Showing posts with label Surge Protectors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Surge Protectors. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
A Wired In Surge Protector Also Protects From Low Voltage
We had turned on the Dometic heat pump as it was quite cool. A few minutes after the compressor had come on, the Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C surge suppressor (hard wired in the coach) tripped shutting off all AC power. The EMS showed a low voltage code on the LED display after I reset it. It trips when the incoming voltage goes below 104VAC. I thought this was interesting as it was showing 110VAC coming from the campground power pedestal. Without the Dometic running the coach was drawing only 2-amps AC (probably the converter). I then turned the Dometic back on and when the compressor started amperage rose to 17 (which is normal) @ 110VAC. Then shortly thereafter the voltage began to slowly drop with amperage staying the same. I shut the Dometic off at 106 VAC and the camp voltage went back up to 110VAC. I thought this was somewhat strange so I took my multi-meter to the camp pedestal measuring voltage there as the compressor came back on. Same falling voltage results there.
I then reported the incident to the camp office. They quickly responded with a technician. He found that the 30-amp breaker was old & weathered and the socked was corroded so he replaced both. The voltage was a bit higher at that time (115VAC) so I turned the Dometic back on and again watched the line voltage fall about 3-VAC. At this point all was within proper range and there were no other problems.
I assume (I know the old saying about this word) that this is normal as I did the same testing inside my shop (very adequate 121-VAC power supply w/8-ga wire to the 30-amp RV socket) and watched the same 3-voltage drop when the compressor was running. I submit this for other owners to be aware of campground voltages and how their varying can occur and the problems that result. The PI Electrical Management System saved me lots of $$$$$ in repair or replacement of the compressor. It's LED status display on the kitchen cabinet face makes it easy to monitor at a glance. I had wired it into the output of the transfer switch so it would monitor all AC power (shore or generator) at all times. That is the only way it should be done.
Mike C
Monday, January 17, 2011
Surge Protectors
Introduction
There are two basic types of surge protectors: a portable protector is intended to be plugged into the campground utility box, while a hard-wired protector is permanently wired inside the RV and is always ON, so so speak.
It's very important to understand what a surge protector does; the name can be misleading because the unit does far more than simply protect against a "power surge", as the name suggests. The unit is actually a "power line monitor", preventing power spikes and low power situations from harming your rig's electrical system and any equipment plugged into it.
A hard-wired system is more convenient - nothing to deploy before plugging in to shore power, and no need to worry about theft. Additionally, it can be wired so that it protects the coach when the generator is being used. The hard-wired models are generally less expensive than the portable versions.
With a portable unit, before the RV is connected to the power supply, the unit is plugged in to the campground pedestal and it checks for improper wiring; reversed polarity and improper ground are pretty common problems. After the initial check proves the supply is safe, the RV is connected to the power line monitor, and the monitor connected to the supply. The unit then continually monitors the power supply going into the RV. If the power supply provides too-low or too-high voltage for a certain period of time (the amount of time is set by the manufacturer, I believe), the monitor shuts off power to the RV. It re-sets itself and delivers power when the situation of too-low or too-high voltage is resolved.
A hard-wired protector does pretty much the same thing. As soon as you plug the coach into shore power, the protector goes through a check of the circuit and only after it is satisfied that all is well does it allow power through it to the AC panel.
There are two major manufacturers, Surge Guard and Progressive.
Surge Guard is a product of TRC, Inc. You can learn more at www.surgeguard.com. A Google Product search shows plenty of suppliers.
Progressive Industries makes a similar unit, the EMS HW 30C, that appears to offer some advantages over the Surge Guard. The Progressive's monitor panel offers quite a bit more useful information than the SurgeGuard's simple "go/no-go" LEDs. Quoting Progressive's description, the display shows "voltage, current, frequency, error codes, and previous errors. Each reading is displayed for 2 seconds."
Installation
Installation of a hard-wired surge protector can be accomplished by the average LD owner. The biggest caution: be sure you cut all power sources to the rig before you start the process.
There are two FAQ articles on installing a hard-wired surge protector. One describes the process of putting a Progressive Industries model EMS-HW30C in a 2001 RB, wired so as to protect shore-power only. The second article deals with the installation of a Surge Guard Model 34520 in a 2005 RB so as to protect both shore and generator power sources.
Note: Progressive Industries models can also be wired to protect from all power sources.
