ATS, it's not the problem.