Power to electrical outlets - via Generator

[live4thedash]

Spent the last 2 days at a casino parking lot, no hook ups. My question is when running the generator I though it would supply powers to my outlets. For example I plugged in my coffee maker and it did not have power. Even though the generator was running. All the circuit breakers were good, etc. I still have lights, radio works...guessing because powered by the coach batteries. Anyone have any ideas what could cause this? Or maybe I'm not doing something I should? Just seems weird..
thanks

[live4thedash]

Good idea. Yes in the end it was both of them that were tripped.
thank you!

[bukzin]

live4thedash wrote:
Found it~ back up and working. I'm not sure why the generator 30 amp would have triggered as I didn't have anything plugged in and things were not running other than my blowers for the furnace to warm the MH up. Maybe because it was so cold and I hadn't used it in a while? Not sure...thanks everyone. Now I know about that breaker on generator too! Never ending...guess they call it learning!

So, in the end, did you have both a main breaker on the Onan
and a GFI tripped.

You might want to write down the location of each of these breakers
(Gen-set, inverter, GFI's, etc.)
I'd copy that little note and put it in both my owners manual and in your main circuit
panel box.

Someone (likely you) will be glad you did!

[live4thedash]

Found it~ back up and working. I'm not sure why the generator 30 amp would have triggered as I didn't have anything plugged in and things were not running other than my blowers for the furnace to warm the MH up. Maybe because it was so cold and I hadn't used it in a while? Not sure...thanks everyone. Now I know about that breaker on generator too! Never ending...guess they call it learning!

[CT_WANDERER]

Sound like you are getting there. On my MH(Coachmen) I have two GFCI. One is at the bathroom sink. It controls outlet for the bathroom, Bedroom TV. Outside OL, and Front TV system. 2nd GFCI is at the Kitchen sink it is for all outlet in the kitchen area. So check to see if you have anymore GFCI breakers.

[live4thedash]

Hi ~ Okay so I did some more checking. When I pulled the cover on the generator (marquis gold 5500 onan) and the 30 amp switched was flipped so I set it back. The switch above that was okay. I then started the generator, set the GFI in the bathroom and I was able to turn on the TV, the micro was on, etc. However when I plugged the coffee maker into the outlets on the counter did not work. I then got a house fan and plugged that in and it did not work. I then took the same fan and plugged it into the bedroom outlets and it worked. so it looks like the the outlets in the front of the coach do not work. Never ending right??? 🙂

[rockylarson]

Pretty sure the GFI needs current to it to reset. Haven't heard how the "on the generator" 20 amp and 30 amp breaker check is going.

[MrWizard]

A: the gfi is bad

B: something on tne circuit 'leaks to ground' and is tripping the gfi

try unplugging items that are plugged in
then reset gfi
If the reset works plug items back 'one at a time' until gfi trips

[live4thedash]

You are correct. Found the GFI at the sink in the bathroom. I'm guessing its been flipped set since the button is out. However when I push it back in to set it it doesn't stay there, no click, no set...nothing..

[badboy368]

i had the same problem one time and it was the GFI in the bathroom. i guess they are wired in parallel

[live4thedash]

Now I just need to find the GFI! lol

[live4thedash]

Thank you again. I will investigate those options today once it warms up! Thanks!

[Bobbo]

RJsfishin wrote:
If your batteries are staying up, then the converter is being powered, meaning that the generator is on line powering the ac panel.
Check for a GFI trip.

At least one leg of the panel, the leg with the converter.

[RJsfishin]

If your batteries are staying up, then the converter is being powered, meaning that the generator is on line powering the ac panel.
Check for a GFI trip.

[2chiefsRus]

If it isn't the breakers on the front of the generator, you might want to check the resets on the inverter. We will pop those every once in a while when we run both electric space heaters at the same.