Grounds

[travis martin]

> I think I've got a bad ground somewhere...needless to say I'm very careful
in that area..

At the risk of sounding alarmist, don't be careful, FIX IT. This can kill
you, or worse, someone you love.

A tingle indicates a ground fault. It may only be a tingle because your
shoes are insulating you sufficiently--so what happens when you are standing
on wet ground with wet shoes and you touch it?!?

Bear in mind that our muscles are controlled by electricity. An electrical
stimulation will always cause muscles to contract. So get in the habit of
always checking for a ground fault by touching the object in question, in
this instance your coach, with the BACK of your hand. In this way, if you
get a jolt, when your muscles contract they will pull your hand away from
the object, hopefully before you are seriously hurt. Heaven help you if you
grasp it with your hand; when your muscles contract, your hand will only
tighten and you cannot let go to save your life--literally.

Please, take care of this before you do another thing. I could tell you
quite a story about an event when I was in the service, but would take a
long time. Suffice it to say that I take this very, very seriously. It is
not just a nuisance.

Sincerely,

Travis in Lubbock, Texas

 

[cbwood]

>
> Yep - conservative is the word. Wes is probably concerned that most
> owners haven't maintained or replaced the grounding straps(the body
> ground behind the range in my gallery dropped off in my hand when I
> touched it). He probably should have stated that this was a departure
> from the Statpower manual for clarity's sake tho'.
>

>Check the one from the steel frame to the aluminum strut on the
>passenger side just behind the firewall. With the wheel well out you
>can see it very clearly. Mine was broke. Where the aluminum and steel
>come together you could very easily get corrosion between them
>and up the resistance. Just a thought.

FWIW.
When plugged into shore power, I can feel a 'tingle' when I touch the coach battery positive connector, the genset, or a metal part on the left rear outside of the coach..
I think I've got a bad ground somewhere...needless to say I'm very careful in that area..

CBWood
77 Kingsley
MWC OK

- -------------------------------------------------------------
Get free personalized email at http://www.switchboardmail.com

 

[gene]

This is prob. not only a bad ground, but something leaking current from the
common. If you plug the coach into a GFI you will prob. trip it. If so,
go looking for the bad AC device .
gene

>>
>> Yep - conservative is the word. Wes is probably concerned that most
>> owners haven't maintained or replaced the grounding straps(the body
>> ground behind the range in my gallery dropped off in my hand when I
>> touched it). He probably should have stated that this was a departure
>> from the Statpower manual for clarity's sake tho'.
>>
>
>>Check the one from the steel frame to the aluminum strut on the
>>passenger side just behind the firewall. With the wheel well out you
>>can see it very clearly. Mine was broke. Where the aluminum and steel
>>come together you could very easily get corrosion between them
>>and up the resistance. Just a thought.
>
>FWIW.
> When plugged into shore power, I can feel a 'tingle' when I touch the
coach battery positive connector, the genset, or a metal part on the left
rear outside of the coach..
>I think I've got a bad ground somewhere...needless to say I'm very careful
in that area..
>
>
>
>
>CBWood
>77 Kingsley
>MWC OK
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------
>Get free personalized email at http://www.switchboardmail.com
>

 

[chuck will]

HOwdy. JUst a thought. If the GFCI is set for only 20 AMPS would a stronge
one hold, say a 30 AMP. When I had my house wired for the GMC at my old
address I know the electrician wired it with a heavy duty 30 amp
recepticle/circuit breaker. It never tripped. Chuck

> -- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #3.1a PRODIGY ] --
>
> Just remember that a GFI on the inside may not help the "tingle" you get
> from the frame. The problem can be anywhere between the shore power and
> physical outside ground potential. Like Arch says, the problem is from
> either the hot or common to ground. I would still plug in the coach
> through a GFI and see if it drops out. If it does, you can then start
> adding or removing AC devices until you find the culprit.
>
> gene
> -------- REPLY, Original message follows --------
>
> Date: Wednesday, 29-Sep-99 11:29 AM
>
> From: Cbwood \ Internet: (cbwood)
> To: gmclist \ Internet: (gmcmotorhome
> .org)
>
> Attachment: mimemsg.doc Code: 0CTQC2G \ Created: Unknown [3 Kb]
>
> Subject: GMC: Grounds
>
> >
> > Yep - conservative is the word. Wes is probably concerned that most
> > owners haven't maintained or replaced the grounding straps(the body
> > ground behind the range in my gallery dropped off in my hand when I
> > touched it). He probably should have stated that this was a
> departure
> > from the Statpower manual for clarity's sake tho'.
> >
>
> >Check the one from the steel frame to the aluminum strut on the
> >passenger side just behind the firewall. With the wheel well out you
> >can see it very clearly. Mine was broke. Where the aluminum and steel
> >come together you could very easily get corrosion between them
> >and up the resistance. Just a thought.
>
> FWIW.
> When plugged into shore power, I can feel a 'tingle' when I touch the
> coach battery positive connector, the genset, or a metal part on the
> left rear outside of the coach.. I think I've got a bad ground somewhere
> ...needless to say I'm very careful in that area..
>
> CBWood
> 77 Kingsley
> MWC OK
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> Get free personalized email at http://www.switchboardmail.com
>
> -------- REPLY, End of original message --------
>
> Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
>
> GMC Technical Information
> http://www.california.com/~eagle/
>
> Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
>
> GMC Technical Information
> http://www.california.com/~eagle/

