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low voltage in receptacle

Budsmith
Explorer
Explorer
I had a power strip catch on fire..Nothing was plugged into it but the strip was turned on...lucky I was in the rv when it happened or all would have gone up in flames...It tripped all gfi and a circuit breaker..It also blew out my convertor...Now on the receps at the refrig and convertor shows 41 volts...The fridge went to gas and I am afraid to plug it back up to see if it works on elec...Why do I have 41 volts on those two recept?? Thanks for any replys
15 REPLIES 15

Budsmith
Explorer
Explorer
taking rv to repair center for new convertor and check out the voltage situation..willlet you know

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
Budsmith wrote:
I have 120 volts in all recepts except refridg and convertor...They have 41.8 volts with all breakers off or on except the A/C and M/W..I used extension cord to power up the refridg....Tried plugging up the convetor on ext cord and had a pop and smoke from the conveter so I guess it will haveto be replaced...Keeping batteries charged with batt charger..


Between camping trips so can't stay with this.


Not clear from above if the two receptacles are on the same breaker. If so, suggest not plugging the fridge back into its regular receptacle until it measures 120v. Same with a new converter to its receptacle.

No idea why the converter problem would back up to its receptacle (and breaker?) to measure 41.8v. New one on me.

I would suspect the actual breaker, but it is not clear. In the past, I have had a suspect breaker in the 120v panel, and swapped out the black wire(s) going into it to another breaker next door. That showed things worked again on the next door breaker, so that first breaker was replaced.

The fridge's receptacle outside behind the access panel can get wet from water down from the roof vent or however (not supposed to happen), but that would just trip the GFCI on that circuit.

Some forum guys better at RV electrical might have a notion what is going on here. ????
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

Budsmith
Explorer
Explorer
I have 120 volts in all recepts except refridg and convertor...They have 41.8 volts with all breakers off or on except the A/C and M/W..I used extension cord to power up the refridg....Tried plugging up the convetor on ext cord and had a pop and smoke from the conveter so I guess it will haveto be replaced...Keeping batteries charged with batt charger..

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
OP is gone.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

myredracer
Explorer II
Explorer II
As festus would have said, be afeerd, very afeerd... :E Sorry, couldn't resist. 🙂

The facts as reported don't seem to add up. If the power strip ended up shorting out, it should have just tripped the breaker on the circuit it was plugged into. So the converter was on the same circuit? You could reconnect the converter to another breaker temporarily. The converter *shouldn't* be damaged.

If the fridge is working on propane, then the battery only is keeping it going. Even with everything switched off, there's 12 volt phantom loads that will eventually drain the battery. If you're going to be stuck this way for more than a few days, perhaps get a trickle charger?

I'd maybe shut the shore power off and check the tightness of all wires at the breakers in the panel and the neutral connections too. Maybe pull out the receptacles that aren't working and inspect the connections on the back of them. Check voltage at each breaker. If 120 volts at each one, something is wrong downstream.

Do you get 41 volts on hot to neutral or also on hot to ground? Neutral to ground should read zero or close to it.

Has anyone ever done mods to 120 volt things before? Here's an example from another forum where someone worked on a fridge receptacle after it left the factory which eventually led to overheating due to bad connections and improper connection of a 3rd romex cable. Maybe you've got something similar going on in a receptacle somewhere?

3_tons
Explorer III
Explorer III
About a year or so ago I was getting 61v readings at the junction box just ahead of the refer that also supplies the pass-thru sine inverter...The only thing I could think of was that the inverter was causing phantom voltage readings - but it never seemed to affect anything...

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
I opened up a 5 slot power strip once to find out why the lighted switch did not work. The strip cost be two bucks. After I opened it up I decided it's real worth was a fourth of that. I wish I could find a double D punch. Make my own power bar out of green dot receptacles.

My son in law is burying wire in my unfinished casita. I told him to use black, red, white and green wire. The green is 14AWG black red and white ten gauge. A pair of quad receptacles on the kitchen counter. One meter apart. Each will have it's own 20 amp breaker. Then the wires will get mud. Tired of cockroaches and rats making a superhighway for scorpions.

Anyway in it's entirely I seem to prefer Tripp-Lite power strips. They are not cheap but they won't kill you either. The inside of the 500 sq foot room will have 2x4 spacers for 3" of rigid insulation and the roof will have 6" of insulation. So I need to be very conscious about fire protection. Everything gets paneled in natural maple.

As far as the rig is concerned, the OP should start where there is 120 then work toward the rig. Chcking neutral as well as the legs

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
Budsmith wrote:
I had a power strip catch on fire..Nothing was plugged into it but the strip was turned on...lucky I was in the rv when it happened or all would have gone up in flames...It tripped all gfi and a circuit breaker..It also blew out my convertor...Now on the receps at the refrig and convertor shows 41 volts...The fridge went to gas and I am afraid to plug it back up to see if it works on elec...Why do I have 41 volts on those two recept?? Thanks for any replys


Really strange comments above 😞

Perhaps you had plugged in the shore power to 240v instead of 120v? Or you got 240v by having two sources of 120 at the same time? A transfer switch is supposed to prevent that. Did it not?

Use your multimeter on 120v (the 200v setting on the dial) to check the pedestal for 120v where the shore power is connected. What other 120v source might be on at the same time -- inverter? generator?

Yes do not plug back in until you get this solved. 12v and propane should get you by for a day or two same as being off -grid.
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

1492
Moderator
Moderator

Ava
Explorer
Explorer
There were a few of those power strips that were recalled in recent years as catching fire was common.

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
And salsa?
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

pianotuna
Nomad III
Nomad III
Would you enjoy some fried converter with your eggs?
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

newman_fulltime
Explorer II
Explorer II
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Don't see how a AC circuit tripping due to a short would damage converter

Does the GFCI reset?
Did you reset the tripped Circuit Breaker?

Check that you have 120VAC going to MAIN Power Panel
Check that you have 120VAC coming from each individual circuit breaker (load side of breakers)

My bet the converter is on the gfci curcuit and is still not reset correctly

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
Don't see how a AC circuit tripping due to a short would damage converter

Does the GFCI reset?
Did you reset the tripped Circuit Breaker?

Check that you have 120VAC going to MAIN Power Panel
Check that you have 120VAC coming from each individual circuit breaker (load side of breakers)
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31