Converter question

K

ken harland

New member
Dec 30, 2005
292
1
0
It appears the old buzz box has quit working but I haven't confirmed that it's actually getting AC power yet. What I do know is that the
switch/receptacle for the hot water heater does not have AC power while other outlets in the coach do. I'm wondering what the path of the AC circuit
might be.

--
1978 Eleganza II
 
Sounds like a breaker in the A.C. supply. The Buzz Box does not supply
A.C., only battery charging current and 12 D.C. power to the coach. IF YOU
HAVE AN INVERTER THAT PROVIDES A.C. VOLTAGE FROM BATTERIES, THE BUZZ BOX
WILL POWER THAT AS WELL. The factory never equipped the coaches with
battery to a.c. inverters, but many owners have modified their coaches like
this. So, it is hard to be exact.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon
78 GMC ROYALE 403

> It appears the old buzz box has quit working but I haven't confirmed that
> it's actually getting AC power yet. What I do know is that the
> switch/receptacle for the hot water heater does not have AC power while
> other outlets in the coach do. I'm wondering what the path of the AC
> circuit
> might be.
>
> --
> 1978 Eleganza II
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
That combination device, switch with unswitched outlet, is all on the same breaker. If there is no power it is to both. Either loose hot wire, loose
neutral wire or bad or tripped breaker.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
 
> Sounds like a breaker in the A.C. supply. The Buzz Box does not supply
> A.C., only battery charging current and 12 D.C. power to the coach. IF YOU
> HAVE AN INVERTER THAT PROVIDES A.C. VOLTAGE FROM BATTERIES, THE BUZZ BOX
> WILL POWER THAT AS WELL. The factory never equipped the coaches with
> battery to a.c. inverters, but many owners have modified their coaches like
> this. So, it is hard to be exact.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Oregon
> 78 GMC ROYALE 403

Thanks, are you talking about the visible breakers on the power panel? None of those were tripped but I reset each one anyway. I wonder how is it
that the outlet for the water heater doesn't have power yet other outlets in the coach do?
--
1978 Eleganza II
 
Yes, the visible breakers. If they were not tripped, then there is
something wrong in the circuit to the receptacle that the water heater
plugs into. If you are comfortable working with live circuits, then verify
that you do in fact have voltage present at the receptacle. If you do, then
the problem lies with the water heater. If not, then turn off all
electricity coming into the coach, and open up the covers on the breaker
box and the recptacle. If there are wire nuts, check them first, then all
wires where they connect to breakers and buss bars. Finally, check the
conductors end to end.
Jim Hupy

> > Sounds like a breaker in the A.C. supply. The Buzz Box does not supply
> > A.C., only battery charging current and 12 D.C. power to the coach. IF
> YOU
> > HAVE AN INVERTER THAT PROVIDES A.C. VOLTAGE FROM BATTERIES, THE BUZZ BOX
> > WILL POWER THAT AS WELL. The factory never equipped the coaches with
> > battery to a.c. inverters, but many owners have modified their coaches
> like
> > this. So, it is hard to be exact.
> > Jim Hupy
> > Salem, Oregon
> > 78 GMC ROYALE 403
>
> Thanks, are you talking about the visible breakers on the power panel?
> None of those were tripped but I reset each one anyway. I wonder how is it
> that the outlet for the water heater doesn't have power yet other outlets
> in the coach do?
> --
> 1978 Eleganza II
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
> Yes, the visible breakers. If they were not tripped, then there is
> something wrong in the circuit to the receptacle that the water heater
> plugs into. If you are comfortable working with live circuits, then verify
> that you do in fact have voltage present at the receptacle. If you do, then
> the problem lies with the water heater. If not, then turn off all
> electricity coming into the coach, and open up the covers on the breaker
> box and the recptacle. If there are wire nuts, check them first, then all
> wires where they connect to breakers and buss bars. Finally, check the
> conductors end to end.
> Jim Hupy

Yes, quite adept at both AC and DC wiring along with all things mechanical. Will pull the panel cover today and start investigating.
--
1978 Eleganza II
 
Or if you are supplying the coach with 50A source one leg may be off or tripped. May be source not coach. All easy to troubleshoot if you are good
with VOM. Missing a leg will cause some circuits to work and others be dead as load is divided on 125/250V 14-50 NEMA.

--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
 
You should check the outlet the water heater connects to. The connection to the outlet is made by a process called back wiring. This process is quick but not durable. When you use the 'insert the wire here' method, called back wiring, only a single spring makes a connection. Two approaches are suggested.
(1) Use the screws on the side of the outlet.
(2) Use a commercial service outlet that has a screw type clamping bar.

That being said, if you use a portable electric heater anywhere in your coach, there is a very good chance the backwired outlets in that circuit are getting damaged every time the heater is being used.
Check/change all the outlets inside the coach.

>
>

> > Sounds like a breaker in the A.C. supply. The Buzz Box does not supply
> > A.C., only battery charging current and 12 D.C. power to the coach. IF YOU
> > HAVE AN INVERTER THAT PROVIDES A.C. VOLTAGE FROM BATTERIES, THE BUZZ BOX
> > WILL POWER THAT AS WELL. The factory never equipped the coaches with
> > battery to a.c. inverters, but many owners have modified their coaches like
> > this. So, it is hard to be exact.
> > Jim Hupy
> > Salem, Oregon
> > 78 GMC ROYALE 403
>
> Thanks, are you talking about the visible breakers on the power panel? None of those were tripped but I reset each one anyway. I wonder how is it
> that the outlet for the water heater doesn't have power yet other outlets in the coach do?
> --
> 1978 Eleganza II
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
 
Well it's all on me! I keep forgetting that while these RV's only use 110VAC, they use both sides of a 220VAC outlet and if you happen to use a
pigtail to plug one into a 110 outlet, only half the coach has AC power. You can guess what I'd done.
--
1978 Eleganza II
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Get your shine on at www.cruzingear.co
GMCMI Fall 2026 Rally

Share this page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back