Microwave receptacle not working

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buicklee

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Posts
6
Location
Green Valley, AZ
A friend currently living in our 2005 Fleetwood Bounder 38n blew a 20 amp circuit breaker.  I reset the breaker.  There is no separate breaker for the Microwave that I can locate, but after resetting the blown breaker which controls most of the aft portion of the RV (mostly bedroom and bathroom),  the receptacle to which the Microwave is plugged is non functional.  All other receptacles in the RV and circuit breakers under the bed are functioning as designed.  The microwave is operational when plugged into an operating receptacle.  Are there any fuses or separate circuit breakers outside of the distribution box or any suggestions as to the diagnosis of this problem?

Thanks in advance.  I have learned much from this forum, and should probably contribute to its survival.
 
If it works at any other outlet and all the breakers were shut off then back on, I'd be looking for a GFCI recepticle that you've missed. I would also check all the screws in the entrance panel to make sure they are all tight. With the power off of course.
 
x2 on checking and resetting GFCI outlets. My motorhome had one in the bathroom, and anytime it tripped there were a few other outlets "down the line" that were affected.
 
When you say you "reset" the breakers - I hope you mean that you flipped each one to "off." Then FORCEFULLY pressed them further to the "off" position to effect a reset.

Sometimes folks think simply turn them "off" and then back "on" does the reset.

Please post when you find the problem...
 
Domo said:
When you say you "reset" the breakers - I hope you mean that you flipped each one to "off." Then FORCEFULLY pressed them further to the "off" position to effect a reset.

Sometimes folks think simply turn them "off" and then back "on" does the reset.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that. I've been doing it wrong for some 60 years.
 
I must be doing it wrong also Rene,,when a breaker flips "OFF",,it IS OFF,, as no current is flowing period.. When choosing the on or reset position it will stay in that position as long as the shorted condition does NOT exist.. It now has been RESET>>>Dan  ( It's been that way for a lotta years but I guess there are new things that come along )
 
Rene T said:
I didn't know that. I've been doing it wrong for some 60 years.
Click to expand...

Okay, let me clarify. When a circuit breaker trips, it does not flip to the OFF position. Instead, it flips to an intermediate position that can feel "loose" and allows it to be wiggled between the ON and the intermediate position.

As a licensed contractor, I often had folks that would simply move the "wiggly switch" to the ON position and let go, thinking they have reset the breaker. THEY HAVE NOT.

As stated, when a breaker is tripped, you have to forcefully push the lever all the way to the OFF position for it to reset - then switch it to ON. Every instruction I've ever seen says to return a breaker to the "full off" position before turning it back on.

Seems simple to me and I've seen folks confused by it for years and years.

I'm surprised others have not run into that.

My goal was to insure that OP was not one of the folks that may not have understood that simply pushing the switch to ON did not reset the breaker if it had tripped.

I hope that gets us all on the same page to help OP, who may not have what we assume is in the common body of knowledge.

Thanks to all for helping to point out what confused them.
 
Thank you for all of the replies.  The problem (I think)  was with one of the GFI receptacles (there are three) it would not test as the button test button would not depress, yet it checked out that the receptacle was working and I ignored it.  Turns out the microwave receptacle was apparently daisy chained to that receptacle 'cause when I got the GFI test button to toggle, the microwave receptacle started working.  I have no idea how that would not allow current to flow through the receptacle but as, for now,  I am sticking to that theory.  Again, thanks for all the replies and if someone could tell me why that GFI "seemed" to exhibit that symptom I would be much appreciated.
 
Two possibilities by code the microwave deserves a breaker all to itself. NOW if the RV has an inverter. Especially an after market inverter said breaker may be in a different place than the main breakers.

Second. RV's are not always code so it may be a burned wire somewhere that shorted and popped the breaker then enough wire burned out it's no longer shorted. but it is open now.  Good luck with that one.
 
Rene T said:
I did say "If it works at any other outlet and all the breakers were shut off then back on".
Click to expand...

Yes, you did say that. My point was to help instruct in case "were shut off" was different than "I pushed the switch into the OFF position." Some folks think the wiggling switch when in the tripped position is OFF.

OP indicated in his solution that a GFCI that would not reset had been ignored and ended up being the likely cause (if I read it correctly). Surely this was not the action of a person intimately familiar with electricity - therefore all the help any of us could give was certainly warranted and reflected in OP's stated appreciation.
 
A GFCI outlet will not reset if there is no -power to it. In other words, you can't do a reset on it if the supply breaker is tripped.  Be aware that a short to ground will sometimes trip both the breaker and the GFCI.
 
My rig has a transfer switch that does not allow the microwave and water heater to work at the same time...and least I think that was the two things it's switches.... can't remember for sure....

anyway, could be similar and you've got a bad transfer switch
 
Utclmjmpr said:
I must be doing it wrong also Rene,,when a breaker flips "OFF",,it IS OFF,, as no current is flowing period.. When choosing the on or reset position it will stay in that position as long as the shorted condition does NOT exist.. It now has been RESET>>>Dan  ( It's been that way for a lotta years but I guess there are new things that come along )
Click to expand...

NOPE.  Nothing new here. It is required to be done just as DOMO stated. Retired Master Electrician here. When a breaker trips it is in fact OFF. But to reset you must forcibly push it to off then on to reset. All brands, all makes and all models.
 
buicklee said:
Thank you for all of the replies.  The problem (I think)  was with one of the GFI receptacles (there are three) it would not test as the button test button would not depress, yet it checked out that the receptacle was working and I ignored it.  Turns out the microwave receptacle was apparently daisy chained to that receptacle 'cause when I got the GFI test button to toggle, the microwave receptacle started working.  I have no idea how that would not allow current to flow through the receptacle but as, for now,  I am sticking to that theory.  Again, thanks for all the replies and if someone could tell me why that GFI "seemed" to exhibit that symptom I would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

You are correct. The microwave is daisy chained with all the outlets within 6' of a water supply including all outside and outlets within ground level storage bays.

HOWEVER, the microwave is not required to be on that circuit. It is supposed to be on a circuit of it's own unless a plug in counter top 20 amp circuit. But the monkeys that build these things are hard to train. You had to reset the breaker to get power to the GFI to get that to reset. So, stick to your story :))
 
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