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Re: Air Conditioner causing Hot Skin
If the RV exterior is "hot", you do not have a good ground connection to the RV's electrical system. There may or may not be other problems but you need to fix the ground first. The receptacle tester needs to have a good ground connection to give correct readings.269Views0likes0CommentsRe: 80 amp converter and eu2000i
Other than in advertising, the portable generators are rated in volt-amps (VA), not watts. As you noted, with the power factor less than 1.0, the converter's draw in VA is higher than it's draw in watts. In practical terms, the generator output is lower than the advertising wants you to think, and the converter's draw is higher. My old PD9160A pulled 1,386 VA when providing a full load output of 864 watts. Interpolating the numbers from 60 to 80 amp output yields 1,848 VA needed from the generator, above the eu2000i's continuous rating, and its maximum output if you're much above sea level. Those numbers should be valid unless PD has improved its efficiency or PF over the years. At the full power load, the 9160A's draw in watts was 952, so from interpolation, 1,300 watts for the PD9180AL is right on.995Views1like0CommentsRe: Oil change
I just went through this ordeal and want to stay with 5w40 if for no other reason that it has worked ok for the last 14 years. I ended up with Motul from here https://www.rallysportdirect.com/part/engine-oil/mou-102051-motul-8100-x-clean-engine-oil-5w40-5l. If you magnify the front of the bottle picture you can barely make out the 229.51 approval, and it's a comparatively good price. The reason for the lower viscosities is to let the manufacturers claim more mpg. We're down to 0w16 in some cars this year.914Views0likes0CommentsRe: Lithium cost keep dropping!
YES: The advertised amp hours do include the no-touchee amp hours. For maximum charge cycles, there are recommendations to not touch the top 10% either, leaving 70% usable. Compared to 50% recommended for lead acid batteries. Lots of discussion about this on solar energy forums.321Views0likes0CommentsRe: 400 mile electric RV
Fyi 80% of forest fires are started by humans. The rest by lightning. Powerlines are nowhere near as dangerous. Some might disagree: The Camp Fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California's history, and the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018 in terms of insured losses....Ignited by a faulty electric transmission line. Camp Fire - California165Views0likes0CommentsRe: Coleman heat pump and heating element together
My 15k Coleman heat pump with heat strip is 12 years old, so YMMV. When calling for heat, the unit runs either the heat pump OR the heat strip. The switchover outside temp is "approximately" 40 degrees F, and the stated reason for that temp is to avoid the outdoor coil freezing. For heat output comparison, the heat pump provides 12,700 BTUH heating at 47 deg F. The heat strip provides 5,600 BTUH. Switching from factual to editorial mode, like most heating devices, the heat strip when not in use gets covered with whatever is floating in the air, and stinks like crazy when first used after a long time of no use. When I de-winterize, I always run the heat pump in the driveway until the smell goes away. Assuming it's reasonably warm when you de-winterize, you aren't able to run the heat strip because it's conveniently automatic. The end result, especially if the heat strip hasn't run for a few years, is this: A below 40 deg day comes along, you run the heat, the heat strip runs, and the stink is so bad you want to open the windows to let it out. Happened to me the first time when it was well below freezing outside. I addressed this by adding a switch to the heat pump so I could manually force the heat strip to run, and de-stinking it is part of the de-winterization process. Doing this is not for most people obviously. The heat strip might not provide enough output to be your only heat source in the below 40 deg weather where it's switched on. It has roughly the same output as a 15 amp portable heater. I use it occasionally, and my overall conclusion would be to get it if it doesn't add a whole lot to the price.1KViews0likes0Comments
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