Page 2 of 6

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 12:50 pm
by DJ18
I need an electricity for dummies book.

we go to this campground almost exclusively, as it is still open, is near our favorite lake and isn't so far away that we can't go often. So we will go back, park in the same spot and connect with the kill switch on, the converter off, so nothing is possibly on, and see if it blows the plug or sparks on the other outlet. my husband pointed out we didn't have a problem with the electrical hooks ups on the other side of the grounds when we parked there a couple of times and we don't have a problem at home or at another place we went.

I think I'm choosing the ostrich approach, but all outlets and appliances 12v and 110 work and we don't blow fuses or trip our own breakers or get shocks.....

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 3:49 pm
by Salty
I wish you best . Sincerely. I come back the original premise. There is an issue with that campsites wiring. Just that location. The receptacle, the connection. If by chance you happened to get that GFCI tester that Razorback mentioned, plug it in at the very receptacle/post that you would connect to. See how it tests out. Failing that, I got nuthin'

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 7:24 pm
by DJ18
I was just admitting I am hopeless with electricity. I really do appreciate everyone's efforts to help me! thanks!

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 9:55 pm
by Justin
Salty wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:46 pm Hmmm...
On original 80's Avions with a 30 amp system and a single AC, I believe the Microwave is on it's own breaker, the AC is on it's own breaker. The remaining receptacles are on a single 20 amp breaker.It's a ring. they're all connected in parallel.
@@Justin How did you resolve your problem?
@Salty , what problem are we talking about? I’ve got problems to spare 😂

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2020 7:26 pm
by Salty
Sorry Justin, I was actually posting at Jason and let the auto complete do it's thing. Serves me right for posting from my phone.

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:20 pm
by DJ18
We are trying to fix our outlet problems. Replaced the GFI outlet, did not solve the problem. Went to the first outlet where the problem is. The one the heater was plugged into when I smelled hot right before the heater went off, and all the outlet from that outlet on lost power. A new receptacle on that didn’t change anything either. But I wonder about the wires. There are the two white and the two black wires and one bare ground wire and one bare wire that is not connected to anything, just sort of folded up on itself. Is this right?

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:36 pm
by KYAvion
Do you have juice at the GFCI? What is the location of the one you replaced?

Do you have juice at the outlet you replaced?

Using the the tester mentioned before, as well as using a multimeter, is necessary to diagnose what’s going on. Otherwise, you’re just replacing things at random.

Replacing the GFCI made sense to rule it out. Replacing additional non-GFCI’s outlets doesn’t make sense unless you know the outlet is bad (which is highly unlikely).

The ground should not be folded up. The grounds should be connected with a wire nut and then a “pigtail” attaches the ground wire to the ground screw.

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:42 pm
by KYAvion
DJ18 wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:20 pm Went to the first outlet where the problem is.
Do you have power at that outlet? What does your multimeter say?

What happened when the heater stopped? Did the breaker trip?

Am I reading correctly that the heater was plugged into a circuit that also has a gfci on it?

Did you check and/or change the breaker?

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:06 am
by DJ18
Multi meter was in our truck, which was at the shop. I have it now! I am going to buy that receptacle tester today. We were testing for juice with a small lamp.

The heater was plugged into the outlet above the furnace cabinet. The gfci outlet was next in line, then the two bedroom outlets. Those are all without power. There is only one gfi outlet and it is in the bathroom.

The breaker did not trip, I smelled something hot, the heater went off, I unplugged it. When we took the outlet out to check it, the ground wire was broken and I didn’t know if they needed to be continuous. I though they must need to be connected but like I say, not very sure of myself around electricity. My husband didn’t know either, so both were clueless.

I sort of answered my own question when I took another look at the gfi outlet next in line, and saw that yes, the ground wires are connected together.

I think the outlet “chain” starts at the converter and goes counter clockwise from there. All 3 outlets work until we get to the one he heater was plugged into.

One problem is that the gfci receptacle I bought does not work as well with those thick copper wires as the old one. Today I’m going to put the old one back and see if those plugs work. Thanks for trying to help!!

Re: I need some guidance please!

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 6:16 pm
by DJ18
there is no hot wires going to the outlet that quit working. the last outlet that is hot is the outlet in the front of the trailer on the door side, second in the row of outlets. I'm not counting the microwave as it does have it's own breaker. now I'm really puzzled. I'm guessing I need to look at the last hot outlet? both plug sockets are hot in that receptacle.