opnspaces
San Diego Ca
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If it still flickers after you fix the ground do a voltage check while it's flickering.
My guess is the flicker is the converter. Maybe the flickering is heat related. All the tests are good when the components are cold. But after a while things heat up and the flickering starts.
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enblethen
Moses Lake, WA
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I would call Best converter. They can give you more information, but I think converter is failing.
Have your battery load tested.
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MFL
Midwest
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ScandentTrek wrote:MFL wrote:bgum wrote:I can't figure out how you're doing all that on 15 amps. That circuit is over loaded.
^This...running the AC alone on a 15A circuit, would be a heavy load. Any additional electrical load should trip the breaker. The converter charger is likely overloading, so helps to shut it off.
To be there that long, a 30 amp circuit, with 10/2 minimum wire would be a wise investment. I used 8/2 to run 75'.
Jerry
We haven't had an issue with the breakers tripping. Our AC unit is as old as the trailer and fairly small.
How would using too much AC power (not enough to trip the breaker) cause the converter charger to overload? I would think the breakers (in the house or in the trailer) would trip first before any kind of overload could occur.
Maybe I should have said converter is overworking, possibly failing? In any case, a 15 amp circuit is not a good choice for full time living, supplying power for AC, microwave, toaster, coffee machine, hair dryer, etc.
CB ground issue, battery issue, converter issue?
Jerry
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ScandentTrek
Oregon Coast
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So, we got the battery tested and it's right as rain.
We also reattached the ground wires securely to a newly cleaned and tightened bolt in the frame. I also opened up the converter box and tightened the screws in the ground bar at the converter.
However, the problem persists. Ruling out the battery and the most obvious places for a loose ground connection really only leaves us with a few options.
This leads me to think it's either the converter or we have a problem with some loose wiring in the connection to the water heater.
A replacement for the converter is about $300, so I would hate to do that work and then find out that it wasn't the problem.
On the other hand, the converter is operating out a spec with an output of 17amps when the fuses are plugged in. That makes me think it needs to be replaced regardless, as it's overcharging our battery.
I will go through and check my wiring job in the most accessible places in the back of the cabinet, but I think this means a converter replacement.
Unless there is some merit to the idea that plugging into a 15amp plug is causing DC electrical issues? But from what I've read, people do this all the time without issues and the only issue it should cause is possibly tripping the breaker if we tried to pull too many amps.
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enblethen
Moses Lake, WA
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I hope you mean "17-volts" not amps!
120-volt 15 amp should not have any effect as long it is good solid 120-volts.
Did you read voltage output with battery disconnected?
Did you call Best Converter for their input?
* This post was
edited 08/25/23 01:16pm by enblethen *
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jimh406
Western MT
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I'd check to see what voltage is coming in from the plug and also how many amps you are drawing. A Kill-a-watt or similar is fairly inexpensive.
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ScandentTrek
Oregon Coast
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enblethen wrote:I hope you mean "17-volts" not amps!
120-volt 15 amp should not have any effect as long it is good solid 120-volts.
Did you read voltage output with battery disconnected?
Did you call Best Converter for their input?
Yep, I just read 16.8v from the converter (blue wire) with the battery disconnected. With the battery disconnected, the battery recharge wire (red) is reading 10v.
I Know it's not supposed to be that high and that indicates a problem.
Also, when I tested the converter just now I could feel the heat coming off it and realized the fan wasn't running, which is weird because previously it seemed like it was Always running. The metal is Hot to touch and the fan won't come on. That might be the last nail in the coffin of this troubleshooting series.
Folks, I think I'm gonna need to do that $300 converter replacement after all. We got 3.5 good fulltime years out of the original 1997 model, I guess that's the best we could hope for.
I contacted BestConverter but haven't heard back yet, thanks for the recommendation!
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enblethen
Moses Lake, WA
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The converter that I link at Best Converter is only $219
Don't go cheap!
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ScandentTrek
Oregon Coast
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enblethen wrote:The converter that I link at Best Converter is only $219
Don't go cheap!
If you like that website, that's a great price and I'll take your advice. The swap looks simple, so that's a relief.
Thank you for your help, even just typing things out helped me get my mind around the troubleshooting and narrow down the possibilities, but your advice was simple and helpful and I appreciate it!
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ScandentTrek
Oregon Coast
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Update! I ordered and installed a new converter and it seems to have completely solved our problem. Also, it's much quieter and doesn't run nearly as hot, with much less fan noise. Overall, the installation was simple, with most of the difficulty coming from wrangling the wires back into the spaces and getting the new breaker board on.
Thank you all for your advice and help, it's a relief to have a functioning electrical system that's humming along as it should.
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