No power from shore or generator, ok on inverter, need help

[Kidoo]

Hi, I have no more power from shore or from the generator. But I have power with the inverter ON. Shore power stoped while microwave was working. The microwave stopped working but TV was still going, then I flicked a couple of circuit braker and the TV quit. I started the inverter and Power was OK with inverter, tv working and all, switched back to shore or genset and no power.

I have an IOTA ITS-50R transfer switch. I suspect it would be the transfer switch. Does power from the inverter goes through the transfer switch, I guess yes because there are 3 sets of wires going to the box?

Power from the generator goes directly in the transfer box, but power from shore have to be pluged in.

Thanks for your help. Going to Mexico this weekend with a bunch of people, need this to work quick. I am in Donna / Mission area, any good shop around here?

[dougrainer]

You have a BIGGER problem than your Inverter NOW. The Inverter/CHARGER is now removed. The Inverter/CHARGER does double duty. It INVERTS 12 volt to 120 volts. BUT, its MAIN job is the CHARGE the coach batteries and this allows you to run ALL the appliances in the RV. 90 percent of the appliances in an RV are 12 volt. WITHOUT the Inverter/Charger, you will be dead in the RV without 12 volt power. So, you must either replace the Inverter or get a POWER Converter and install it. You cannot realistically use a hi amp Battery Charger for long term use. Doug

[Kidoo]

enblethen wrote:
Yes, that will work. Should be three wires, make sure you have a equipment ground wire to the receptacles.
Make sure you kill 12 volt power to inverter. I would be leary of 12 volt DC power having an issue iside the inverter.

I completely removed the inverter. All I have left are the 3 wires, one from the inverter CB in the panel and 2 going out to the outlets.

What do you mean by making sure I have equipment ground wire to the recepticles?

I am trying to figure out how it is wired in the RV. Does the output wires from the inverter directly goes to the outlets? I suppose they do. I will check these out tomorow.

Thanks.

[enblethen]

Yes, that will work. Should be three wires, make sure you have a equipment ground wire to the receptacles.
Make sure you kill 12 volt power to inverter. I would be leary of 12 volt DC power having an issue iside the inverter.

[Kidoo]

Thanks everybody. I just ckecked the inverter, I opened the little front panel like you recommended and wires are burnt, the wires contacted together from input pos to inverter neg ouput. I reconnected those wire together and flicked the CB for the inverter, the inverter started to fume, loud yell from the wife watching the phenomena!

I removed the inverter and I guess this is it for this one.

I have two days left for departure to Mexico, I guess I will not have power to the outlets.

Now, from what I learned here, my understanding is that the wire that goes from the CB in the distribution panel to the inverter should have power. And the tow wires going from the output of the inverter should go directly to the outlet?? Since I removed the inverter, If I connect the wire coming from the CB to the wires going to the outlet, I should have power to the outlet?? Is it ok to do this? What is it I do not understand?

[wolfe10]

Yup, Doug and the previous few posts are the answer.

The "big appliances" such as A/C and water heater electric element are directly supplied from the main breaker box, not the inverter.

So, in order from breaker box, here are the potential issues:
1. 120 VAC from main breaker box not getting to inverter/charger. On edit: if this is the issue, the charger function of the inverter/charger would not be working either. If charger function working, move on to #2.
2. Transfer switch in the inverter/charger bad.
3. GFI tripped or bad-- again you have one or more GFI's that protect most of the outlets in the coach-- certainly those near any water (galley and bathroom).

[dougrainer]

This is a common problem for novices.
1. You have POWER to the AC units and other certain 120 appliances
2. BUT ONLY the Inverter when ON supplies 120 power to various plugs and the TV's and Microwave
3. Turn the Inverter OFF and you lose power to those items.
4. IF you have 120 power to the INPUT side of the Inverter. YOUR INVERTER TRANSFER SWITCH IS BAD.
5. What confuses novices is, they SEE the M/W powered up and the TV's and some outlets have power. They do not realize that the Inverter when ON is supplying the power. They assume they have Shore/Gen supply problems. Doug

[-Gramps-]

Sounds like a gfi is tripped somewhere. There should be one on each side of the coach. In mine, one is in the bathroom, the other under the kitchen counter.

