120 not working on some outlets

[acramer]

I have a 1995 Newmar Country Star with 22000 miles.. I am the original owner. My 120 plug for my refrig was not working so I used an extension code to plug it into my outlet outside near the frig. Everything worked ok. So I couldnt find why the plug inside the frig vent wasnt working. So I thought maybe the plug was bad. So I replaced the plug. The plug had 2 power lines connected to it. Now a lot of my 120 plugs wont work including the plug outside I used to initially make the frig work on 120. I have checked the circuit breaker both times when I only had the frig plug not working and then again when most plugs wernt working. Are then any other circuit breakers or fuses for the 120 circuit? Anybody know what might be wrong now? thanks...

[wa8yxm]

acramer wrote:
wnjj -- Does it matter what type of extension cord I use as far as the wire inside? thickness? 10 12 14 gauge?

The fridge draws about 3 amps AC so if you are talking an extension cord for the fridge only.. No it does nto matter

18 gage will do the job. So will 16, 14, 12 bigger but the bigger the wire the more expensive/costly the wire the wires are bigger at bigger stores.

[opnspaces]

I know you checked the breakers, but on some old breakers you can't just flip the breaker off and on. You have to flip the breaker off and continue to push in the off direction. If the breaker feels springy you have to push harder toward off until you overcome the spring and it clicks off. Then you can turn the breaker back on.

[wnjj]

acramer wrote:
wnjj -- Does it matter what type of extension cord I use as far as the wire inside? thickness? 10 12 14 gauge?

For just testing the receptacles out, no, since you won’t be loading it up heavily. Just don’t leave it that way. Plug in, test the receptacles with a test light or plug in lamp and then disconnect it. This is just a method to check all of the wiring downstream of the GFCI.

[acramer]

wnjj -- Does it matter what type of extension cord I use as far as the wire inside? thickness? 10 12 14 gauge?

[BFL13]

In the 30a 5er we had, the fridge was on the "general" receptacle circuit, as were the 120v lights, and that circuit included the bathroom GFCI. The converter was sharing that breaker.

There is a four or five branch limit on number of circuit breakers. I think the fridge went on with the converter for wattage reasons. If the fridge is 350w and the converter is 1100w that does not leave much left over.

The other choices were to put the fridge in with the A/C, or the WH/MW (they were on same breaker-only use one or the other at a time), or the galley counter receptacle (GFCI with own breaker) which could be worse for wattage total.

[DrewE]

wa8yxm wrote:
There is no reason to put the Fridge on the GFCI chain but... Some do... So it is possible.

The outlet for the fridge, if an RV absorption fridge, is usually right next to the lower outside vent for the fridge, a place that is more or less exposed to the weather. That's reason enough to have it on a GFCI in an RV (that, and generally if the GFCI trips the fridge will continue to operate on propane).

[wa8yxm]

There is no reason to put the Fridge on the GFCI chain but... Some do... So it is possible.

[wnjj]

The fridge is probably on the same GFCI circuit as the other dead plug but if the GFCI itself isn’t even working it sounds like an upstream issue. What I would do it pull the GFCI out, cut up and wire an old extension cord to the LINE wires in place of the Romex that’s there TEMPORARILY ONLY. Plug the cord into a working receptacle like the outside pedestal then see if all of the others including the fridge start working. You may have a bad wire between the GFCI receptacle and the breaker. If you can prove that’s disconnect and taping off both ends if you run a new one.

FYI, the ground wires on the receptacle you replaced should be wire-nutted together and not just twisted. If one is long enough, run it around and under the screw on the receptacle and then wire nut the other one onto its end.

Fire risk? That’s not easy to say from here. Anytime there is power leaving the breaker and not arriving where it’s expected there’s a chance for a lose live wire to be somewhere it shouldn’t be. The risk is low, IMHO, but not zero. Turning off the breaker that is known to power the dead receptacles can lower that risk, if you know which one.

[D_E_Bishop]

Sorry was meant to be a PM

[acramer]

All the outlets that don't work are marked gfci protected. The refrigerator outlet does not have that marked on it. Do u think the refrigerator is on the same line? Also I'm not positive if these outlets that didn't work or not before I tried replace the frig outlet I did think I check some other outlets but I'm not sure. I know I check the bathroom outlets and they worked. Also how about the wood rat causing problems? Also do I have a fire risk when plugged into 120 not knowing why that one circuit is no workink?

[myredracer]

If all else fails, try pulling receptacles out of the wall and inspect the connections on the push-in "stabs" on the back of them. There is a plastic cover on the back that pops off. I've found a couple in the past with the wires barely hanging on due to cr@ppy workmanship at the factory. There is a special tool for punching down the wires on the RV type ("SCD") receptacles that is supposed to be used. Each white and black wire needs to be punched down onto the two stabs that are present for the hot and neutral, and same for the ground wires. While in there dong this, you can also check to make sure that none of the wires were installed with the wrong polarity. I've found that before as well.

There is no need to replace the RV type receptacles with a residential type. The problem with these is not punching down the wires correctly. In some cases there could be a splice in a junction box somewhere that has become loose and sometimes a J-box can be hard to find.

[BFL13]

A "three-light tester" can be helpful to check remaining 120v outlets that still work and also the pedestal outside you are plugged into.

The OP seems to say it was only after you changed that fridge outside receptacle that a bunch more receptacles quit working. If so, revisit that work for what went wrong.

[acramer]

Well after a little lay off... I have one line the gfci line indoors and one outlet (the refrig is plugged into) that still does not work. No power is getting to any of those outlets.. The gfci outlet is not the problem as it is getting no power either. We replaced with regular out too... All the circuit breakers are ok. I talked to Newmar Corp and of course they have no info on my 24 year old Kountry Star. In the basement as they called it I have a transfer switch and a box called a Power Switch which is a converter or Inverter. They said possibly I have a line popped somewhere in either one (the converter or inverter). I dont see a third box anywhere near the 2 I mentioned. I do have a problem with a wood rat getting in the ceiling of the motor home and I can see that some on the wires are frayed. But very limited what I can see. Any other suggestions what I can do? I did have a rv doctor come and check it out. He did check for power from my circuit breaker and transfer switch and the converter or inverted. Maybe I could run other 120 wire but not sure where I would run it too. Circuit breaker to where? Or if that would be a good idea.

[Dave_H_M]

I had a sort of hinky problem once with outlets.

Turned out it was a bad connection with the common at the service box.

Kinda went blindly through loosening and tightening the commons and all of a sudden walla, fixed. :R