Strange Power Glitch

[Weewun]

Had a first and strange occurrence in my MH.  Am at our Winter site on 50 amps.  Devices (Microwave, outlets in living area, entertainment center, etc.) on the output legs of the Magnetec 2kw inverter had a power loss (glitch), all other outlets had no glitch.  The Inverter is "off".  Did not pop the Inverter output breakers.

I know there is a Transfer Switch in the Inverter that must have dropped.  This has never happened to me before, am I looking at a looming Inverter failure???????

 

[John From Detroit]

Is there a transfer switch in the inverter..... Possibly, if the inverter is also your converter YES, if not then possible.  If not then there is a transfer switch outside the converter.  They come both ways.. I do not know your inverter.

but there are 3 ways an inverter can be wired.

You almost never see one in "power line conditoner mode" outside of an office or lab that needs power line conditioning.. Line diagram follows

Mains---converter----battery----Inverter---Protected loads.

Epically in the multi-kilowatt range RV units should not be wired that way

The two ways Rv ujnits are wried are as follows.

Mains--converter--_battery---Inverter---Transfer switch
Mains----Transfer switch---Loads

And

Mains------inverter/coverter----Loads
Batteryies-------^

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

A Magnetek inverter?  Didn't know they ever made one. Could it be the Magnum brand (different company altogether).

In any case, if the inverter is also the converter and charger, it will almost surely have an internal transfer switch. If not, it is possible but doubtful.  The internal transfer switch is sensitive to the source voltage (shore or generator) and will attempt to switch to inverter mode if the voltage falls below some threshold. But with the inverter itself turned off, there is nothing to transfer to, so you get a power outage that lasts until shore power is restored.  It appears the inverter is more sensitive than whatever you may have plugged in on the non-inverter circuits (which probably isn't much of anything that is very voltage sensitive).

 

[Weewun]

Gary, it is a Magnum, I had a mind fart.  I have a built-in EMS Surge Protector for the whole MH and I have two clocks on the nonInverter supplied outlets.

None of the clocks on the noninverter outlets lost power (no blinking).  Only the devices (Microwave clock and another electric clock) on the Inverter outlets lost power (clocks were blinking).

Back to my original question, is this an omen of pending Inverter failure????????

 

[Just Lou]

Gary, it is a Magnum, I had a mind fart.  I have a built-in EMS Surge Protector for the whole MH and I have two clocks on the nonInverter supplied outlets.

None of the clocks on the noninverter outlets lost power (no blinking).  Only the devices (Microwave clock and another electric clock) on the Inverter outlets lost power (clocks were blinking).

Back to my original question, is this an omen of pending Inverter failure? ??? ??? ?

No, to answer your question.  If the inverter was off at the time of the shore power glitch (most likely just dropped below the inverter transfer switch sensors acceptable level) then the unit operated as designed.

This is why we suggest that the inverter be left ON at all times the rig is being used.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

What Lou said.

 

[nbounder]

Your post encouraged me to 'hook into this matter.  While I cannot answer your query from a point of direct experience, I just wonder if your problem might just be the same as mine - here goes  The rig (95 Bounder 35') spends it's off road time plugged in to a proper 30A outlet, about 75 to 100 ft from the breaker panel.  Every day, when I toddle down to the coach to check things out, I find there was a power outage the previous night.  The time on the alarm clock and the micro are both flashing.  So, I reset them, and the next day, same thing.  There is no load on the 30A line, and the breaker  is never tripped.  no one has ever tried to break in, and there's no evidence of foul play.  Can  it also be a low voltage 'droop'? The unit is protected by a proper 30A surge guard.  If it actually WAS a low voltage droop, the Surge box would report it...or so I think.  any ideas?

 

[Weewun]

I appreciate your responses and you have given me a project:

1.  Try to find the Drop-Out voltage for the Inverter,and

2.  Go thru the manual and see if the Drop-Out voltage is adjustable.

I had turned the Inverter off because of extended Power Outages where I store the MH during non use and their resulting symptoms.