Gadget to Monitor your electric and power box

[retiredhappy]

Judi posted she had a problem with reverse polarity in the electric box where she was staying and her surge protector caught it before any damage was done to her rig so I thought I would post this for those of you who don't have surge protectors and even those who do.

I had a problem with low voltage and burned up my ac compressor years ago. The repair guy sold me a gadget that I use religiously. First when you pull in you plug it into the electric box and it shows you if there is reverse polarity or low voltage. If everything is okay you plug your rig into the box. Then you take it inside and plug it into one of your outlets and leave it there. You can continuously monitor the voltage coming into your rig. It should not go below 110 and if it does, turn off the AC. I've been in campgrounds where the power was below 110 AT THE BOX. Don't plug in as you'll get less power inside your rig. Also been places where you're okay in the AM but in the afternoon when everyone turns on their ACs and the voltage dropped below 110. It also allows you to SEE what happens when you have the AC on and you turn on the microwave and maybe the coffee pot.

Its called an AC line meter. Go to Amazon and search for it. The part number is 12-4058 and they list it for $29.26. You will also need a small adapter (Walmart) to go from regular house plug to 30 (or 50) amp.

Anyone who knows me knows this is the first thing I always recommend a new RVer buy.

Just because its a nice, new park does NOT mean their electrical boxes are wired right. I've found reverse polarity several times over the years and its saved me brown-out situations many times.

I also use a surge protector in case of lightening hits.

[BirdbyBird]

Karen, I like the surge protector, even though it is more expensive, because it watches the current for me while I go about sleeping, reading, visiting, hiking, etc. I don't have the discipline or really want to keep checking....it might distract from an important card game and I refuse to give Liz, CArol or Sarah any advantages over the ones they already have....skill!

[grammynmaggie]

Tina what kind of surge Protector that tells You are all that stuff?

[mitch5252]

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I think the most popular version with the ladies here is the Progressive Industries - 30A or 50A - hard wired or portable. I have the 30A portable and Tina has a newer (I think - because hers has a digital readout) model of the same thing. I would never be without mine, and use it even when plugged in here at the house. Others here on the Forum have completely opposite opinions of its usefulness.



I sent Judi's problem to my electrical genius friend in an email. Here is his reply a little bit ago. I had asked him why reverse polarity would have taken a couple of hours to "happen". I had also cut and pasted her problem in my email to Blake.

Hi Michelle!

WOW this is a "good one"...
Hmmmm
About the only thing I can think of that would cause that is somehow the power to that camp site got screwed up. If the power is being brought to the camp site underground perhaps the cables have been sitting in water and it just happen to give out at that time with the load your friends camper was putting on that circuit. The water could also cause a ground fault problem that may show up as a reverse polarity message because the surge protector got into some "funky" state not knowing exactly how to deal with what it was seeing.....
Guess I'd have to be there to check thing to be sure.

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[BirdbyBird]

I had a surge protector from Progressive Industries that I liked. It lasted 8 + years. I now have the other high end surge protector because it was on sale at Camping World (read that as ....as cheap as I could get it on line and have it shipped to Sharon's) in AZ when I made the discovery that my old one had actually died for good. It first tells you if the current is safe: polarity, grounded, etc. and has a constant read out of the actual current at the post. If it goes above or below a safe rate the surge protector will shut off power until the rate drops back into or comes back to a safe zone. My old Progressive industries one saved my circuit's "butt" several times in the 8 years I used it.

[Azusateach]

I had a surge protector from Progressive Industries that I liked. It lasted 8 + years.

I bought the one that Anita was selling quite awhile ago, and called Progressive to get the owner's manual. When I called they told me that their surge protectors have a lifetime guarantee. Tina, did you tell Progressive that yours died?

Laura

[chalet05]

Thanks to your friend, Mitch, for that answer - I was wondering.

Laura, I'm sorry I didn't send the manual!