 

[chuck will]

All my electricity in this new house is GFCI. I found one that has the Freezer
on it and it held after I turend off the Freezer. The garage is the same
problem too. I have a compressor that will not run. It is 110 Volts but it
just won't work. Now over at my old house everything worked ok. That is why I
was asking if a veavier circuit breaker would work. Over at the old house I had
220 also. Not hear though. With the new laws everything must go underground
too. Chuck

> HOwdy. JUst a thought. If the GFCI is set for only 20 AMPS would a stronge
> one hold, say a 30 AMP. When I had my house wired for the GMC at my old
> address I know the electrician wired it with a heavy duty 30 amp
> recepticle/circuit breaker. It never tripped. Chuck
>

>
> > -- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #3.1a PRODIGY ] --
> >
> > Just remember that a GFI on the inside may not help the "tingle" you get
> > from the frame. The problem can be anywhere between the shore power and
> > physical outside ground potential. Like Arch says, the problem is from
> > either the hot or common to ground. I would still plug in the coach
> > through a GFI and see if it drops out. If it does, you can then start
> > adding or removing AC devices until you find the culprit.
> >
> > gene
> > -------- REPLY, Original message follows --------
> >
> > Date: Wednesday, 29-Sep-99 11:29 AM
> >
> > From: Cbwood \ Internet: (cbwood)
> > To: gmclist \ Internet: (gmcmotorhome
> > .org)
> >
> > Attachment: mimemsg.doc Code: 0CTQC2G \ Created: Unknown [3 Kb]
> >
> > Subject: GMC: Grounds
> >
> > >
> > > Yep - conservative is the word. Wes is probably concerned that most
> > > owners haven't maintained or replaced the grounding straps(the body
> > > ground behind the range in my gallery dropped off in my hand when I
> > > touched it). He probably should have stated that this was a
> > departure
> > > from the Statpower manual for clarity's sake tho'.
> > >
> >
> > >Check the one from the steel frame to the aluminum strut on the
> > >passenger side just behind the firewall. With the wheel well out you
> > >can see it very clearly. Mine was broke. Where the aluminum and steel
> > >come together you could very easily get corrosion between them
> > >and up the resistance. Just a thought.
> >
> > FWIW.
> > When plugged into shore power, I can feel a 'tingle' when I touch the
> > coach battery positive connector, the genset, or a metal part on the
> > left rear outside of the coach.. I think I've got a bad ground somewhere
> > ...needless to say I'm very careful in that area..
> >
> > CBWood
> > 77 Kingsley
> > MWC OK
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------
> > Get free personalized email at http://www.switchboardmail.com
> >
> > -------- REPLY, End of original message --------
> >
> > Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
> >
> > GMC Technical Information
> > http://www.california.com/~eagle/
> >
> > Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
> >
> > GMC Technical Information
> > http://www.california.com/~eagle/

 

[travis martin]

High, Chuck,

I've seen instances where heavy inductive loads...like electric
motors...will trip GFCI's. You may want to replace the breaker for your
freezer and compressor with conventional non-GFCI breakers. A bigger one
isn't necessary or advisable.

Travis

> All my electricity in this new house is GFCI. I found one that has the
Freezer
> on it and it held after I turend off the Freezer. The garage is the same
> problem too. I have a compressor that will not run. It is 110 Volts but
it
> just won't work. Now over at my old house everything worked ok. That is
why I
> was asking if a veavier circuit breaker would work. Over at the old house
I had
> 220 also. Not hear though. With the new laws everything must go
underground
> too. Chuck