Transfer Switch

[David Fischer]

I need some help in determining just where my problem is when it comes to an electrical problem I am having.
I am at my home base in New Mexico and the other day we had a couple of electrical shut downs.  This has been happening more often lately and I felt that it may be in the 50 amp breaker we are connected to.  So, I simply changed the breaker and then the real problems started.  Both the refrigerator and the the front air would not work.  The refrigerator went to gas so that was no problem, and the back air was working.  After determining that one of my electrical legs was out, I checked the 50 amp in the coach panel and low and behold one was out.  I went to the local store to get it replaced and no one carried Westinghouse breakers.  It turns out that Eaton-Cutler Hammer took over the  breaker line and one store luckily had one that fit.  I put that in and it didn't do the job.  After thinking about what to do I turned on the generator and low and behold everything started working.  My question is:  Is my transfer switch the culprit, or is there something else I should be looking at?  I am going to Albuquerque this week and if necessary have it looked at by a shop,  or I can just  buy the new transfer switch and put it in myself, and hope that is the fix.   Any help would be appreciated.

David

[Tom and Pam Brown]

David, the coil went out in my transfer switch and it worked the same as yours.  I replaced the magnetic coil in the transfer switch and all was well.  An electrician can do the job if you do not feel comfortable.

[Edward Buker]

David,

You should take a meter and start at your plug in source and be sure thet you measure 120V between each leg and the neutral wire. If the generator powers both feeds to the main breaker panel and everything works in the coach then the main breaker panel and everything in it is fine.

 Take the cover off the transfer switch and measure the input side of the contactors each side to the neutral wire with the generator off and the coach plugged in. You should measure 120V between the feed and the neutral wire from each of two feeds coming in from the cord. Then measure the output side of the relay and you should also see 120V from each side to the neutral wire. The neutral is the white, the black is one 120V hot leg, and the red is the other in this photo. One relay is fed by the generator and the other by the shore power cord. The output sides of the relays are coupled together and feed the main breaker panel.

If the source to the power cord has 120V on each leg and the input side of the transfer switch relay does not then the power cord wiring and or the wiring from the cord to the transfer switch has an open. If you have 120V on both inputs (red to white and black to white) of the relay on the input side but only 120v on one side of the output side of the relay, then one of the relay contacts is at fault.

If you do not have a meter or are not comfortable taking these measurements in a safe manner then by all means enlist someone who can help. This is not particularly difficult you just do not get many chances if you complete the circuit. Hope this helps.

Later Ed

[David Fischer]

Thanks to both Tom and Edward.  I checked the power from the incoming cable to the box, and one of the wires did not have power.  I went to the outside 50 amp power breaker and rechecked both sides of the new breaker, and lo and behold the new breaker was defective.  So my problem is solved.  That was something that I never would have thought of.  Glad I bought it at Lowes, as the hardware here won't take breakers back no matter what.
David

[Edward Buker]

David,

Glad you have the problem solved, men do not run very well on half power :-)

Later Ed