[bdpreece]

Kidoo wrote:

bdpreece wrote:
Shot in the dark here but, You don't by chance have a Xantrex inverter do you? If you do there is a flat plate on the front that has two screws holding it on, inside there are wire nut connectors that work loose over time due to vibration. Almost all AC power goes through the inverter before being distributed to the coach. When mine worked loose some of the wires actually melted .

Yes, xantrex 458. I will check that plate in the morning, thanks.

Same unit I had.
Metal plate is on the bottom front between the two AC lines. Make sure to disconnect from all power before messing with this.

[wallynm]

FWIW - We have a gfci in a basement compartment that when tripped causes problems in the coach.

[Kidoo]

bdpreece wrote:
Shot in the dark here but, You don't by chance have a Xantrex inverter do you? If you do there is a flat plate on the front that has two screws holding it on, inside there are wire nut connectors that work loose over time due to vibration. Almost all AC power goes through the inverter before being distributed to the coach. When mine worked loose some of the wires actually melted .

Yes, xantrex 458. I will check that plate in the morning, thanks.

[Kidoo]

wolfe10 wrote:
Yup ATS fine.

So power is getting to the 120 VAC main breaker box.

But we need to look closely at what is not getting power from that breaker box:

Roof A/C's?
Inverter/charger?
Microwave?
Outlet-- detail what works/doesn't work on with inverter OFF

OK, after a complete day of checking my outlet and the current coming in and out of the switch box, and trying to figure things, I never taught of checking A/C and other things. 😮 .:S :S.

A/C, water heater, refridg and engine block heater are working. I am not sure if those thing work with the inverter.

The outlet in the living area, bedroom, toilet, cargo outlet and the microwave are not working with the genset or shore power but I have power to all the circuit brakers, power just do not get to the outlet mentionned. All those outlet work with the inverter.

Outlet like the one in the bathroom and wall have a mention that they are GFI protected but there is no reset button on it and I pulled one and there is no relay in it, just plain wires going to the pos / neg. The only one that have a trip/reset button is the one in the bedroom. I just connected the wires together to bypass it and nothing happen, and there is no power to that outlet also.

One thing for sure with help from this forum, I now have a much better idea on how the famous transfer switch work. I am still confused with the inverter. The inverter provide current to the outlet but it does not charge my batteries, no power goes to the batteries, the green light flashes charging, but I see only 12.2 volts on the batteries.

I hope to find the solution, many thanks to all for your support.

[bdpreece]

Shot in the dark here but, You don't by chance have a Xantrex inverter do you? If you do there is a flat plate on the front that has two screws holding it on, inside there are wire nut connectors that work loose over time due to vibration. Almost all AC power goes through the inverter before being distributed to the coach. When mine worked loose some of the wires actually melted .

[wolfe10]

Yup ATS fine.

So power is getting to the 120 VAC main breaker box.

But we need to look closely at what is not getting power from that breaker box:

Roof A/C's?
Inverter/charger?
Microwave?
Outlet-- detail what works/doesn't work on with inverter OFF

[Dale_Traveling]

Agree that the transfer switch is doing what it is suppose to and with the details of the last post and the model invertor you have, Xantrex Freedom 458, I'm thinking your problem is with it. My guess it is not sensing power in and switching over or something else.

To figure out what's going on with the invertor CLICK HERE for a PDF from Xantrex. Jump to page 31 for troubleshooting based on the status of the LEDs. Also can you post which remote panel you have?

[enblethen]

Starting to sound like the inverter transfer switch is causing issues.
Inverter manual