In addition to protecting against surges, the EMS HW 30C protects against several other electrical conditions that can damage your system/appliances (high/low voltage, miswired pedestals including open grounds, open neutrals, hot grounds). The hard-wired version, doesn’t "walk off" or get accidentally left behind, and you never have to remember to put it in-line.
The surge protector should protect both shore power and the generator, as if the generator isn’t running well, it can cause the same damage to your appliances that bad shore power can. However, installing the surge protector so that it protects both costs more, both in terms of time as well as installation material.
Installing a Progressive Industries hard-wired 30 amp EMS/surge guard, to protect both shore power and the generator costs between $500 and $600.
Contributors: JC Taylor, Andy Baird, WxToad, Delta Mike
Return to FAQ Index
There are two basic types of surge protectors: a portable protector is intended to be plugged into the campground utility box, while a hard-wired protector is permanently wired inside the RV and is always ON, so so speak.
It's very important to understand what a surge protector does; the name can be misleading because the unit does far more than simply protect against a "power surge", as the name suggests. The unit is actually a "power line monitor", preventing power spikes and low power situations from harming your rig's electrical system and any equipment plugged into it.
A hard-wired system is more convenient - nothing to deploy before plugging in to shore power, and no need to worry about theft. Additionally, it can be wired so that it protects the coach when the generator is being used. The hard-wired models are generally less expensive than the portable versions.
With a portable unit, before the RV is connected to the power supply, the unit is plugged in to the campground pedestal and it checks for improper wiring; reversed polarity and improper ground are pretty common problems. After the initial check proves the supply is safe, the RV is connected to the power line monitor, and the monitor connected to the supply. The unit then continually monitors the power supply going into the RV. If the power supply provides too-low or too-high voltage for a certain period of time (the amount of time is set by the manufacturer, I believe), the monitor shuts off power to the RV. It re-sets itself and delivers power when the situation of too-low or too-high voltage is resolved.
A hard-wired protector does pretty much the same thing. As soon as you plug the coach into shore power, the protector goes through a check of the circuit and only after it is satisfied that all is well does it allow power through it to the AC panel.
There are two major manufacturers, Surge Guard and Progressive.
Surge Guard is a product of TRC, Inc. You can learn more at www.surgeguard.com. A Google Product search shows plenty of suppliers.
Progressive Industries makes a similar unit, the EMS HW 30C, that appears to offer some advantages over the Surge Guard. The Progressive's monitor panel offers quite a bit more useful information than the SurgeGuard's simple "go/no-go" LEDs. Quoting Progressive's description, the display shows "voltage, current, frequency, error codes, and previous errors. Each reading is displayed for 2 seconds."
Installation
Installation of a hard-wired surge protector can be accomplished by the average LD owner. The biggest caution: be sure you cut all power sources to the rig before you start the process.
There are two FAQ articles on installing a hard-wired surge protector. One describes the process of putting a Progressive Industries model EMS-HW30C in a 2001 RB, wired so as to protect shore-power only. The second article deals with the installation of a Surge Guard Model 34520 in a 2005 RB so as to protect both shore and generator power sources.
Note: Progressive Industries models can also be wired to protect from all power sources.
In addition to protecting against surges, the EMS HW 30C protects against several other electrical conditions that can damage your system/appliances (high/low voltage, miswired pedestals including open grounds, open neutrals, hot grounds). The hard-wired version, doesn’t "walk off" or get accidentally left behind, and you never have to remember to put it in-line.
The surge protector should protect both shore power and the generator, as if the generator isn’t running well, it can cause the same damage to your appliances that bad shore power can. However, installing the surge protector so that it protects both costs more, both in terms of time as well as installation material.
Installing a Progressive Industries hard-wired 30 amp EMS/surge guard, to protect both shore power and the generator costs between $500 and $600.
Contributors: JC Taylor, Andy Baird, WxToad, Delta Mike
Return to FAQ Index
Surge Protector Installation - Shore Power and Generator
This articles describes the installation of a Surge Guard protector in a RB so that it monitors both shore power and generator power.
Starts by unplugging the rig from 120 VAC shore power.
Shut off all 12 volt power, including removing the solar panel fuse.
In cabinet under the refrigerator next to the converter, remove the plywood panel on the left side to expose converter and water heater. There are 4 flathead screws.
Remove converter front cover.
Remove screws mounting converter to cabinet and then pull the converter out.
