Onan AGS question

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2dalake

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Dec 12, 2008
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I have the Onan wireless auto gen start gizmo installed.  Primarily, we were interested in making sure our dogs don't get cooked if shore power fails while we are out sight-seeing, etc. 

I had occasion to witness this happen this past weekend while visiting some family and plugged into a 20 amp outlet.  I had my power management system set for 20 amp and the AC was running.  AC was set for 73F and temp in the coach was 74-75F.  The coach tripped the shore power breaker in their home and, since the AGS is set to start genny if interior temp is above 74F, the genset started less than one minute after the shore power was lost.  However, the genny only ran for about 15 seconds and shut down.  It showed an 'over current' fault code which I suspect was due to the fact that the AC tried to come on as soon as the genny fired up.  I shut off the AC at the T-stat, refired the genset, let it run for about one minute, then restarted the AC.  All was well.

So, this is likely to be the scenario if shore power is lost while AC is running and I am not in the coach to intervene.  Any suggestions how to prevent this from happening? 
 
Not sure what MH you have but it sounds like you have a heat pump similar to mine. I say this because I thought they already had a time delay built into them but maybe I'm just remembering mine because of the surge guard. I installed a hardwired surge guard in my power bay. I hooked it up to the wiring that runs into the main panel in the MH. This way it covers all power coming into the MH including the genset. The surge guard has a built in time delay of app 2 1/2 mins if I remember correct. I can leave my stat set and start the genset without any problem. By the time the surge guard allows voltage into the MH the genset has already idled down waiting on an amp draw to throttle up again. I did this one, http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/50-amp-hard-wired-surge-guard/18541
 
What kind of AC unit? Most ACs have a built in time delay to protect the compressor. That delay is long enough for the Gen to get up to speed.

Generally most people put their Power Protection before the Transfer switch to protect the Transfer Switch since the Generator itself has enough protection built in to protect the coach form any generator issues. BUT, if your ACs do not have a time delay then as suggested placing the Power Protection device after the transfer switch will give you the needed delay (the Hard wired units by Progressive Industries and Surge Guard by TRC do this on their Power protection units) On the Progressive unit you will have to change the factory setting on the time delay. It is set at 15 secs, but if you need the delay for the AC they tell you how to change this to 136 sec delay.

ken
 
Coleman basement heat pump, Winnebago.  I do have the Progressive 50 amp surge guard wired before the transfer switch and will change it so it is wired between transfer switch and main panel.  The built in 2 min, 15 second delay on the surge device should solve the issue.

Thanks for the suggestion.
 
My Onan 7500 doesn't even turn the power on until the engine stabilizes. By then it is ready for max load, andone a/c doesn't even tax it.

Most RV a/c units have a short (1-2 minute) compressor re-start delay built in, but by  the time the AGS cut in and the genset started, it was probably ready to go again.
 
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