BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: jeffprupis on April 19, 2019, 03:34:05 AM
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The GFIC breaker keeps tripping for our tv outlet. This outlet is tied to a box which disables the outlet when the coach is running. I'm planning to replace the breaker and disable the outlet so it stays live when the coach is operational (I promise not to watch TV while driving) Any advise to do or not do this or what might be causing the issue. TIA
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Jeff,
Shouldn't be a problem if an inverter supplied AC source is close. Jeff, jsut checked and interestingly the electrical prints show the front TV outlet is on the same circuit as the icemaker and the other AV equipemnt and fed by the inverter. I suspec the print is incorrect..
Steve
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The outlet is inverter powered.
Tomorrow I will unplug the ice maker and see if that impacts the tripping circuit.
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If you wish to disable the tv shut off operated by the ignition switch, look for a electrical junction box up in front near the or around the tv. It should have both 120V romex wire and 12V maybe 14 or 12 gauge wire going into it. Open the cover and take the black 12V (it's a ground wire) wire off of the relay. Tape the end and tuck it away then put the cover back on. This way, if you or another owner wish to return it to working operation they just have to reattach the wire to the relay. Marty
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We had issues with our old Sharp TV acting up at the same time (coincidence?) as the ignition was being inconsistent while parked during super hot weather in Nebraska in 2012. I don’t remember the details well, but that’s when I discovered all the front cap devices were in outlets on the same circuit as those running along the living area/slideout street side, and my wiring diagrams confirmed it; I think the ice maker was outlet numero uno on that circuit.
While exploring the issues, I believe I found what I thought was the circuit ignition cutout relay inside the fridge ice maker outlet, one of the two behind the outside fridge access door and to the right; the fridge plugs into a circuit off the 50amp Main breaker box and the ice maker inside the fridge into the 30amp inverter breaker box. I think there were a couple of 12v wires entering the ice maker outlet or an associated junction box, which made me suspect that’s where they put the cutout relay. Seems like I may have commented here about it at the time or since.
Forgive my poor memory on this, Jeff... we haven’t been able to use the coach for awhile, so some things have dimmed (brain surgery will do that to ya, as does old age) and my comments above may not prove helpful. But you might check that ice maker outlet if you can’t locate the relay elsewhere.
Joel
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I looked at the wiring diagram and see the circuit for the front TV, but I don't see anything labeled as a GFI on the drawing. My Patriot diagrams clearly show GFI outlets as such (and my front TV is on the GFI outlet/circuit from the Lavy). Are you resetting the breaker in the panel or do you have a GFI outlet with a reset?
I have seen plenty of those GFI outlets go bad. Most of the time they just wont reset, but sometimes they get too sensitive.
So if your resetting at an outlet, don't overlook having a bad GFI. It's easy to change one out if that is a possibility.
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All of our outlets look like "regular" outlets. All the breakers that feed them are GFIC breakers. ALL outlets are labeled "GFIC Protected Outlet". Square D by Schneider Electric QO115GFICP QO Qwik-Gard 15 Amp Single-Pole GFCI Circuit Breaker. Just unplugged Ice Maker and all is working. IDK??
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Mike,
The elec print I referred to was for his specific coach model design and year. Marty is correct in that there is a relay that kills power to that specific outlet at key-on. I had the same circuit in my 01. Just took Marty to remind me.
Steve
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Hi Steve,
The snip I posted was from the 2005 Monterey Wiring Diagram for the Ventura. Do you have something different?
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Mike,
My error. Based on the text in your message thought it was from your Patriot diagrams.
Steve
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Yes we do have a Monty and that is the correct wiring diagram. Soooooo. I've isolated the issue to the Ice Maker or outlet for. Plugged in it intermittently trips GFIC breaker 3. Unplugged everything works. So now looking for advice on how to determine if it's the Ice Maker per se or the outlet. Outlet read correct when Electrical Ground Checker / Circuit Tester inserted in outlet and 117v. GFIC test button trips the GFIC breaker. So my thinking is it's the ice maker, which seems to work perfectly when not tripping the breaker. Anyone know how to test the Ice Maker?
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I would just replace the GFI breaker to eliminate it. They only cost a couple of bucks - or swap it with a different one from somewhere else in the coach.
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My plan exactly. But not a couple of bucks $50+/-
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Jeff,
What kind of breaker does your coach have? 15 - 20A GFI breakers at Home Depot are $15-$20.
Steve
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Yeah Mike, a standard breaker is one thing, but today's replacement breakers with GFCI built-in, like on our '06 Monty, include Arc Fault also, at least at Lowe's. It may now be mandatory. Regardless, they run $45 to $50.
Jeff, try swapping one of the adjoining 20 amp breakers into the Dinette Lts & A/V Receptacles slot (#5?), like Mike suggested (mine has a spare in position #7, but its only 15 amp, but slots 2,3, &4 are 20's). If it holds up, I reckon you'll have to look for the best price on a new Square D Arc/GFCI breaker. Otherwise there's likely a short in the fridge's icemaker as you surmise, or its power cord or water's getting where it shouldn't therein.
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Electrical-Power-Distribution-Circuit-Breakers-1-Pole-Breakers/GFCI/20/N-5yc1vZbm3aZ1z0mh9uZ1z0u3fe/Ntk-tagger/Ntt-square%2Bd%2Bgfci%2Bbreaker?NCNI-5&storeSelection=4040,4013,4017,4004,4002
Joel
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It's a 15amp. Ordered one Amazon Prime. All the others are 20amp. Hoping it's the breaker as we like our iced ABs
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Mine is a 20, Jeff. Maybe a prior owner stuck the 15 amp spare in where a 20 should be, and that's why the circuit can't handle your icemaker?
Addendum: Oops. My bad. You're right, that circuit is a 15 on mine also. The ID tags on mine are skewed; it's position #6, not #5, and there is no spare in position 8.
If there is an ignition relay where I think, in the icemaker outlet, it might be configured to cut the circuit (IC6 for I assume "Inverter Circuit #6" off the 6th Inverter [30 amp sub] Box breaker) downstream from that outlet (the 2 A/V and the 1 TV outlets), but not the icemaker outlet itself. Just ruminating... always a dangerous pastime.
Joel
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I had a similar issue not long ago on the same circuit. At first I was going to disable it and put in a 20 amp plug with no GFI, but then thought it actually is a good idea to have a GFI for my expensive bose entertainment system and all my electronics. So I went and bought a 20 dollar GFI plug and thats it. Fixed. The GFI plugs wear out over time and sometimes won’t stay reset anymore. My GFI was located under the sink for the electronics cabinet.