On the back of converter is the transfer switch. You are interested in the two wires (black and white) that exit the transfer switch and enter the converter. This is inside the converter box.
The white wire goes to a bus bar on the left side of the converter box.
The black wire goes to the 30-amp breaker.
Remove both the black and white wires.
Mounting the Surge Guard was a challenge. There was plenty of room in beside the converter, but the Surge Guard also had to be mounted so that we could see the LED status lights. I finally decided to install it in a cut-out of the side panel of the cabinet. That way we merely open the cabinet door if we need to check the lights. Using some scrap pieces of lumber I made a mounting board which was securely fastened in place. When the Surge Guard was mounted, its face was flush with the side panel and just fit into a hole I cut in the panel.
Looking at the inside of the converter, on the left side next to the bus bar that the white wired went to, you see two round metal knock-outs.
Knock both of them out and install 2- 1/2" romex clamps.
Cut two 4' sections (or longer, it depends on where the Surge Guard is mounted) of 10-gauge romex. On all the ends of the romex, trim the cover and expose 4-5" of the three wires, strip ends ~3/4".
Install one end of each piece into each side of the Surge Guard. Black is hot, white neutral and copper ground on the terminal strips. You might want to label each piece to help keep things sorted out. I labeled the two pieces of romex, one "input", the other "output", so that I would not get them mixed up.
Run 'Input' side romex to converter, enter thru one of the romex clamps. Use wire nuts to joint 'Input' black to black wire (the one removed earlier from the breaker)
The 'Input' white wire is jointed, with a wire nut, to the white wire that was removed from the bus bar. The bare copper wire goes to the ground bus bar, located at the top of the converter box.
The 'Output' romex is wired inside the Surge Guard the same as the 'Input'.
Black to hot, white to neutral, ground to ground.
The other end of the 'Output' romex is fed thru the remaining romex clamp.
Black wire goes to where the original black wire was removed from the 30-amp breaker.
White wire goes to the neutral bus bar where the original white was removed.
Copper ground goes to ground bus bar at top of converter case.
Tighten the romex clamps. Make sure the wire nuts are tight and taped.
Tighten all wire connections on the breakers and bus bars.
Reinstall converter into cabinet, mount cover.
Turn on the power and look for smoke. If no smoke, consider it a successful installation.
Contributors: Larry Wade, WxToad
Return to FAQ Index
Starts by unplugging the rig from 120 VAC shore power.
Shut off all 12 volt power, including removing the solar panel fuse.
In cabinet under the refrigerator next to the converter, remove the plywood panel on the left side to expose converter and water heater. There are 4 flathead screws.
Remove converter front cover.
Remove screws mounting converter to cabinet and then pull the converter out.
On the back of converter is the transfer switch. You are interested in the two wires (black and white) that exit the transfer switch and enter the converter. This is inside the converter box.
The white wire goes to a bus bar on the left side of the converter box.
The black wire goes to the 30-amp breaker.
Remove both the black and white wires.
Mounting the Surge Guard was a challenge. There was plenty of room in beside the converter, but the Surge Guard also had to be mounted so that we could see the LED status lights. I finally decided to install it in a cut-out of the side panel of the cabinet. That way we merely open the cabinet door if we need to check the lights. Using some scrap pieces of lumber I made a mounting board which was securely fastened in place. When the Surge Guard was mounted, its face was flush with the side panel and just fit into a hole I cut in the panel.
Looking at the inside of the converter, on the left side next to the bus bar that the white wired went to, you see two round metal knock-outs.
Knock both of them out and install 2- 1/2" romex clamps.
Cut two 4' sections (or longer, it depends on where the Surge Guard is mounted) of 10-gauge romex. On all the ends of the romex, trim the cover and expose 4-5" of the three wires, strip ends ~3/4".
Install one end of each piece into each side of the Surge Guard. Black is hot, white neutral and copper ground on the terminal strips. You might want to label each piece to help keep things sorted out. I labeled the two pieces of romex, one "input", the other "output", so that I would not get them mixed up.
Run 'Input' side romex to converter, enter thru one of the romex clamps. Use wire nuts to joint 'Input' black to black wire (the one removed earlier from the breaker)
The 'Input' white wire is jointed, with a wire nut, to the white wire that was removed from the bus bar. The bare copper wire goes to the ground bus bar, located at the top of the converter box.
The 'Output' romex is wired inside the Surge Guard the same as the 'Input'.
Black to hot, white to neutral, ground to ground.
