[Archived]

Yes, Jon, That is true. It would be for 8 days and I am trying to avoid idling the bus that long if possible.

The generator has been running for 6 hours with the new breaker but it is only 90 here today so not a real scorcher.

Davy

[Raymond]

My thinking is while running the coach on high idle for extended periods may not be desirable it certainly will keep it cool inside and keep power to all electrical systems they you need until the fix can be made.

It won’t hurt anything to do that, and does use a little fuel. I’m hoping the new breaker does the job.

[Tommy]

Another report and this one is better. I ran the generator Friday for 8 hours and 40 minutes with our normal load for a hot day and the breaker held and nothing else went haywire. We left Wichita after church Friday night and when we arrived in OKC a few minutes before 1:00 I cranked the generator and went to bed. Today has been a busy day setting up the tent so I had not even walked in the bus until a few minutes ago, but my wife did check things a few times.

It has been running over 16 hours and all is well. I know that anything can happen but I am tentatively breathing a sigh of relief! I hope it sits right there and runs all week!

I appreciate those that have been checking on me. I value your concern and advice.

Davy

[Corey]

Great Davy, I hated you having all those problems while trying to work at the same time.

[Mark]

Thanks, Tom. I have had over 8 years of great service from the generator. It is one thing I have had NO problems out of until now. Things do pick the most inconvenient times to act cantankerous.

[Archived]

Good news Davy. For all that use, if the only issue has been the breaker that is really good performance.

[David]

The generator has been running over 176 hours with no problems at all. The old 70 amp surface mount Square D breaker seems to have been the problem after all. I appreciate all of the help.

My dear Dad is scratching his head and wants me to bring the breaker home so he “can take it apart and look at it!”

Speaking of home, off the subject, but we are on our way home for the first time in six months. We should be at the barn 3-4 days before setting up the tent in Dayton and then back to the barn for a short stay. We are a little excited to see everyone and drink some onion and cilantro heavy salsa from my favorite Mexican place!

Davy

[Robert A]

Davey, enjoy your break and happy 4th. Glad your problem is fixed.

[Dorel]

Davey…

So glad you got it fixed…Happy fourth to you and your family !!

Diane

[Archived]

As I mentioned earlier, my Dad does not believe a breaker gets “tired” or “weak” from carrying the current it is designed to carry. He steadfastly maintains that there must be heat to cause that to happen. Heat from a loose connection or heat from pulling too many amps He took the old breaker apart and showed me his vindication today.

The lugs showed no evidence of heat. The wires going in or going out showed no evidence of heat. But this half of the breaker has been hot internally at some point. That was the failure point. The other half was not discolored at all.

Davy

[Archived]

Resistance across the contacts?

Your dad was right in that two things seem to shorten the life of breakers. The first is using breakers as a switch. They are not, were not designed to be switched, and that is why shore power breakers are a big maintenance item in an RV park. Triple Foxtrot may have some feelings on that.

The second failure point is anywhere resistance occurs and heat builds. It can be internal across the points or external with loose lugs where the wire is connected. I had one in my first bus literally melt the lug which was very scary to see. Now anytime I have reason to get at the back of my electric panel I make sure all lug screws are tight.

[Archived]

OK, Jon brought my name up, so I MUST respond. “I always
thought Jon had a screw loose and now he admits it.”

Seriously, breakers, when used as switches, such as at RV parks,
will fail after about 200 switches, give or take a few clicks. At
my front two rows that had more in and out customers because we did not rent
those site long term, I would have to replace the breakers, on average, after 9
to 12 months. Just my opinion, but I believe like Davy’s dad, that heat,
probably caused by arcing due to switching while under a load, caused the
breakers to weaken. Also in the slow
season (August) when the kids were back in school and the Snow Birds had not
flown South, I would shut down each row and re-torque the main 350 mcm wires
into each box and give each breaker lug a tightening twist also. Yes, electrical connections loosen, even when
there is little to no vibration. I also
used a conductive lubricant that reduced corrosion on each connection since I
was in a high humidity location. I had
to replace the 50 amp female plugs in the oft used sites after 3 to 5
years. Some sooner because the coach had
a bad male plug and caused arcing within the female plug.

With one helper I could do a 10 site row in a little less than
an hour. Pop the main breaker, helper
starts taking off panels. I had my torque
wrench with a hex adapter for the mains and big ol’ screwdriver for the
breakers. By the time I finished, my
helper had caught up with me replacing the panels. Just like a Prevost … there is always
something than needs a fixen.

Triple Fox

P.S. Just had a brain storm, a IR thermometer gun could probably be used to make a quick check of the breakers.

[Archived]

I just went through that excecise in GA at the Corp of Eng Sweetwater campground. They had the electrical company that handles their power come to my site and install a new 50 amp breaker for that very reason. He said it happens all the time as the breakers become on/off switches for 20 years.

We did have to have a heart to heart conversation about the whimpy power, 115 and 117 that drops like a rock to almost brown out as soon as you load the connection. I actually had to show him what happens to the volts with 30 amps on each leg. Like others, they just test the power without any load and declare it’s good.

So he goes to the main big dog panal and discovers the breaker that feeds 2 sites, one was mine, had a bad undersized breaker which he replaced. Problem solved.

[Tim]

Since my former company made what are called “temporary power outlets” we used tens of thousands of the breakers used in shore power boxes. We used them from every manufacturer including Siemens and Square D. Every manufacturer makes them for home use in the electric panel installed in every home. They were never designed as switches, but solely as devices that were to trip if the current flow exceeded their value, and for the occasional shutting off of the circuit.

But UL in UL-231`which is the standard that controls the design of the shore power boxes and is used for certification does not allow or provide for an alternative to the circuit breakers. The presumed use of the boxes is by contractors who will install one outside a house under construction and use it to power their various tools.

For such a simple product they are truly maintenance intensive because the torque has to be reset periodically at the wires and cables and the entire breaker needs frequent replacement. I would not expect the breaker for the generator to be a maintenance issue however because it is not used as a switch, and because we rarely approach the ampere rating of the breaker.