Diagnosing electrical problems over the phone

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Hfx_Cdn

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Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Posts
3,980
Location
Nova Scotia
    I have the good fortune of having 2 daughters who folowled our footsteps and camp in pop ups, but the misfortune of having sons in law who are highly intelligent techies who can't figure out how to fix a simple problem.  So, today while entertaining a couple who are newly discovered cousins of DW, the phone rings and daughter says there is no electricity in their PUP which they set up last night and with tears in her voice, she says HELP. 
    I've never camped in the PUP, but I have helped to winterize it, and fixed a few issues, such as replaced the water pump.  So, we start the testing procedures, the circuit breakers at the camp site post are all ok, as are the one in the PUP, moving the 30 AMP connection to another post doesn't help, nor does connecting to the 20 AMP slot.  All that to say, we were at our whit's end when I asked if they had a GFI.  All I got was a what;s that, once described, they looked around and there below the table was a tripped GFI.  Problem solved, but not until after several frustrating minutes.
  So, if you loose A/C power  in your PUP look to see if the GFI is tripped.

Ed
 
I'll bet 50% of all those "Lost Power' in my motorhome threads,  are caused by a tripped GFI wall plug.

I have a 2yr old Grandson that pushes every button he sees.     

I had the lid off of the breaker box and I was testing every circuit, ....when I realized my Grandson had been in the bathroom.  :p

(side note) ...I found a complete printed wiring schematic of the Power Management Unit on the inside of the breaker box lid.
 
All I can say is now you have an idea of how we who do it over the internet feel.. You are not there yet cause it is way easier over the phone than over the net, (You get instant feedback) but you now have a clue.......

Yup, GFCI's are often the issue on the 120 volt side of life... People do not understand them.
 

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