The other end of the 'Output' romex is fed thru the remaining romex clamp.
Black wire goes to where the original black wire was removed from the 30-amp breaker.
White wire goes to the neutral bus bar where the original white was removed.
Copper ground goes to ground bus bar at top of converter case.
Tighten the romex clamps. Make sure the wire nuts are tight and taped.
Tighten all wire connections on the breakers and bus bars.
Reinstall converter into cabinet, mount cover.
Turn on the power and look for smoke. If no smoke, consider it a successful installation.
Contributors: Larry Wade, WxToad
Return to FAQ Index
Surge Protector Installation - Shore Power Only
I just finished installing a Progressive Industries surge protector, model EMS-HW30C in our 2001 RB. I must say I am very impressed with the unit so far. It turns the power off if the voltage is <104V or >132V (with override possible), and has 35,000A surge protection. The remote indicator shows the voltage, frequency, and current coming into the LD, and error codes indicating any problem, including need to replace the surge protection.
For the 2001 RB, the installation was very easy. (I can't speak for other models.) After partially disassembling the circuit box and converter and looking further into installing after the transfer switch as originally planned, I took a much easier path and installed it for shore power only.
In the 2001 RB, the shore power cord is tied to the LD wiring in a junction box under the bottom closet drawer beside the water pump.
By replacing this junction box with the surge protector box, I was able to install with no additional wiring, and not even having to strip any wires. It was just a matter of undoing the quick connectors, tying the wires together, removing the junction box, and putting the wires into the surge protector box. VERY EASY.
(Talk about LD building well, the metal junction box, which only serves to connect these two wires together, was screwed to the floor with 4 long screws. The screw-type quick connectors were screwed on and taped with lots of electrical tape as well.)
OK - let's get to work:
I removed the three drawers below the wardrobe. This gave adequate room to work.
The junction box is a square galvanized box on the floor to the left of the water pump. It has two wires going into it, one the rubber-covered cord coming from the outside and one a normal house wiring white plastic covered cable coming to the front of the closet floor.
After checking to be sure I wasn't plugged into the shore power <g>,
1. I removed the cover plate on the junction box. Inside three wires are joined together by screw-on connectors and electrical tape.
2. After removing the tape and screw-connectors, I loosened the clamps on the cables on each end of the junction box, unscrewed 4 screws inside the box holding it to the floor, and removed the junction box. This left the two wires on the floor.
3. I unscrewed three clamps holding the rubber-covered cable to the floor to let me to work with it more easily.
4. I clamped the ring cable connectors (provided) to the ground wires. (green wire on the input side and bare wire on the output side) I also cut off the already stripped wires slightly to leave about 3/8" of bare wire. (LD had left a longer stripped section bare wire to use the screw-on connectors.)
5. Being sure the black progressive box had the end marked 'Input' pointed toward the rubber-covered cable, and the end marked 'Output' pointed toward the white cable, I put both cables into the box. Note that the black wire on the output side needs to go through the black ring on two wires in the box. This is the current sensing ring. The ground and white wire do NOT go through the ring.
6. I inserted the wires into the screw clamps on the relay (having previously loosened the screws), being sure that white on the input end was on the same side as white on the output side, and that black was on the other side and tightened the screws. (The black went to black and white went to white, i.e. were on the same side)
7. I connected to two ground wires (input and output) to the side where the holes were with the provided bolts, washers, and nuts.
Before going further, I plugged in the remote indicator, plugged into shore power, and checked to be sure that it worked OK. When it did, after unplugging from shore power,
8. I tightened the cable clamps on the cables going into each end of the black Progressive box, screwed the box to the floor (it has screw holes on the outside lugs), and re-screwed the three clamps on the black rubber-covered cable to the floor. (Note that the Progressive box went at an angle, i.e. was not square to the side or front, but this allowed me to use the original cables without cutting them except to shorten the stripped part slightly. Note also that the cable clamps did not match up with the original locations, but were screwed into the floor as the cable ended up.)
9. I screwed the cover onto the Progressive box.
10. I drilled a hole to the left and behind the vent pipe for the remote indicator cable. (The Progressive uses a phone cable, and I used a wood bit just large enough to pass the phone connector through the hole.) It turned out to be much easier to drill the hole from the bottom (inside the drawer cabinet) up through the floor of the closet.