[retiredhappy]

The surge protector doesn't tell you if your power has dropped inside or if you're running too much stuff all at once. My surge protector tells me if the box is wired correctly BUT it has a delay on it which drives me crazy. My gadget tells me instantly if there is good power to the box and if its wired correctly. I've found reverse polarity on campground boxes more than once. When I burned up the AC compressor because of low power my surge protector was in use. I had spent a couple of days at an older park that apparently didn't have good power and I was in a brown out situation and didn't even know it.

[mitch5252]

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Karen, hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but my PD Surge Guard will tell me when the power in the trailer is too low - it's shuts off.
Gosh, re-reading your post, I hope I'm not wrong about this...that sucks about your A/C compressor.

What surge protector do you have (or did you have when your compressor burned up)?

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[chalet05]

Karen, I'm curious as to why your surge protector didn't shut down power when voltage got that low.

[Azusateach]

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Karen, hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but my PD Surge Guard will tell me when the power in the trailer is too low - it's shuts off.
Gosh, re-reading your post, I hope I'm not wrong about this...that sucks about your A/C compressor.

What surge protector do you have (or did you have when your compressor burned up)?

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I bet a phone call to Progressive would answer that question ...

[Bethers]

They have several models - here is a blurb from them:

"The Budget Priced SSP-30 and SSP-50 Surge Protectors will stop most power surges dead in their tracks, and also make sure that the campground outlet you are about to plug into is Up To Par, so you will not blow out your RV electrical system when you hook up the juice. The higher end models, both portable and hard wired will also shut down power to your RV in Over and Under Voltage situations keeping your RV electrical system safe. There are also other neat features like Air Conditioner Compressor Time Delay Protection and the ability to stop accidental 220 Volt hook ups. "

Some further info on the higher end:

"High low voltage protection: Whenever source power falls below 104 Volts, or rises above 132 volts the EMS PT30C automatically shuts down power to the RV. Once the AC source rises above 104-volts, or below the 132-volt level the time delay indicator flashes for the preset time and then automatically restores power to RV."

More on that at: http://tweetys.com/portable-30amp-elect ... ystem.aspx

[retiredhappy]

It only takes (according to the repairman) something below 110 volts over a sustained period of time to "brown out" the AC. So if it never fell below 104 but was somewhere around 106 to 109 the surge protector would not shut down but you could still be doing damage to your compressor.

Mitch, I had the one for 30 amps pictured in your post.

I admit I'm a control freak thus I like to be able to continuously monitor the voltage in my RV. If I'm at a CG that has lower voltage (like around 115) and I have the AC on and then the coffeepot and microwave and want to make toast I can tell if I'm pushing too much. Repairman told me 110 was the magic number - below that turn something off.

[mitch5252]

It only takes (according to the repairman) something below 110 volts over a sustained period of time to "brown out" the AC. So if it never fell below 104 but was somewhere around 106 to 109 the surge protector would not shut down but you could still be doing damage to your compressor.

Mitch, I had the one for 30 amps pictured in your post.

I admit I'm a control freak thus I like to be able to continuously monitor the voltage in my RV. If I'm at a CG that has lower voltage (like around 115) and I have the AC on and then the coffeepot and microwave and want to make toast I can tell if I'm pushing too much. Repairman told me 110 was the magic number - below that turn something off.

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Karen, do you remember how long you had your air on before it burned out? I ask because I was running the air at my sister's several weeks ago and finally noticed on that little plug in thing (not the surge guard) that it was in the low red zone. I shut off the air. Hope I didn't damage a brand new A/C unit!

ON EDIT: I find it very frustrating that you pay several hundred dollars for a surge protector that supposedly protects your stuff from low voltages, yet it does't shut down until it is perhaps too late (104V vs. 110V).
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[bluepinecones]

Thanks, Karen. I tend to be one who would rather err on conservative side - now I have something else to add to Magic's growing collection.