| Author | Message | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 242 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
i used to be able to plug the bus into the house,but now every time i do it pops the 20 amp breaker.... i have nothing running except the inverter, this all started when my auto former blew up. any ideas? | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 658 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 64.40.215.238  Rating: N/A |
Is the plug molded? Check between ground and neutral, ground and hot for continuity. Check also with a different cord. You also could have a weak breaker but something is definitely not right. I don't know your expertise, but if you are on a learning curve. You might want to get a qualified electrician to give you a hand. I would aso unplug anything before going any further to better isolate the issue. | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 243 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
a molded plug from the inverter, i have tried this on different circuits and they all pop this is also a new and proven cord from the house #6 wires or larger.everything is unplugged. this started when my auto-former blew up. | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 1086 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.15  Rating: N/A |
Does your inverter include a battery charger, and, if so, what is its max current draw or setting? If the charger can be turned off, I would start there. Also, whatever is causing this problem and whatever caused the auto-transformer to melt may be related. I would not keep trying to plug in until you have diagnosed the root cause. Get out your trusty ohmmeter and give us the readings hot-neutral, hot-ground, and neutral-ground. That will give us someplace to start on the diagnosis. -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 244 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
i will pull it out in the morning. the unit also seems to be going into overload but that may be related to me leaving a trickle charger on her? also no way to turn off the inverters charger. | ||
| Cable (Fe2_o3)
Registered Member Username: Fe2_o3 Post Number: 47 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 71.112.201.48  Rating: N/A |
"also no way to turn off the inverters charger." Is there a fuse or breaker?...Cable | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 1087 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.40 Rating: N/A |
What is the make and model of your inverter? -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 245 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
hart 1800 on the plug with the 3rd prong on top i get left to right 43.1 ohms .right to ground i get 44.2 ohms. left to ground i get 1.2 ohms. | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 1088 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.30 Rating: N/A |
Heart made several different 1,800 watt inverters. Is this the Freedom HF model? I need the exact model number to help you. Also, can you tell me if the 20-amp breaker that is popping is a GFCI? Your resistance measurements tell me there is a direct ground fault in the inverter, which would cause a GFCI to trip instantly. -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com (Message edited by Sean on May 03, 2010) | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 246 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
no gfci connected it is the ems 1800 i talked with the manufacturer and they didn't want to offer any help just sell me a new one. | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 247 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
i will also take the front off of her to see if any wires are touching another which is possible as i had the whole unit out not long ago when i was having another problem. | ||
| George M. Todd (George_todd)
Registered Member Username: George_todd Post Number: 1008 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 99.29.76.171 Rating: N/A |
Tom, The frame of your inverter should be connected to the ground pin in the plug. Neither of the other two "blades" in the plug should show any connection to the ground pin. The meter readings SHOULD read open circuit, infinite, or overload, between the ground pin and either of the others. A reading of 43 Ohms between left and right is reasonable. You should also get a reading of an Ohm or less between the ground pin in the plug, and the case of the inverter. As Sean says, "You have a ground fault," versus a line to neutral short. An electrical burnout can leave a carbon track which conducts electricity across the surface of an insulator, look for little black lines. G | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 1089 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.30 Rating: N/A |
Well, I've got documentation on lots of Hearts but the EMS-1800 is not one of them. It does not seem to be available on the Xantrex web site. I know these units are circa 1991-1992 or so. The readings seem normal to me. Even the "ground fault" is possibly within normal parameters, as these units often had an internal ground-neutral bonding relay, which would only lift upon application of 120vac to the input terminals. Even with the battery charger (usually about 40 amps or so) running full tilt, this should not be tripping a normal breaker. Are you absolutely certain the breaker is not the GFI type? As a next step, I would disconnect everything from the inverter except the input power and see if that still trips the breaker. If it does, then we'll need to open the unit up and check a few things. -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 248 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
my house was built in 1892 and there are no gfci's on any circuit that i have plugged into the only things plugged into the unit are the outlets and the microwave but it is not running there is also a few lights that are plugged in but not on.there are gfci's in the bay and in the kitchen area but those are after not before the input.there must be some grounding or shorting problem as the inverter works fine on it's own.except when i put the charger on the batts overnight and then it goes in to overload mode. | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 249 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
also when i do plug her in it will run for 2 or 3 seconds before the pop. | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 250 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
FIXED...... apparently when my auto former blew up i was not supposed to reconnect the input and the output together, it caused my shorting problem. we are all plugged in and ready to roll except for needing a new regulator for the generator. | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 251 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
this also seemed to fix the generator?????? works and starts fine,,knock on wood.... |