11. Using small stick-on cable troughs from Home Depot, I ran the cable up the left side of the closet beside the vent pipe and then along the underside of the shelf in the closet on the left-hand side of the front of the shelf. The remote indicator is exactly the right size to mount on the left front of this shelf. I also cut to fit and pasted the error card to the side of the indicator shelf.
12. I plugged the phone cable into the Progressive box and into the remote indicator and tested with shore power again.
13. After using cable ties to ensure that the cable was fixed so the drawers would not catch it, I replaced the drawers and was through.
Contributor: Barry Barnes
Return to FAQ Index
For the 2001 RB, the installation was very easy. (I can't speak for other models.) After partially disassembling the circuit box and converter and looking further into installing after the transfer switch as originally planned, I took a much easier path and installed it for shore power only.
In the 2001 RB, the shore power cord is tied to the LD wiring in a junction box under the bottom closet drawer beside the water pump.
By replacing this junction box with the surge protector box, I was able to install with no additional wiring, and not even having to strip any wires. It was just a matter of undoing the quick connectors, tying the wires together, removing the junction box, and putting the wires into the surge protector box. VERY EASY.
(Talk about LD building well, the metal junction box, which only serves to connect these two wires together, was screwed to the floor with 4 long screws. The screw-type quick connectors were screwed on and taped with lots of electrical tape as well.)
OK - let's get to work:
I removed the three drawers below the wardrobe. This gave adequate room to work.
The junction box is a square galvanized box on the floor to the left of the water pump. It has two wires going into it, one the rubber-covered cord coming from the outside and one a normal house wiring white plastic covered cable coming to the front of the closet floor.
After checking to be sure I wasn't plugged into the shore power <g>,
1. I removed the cover plate on the junction box. Inside three wires are joined together by screw-on connectors and electrical tape.
2. After removing the tape and screw-connectors, I loosened the clamps on the cables on each end of the junction box, unscrewed 4 screws inside the box holding it to the floor, and removed the junction box. This left the two wires on the floor.
3. I unscrewed three clamps holding the rubber-covered cable to the floor to let me to work with it more easily.
4. I clamped the ring cable connectors (provided) to the ground wires. (green wire on the input side and bare wire on the output side) I also cut off the already stripped wires slightly to leave about 3/8" of bare wire. (LD had left a longer stripped section bare wire to use the screw-on connectors.)
5. Being sure the black progressive box had the end marked 'Input' pointed toward the rubber-covered cable, and the end marked 'Output' pointed toward the white cable, I put both cables into the box. Note that the black wire on the output side needs to go through the black ring on two wires in the box. This is the current sensing ring. The ground and white wire do NOT go through the ring.
6. I inserted the wires into the screw clamps on the relay (having previously loosened the screws), being sure that white on the input end was on the same side as white on the output side, and that black was on the other side and tightened the screws. (The black went to black and white went to white, i.e. were on the same side)
7. I connected to two ground wires (input and output) to the side where the holes were with the provided bolts, washers, and nuts.
Before going further, I plugged in the remote indicator, plugged into shore power, and checked to be sure that it worked OK. When it did, after unplugging from shore power,
8. I tightened the cable clamps on the cables going into each end of the black Progressive box, screwed the box to the floor (it has screw holes on the outside lugs), and re-screwed the three clamps on the black rubber-covered cable to the floor. (Note that the Progressive box went at an angle, i.e. was not square to the side or front, but this allowed me to use the original cables without cutting them except to shorten the stripped part slightly. Note also that the cable clamps did not match up with the original locations, but were screwed into the floor as the cable ended up.)
9. I screwed the cover onto the Progressive box.
10. I drilled a hole to the left and behind the vent pipe for the remote indicator cable. (The Progressive uses a phone cable, and I used a wood bit just large enough to pass the phone connector through the hole.) It turned out to be much easier to drill the hole from the bottom (inside the drawer cabinet) up through the floor of the closet.
11. Using small stick-on cable troughs from Home Depot, I ran the cable up the left side of the closet beside the vent pipe and then along the underside of the shelf in the closet on the left-hand side of the front of the shelf. The remote indicator is exactly the right size to mount on the left front of this shelf. I also cut to fit and pasted the error card to the side of the indicator shelf.
12. I plugged the phone cable into the Progressive box and into the remote indicator and tested with shore power again.
13. After using cable ties to ensure that the cable was fixed so the drawers would not catch it, I replaced the drawers and was through.
Contributor: Barry Barnes
Return to FAQ Index
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