...last night the temps went from 70 the day before to below freezing for several hours overnight...crazy, but true...so the 'winterizing' begins, and the needed 'heating' that it requires, while living in the coach.
We use mainly small 120v electric heaters spaced around the coach, rather than the propane that we don't tend to like the 'feel' of as much - but, of course, the electrical draw from space heaters can be 'fun' when tripping of breakers begins. At least, that's what I thought : /
This morning, after running two heaters on 750w settings overnight, the wife got up to get ready for work. She, of course, requires coffee, which I enjoy as well. She, of course, also uses the blow dryer. You probably are already ahead of me on this...
bamm! everything went dead.
O.k., so we tripped a breaker, no problem.
Nope. No breakers tripped. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm : / what now?
We are on 50amp power, let me go check the main breaker.
Nope. Good to go. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm : / what now?
The inverter actually still works, and provides power to all the outlets, yet the HEATERS, the COFFEE MAKER, and the BLOW DRYER are all 'still working'....
but the satellite receiver to the TV went off. The microwave is now blinking...
what gives????
Then I noticed that the Magnum panel was saying 'INVERTING', not 'Charging'...Hmmmmmmmmmm : / what???
Just then, the AGS started up the Generator - scary!!!! (when you're not expecting it!)... but, STILL NO CHARGING, and the Inverter is still on and pulling down the voltage, which will continue to ask the AGS to start the Generator!
o.k., so the wife left for work, and now I had 'time' to wrap my brain around this. Apparently my brain needs more 'time', now, than ever : /
It was simple, just not my 'first thought' when the lights go out(no pun intended, as our 'lights' are 12v, but you get the idea)....
the INVERTER's fuse had popped.
Pushing it back in immediately solved the problem, and Charging again began.
Now, some may say that it is
'obvious' that this should be one of the first things to consider, but in over 100,000 miles over 5 years and many, many tripped breakers in the main panel, tripped shore power breakers, tripped generator breakers, and even a tripped main Battery buss breaker, I've NEVER had any issue with the INVERTER itself. Crazy...true.
Lesson learned. Apparently the Inverter did not want to handle the rush of amperage for the sudden aforementioned BLOW DRYER, when added to the mix of the current Inverter powered outlets, which ALL are.
No individual breaker tripped.
The Inverter's 'charger/pass-thru' breaker, in the main panel, did not trip.
The coach's main breaker did not trip.
The shore power breaker did not trip.
it happens : / but easily solved,
IF you figure out 'where' to look : )
(o.k., I'll also add here my realization of what 'really' happened this morning:
The high draws caused the Inverter's own fuse to pop out, shutting down both the Inverter itself, and the integrated Battery Charger.
The Inverter PANEL read as 'OFF' when I first looked at it, which was somewhat confusing, but also why the sat receiver went dark, why the microwave went blank, and why when I pushed the 'Inverter' button, it all came back on.
The 'INVERTING', though, was what initially confused me, as I knew we were plugged into 50amp power, causing me to then think that we had lost shore power.
The kicker was that pushing the 'CHARGER' button did nothing, which I knew was not right. Without the Charging of the house batteries, any usage of any outlets would certainly, and quickly, bring down the battery levels, especially since those high draw heaters and blow dryer could STILL WORK, even thru the Inverter(just not very long).
So, the inspection of tripped breakers began, especially homing in on the 'Charger/Pass Thru' 30amp breaker which provide Shore Power to the Battery Charger part of the Magnum Inverter. That led me to believe that either shore power was lost, my own main breaker had tripped, or .... I couldn't think of ANYTHING else! (my bad, the fuse on the Inverter should be a though, but it just wasn't!).... oh well. Lesson learned. It'll probably happen tomorrow morning, too, when I go to blow dry my two tuffs of hair left! : ) )