Author: Rae

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My Electrical Setup Is Starting to Feel Convoluted!

I have an older RV without a transfer switch. I have a hard wired 30A cable in a compartment. It can be plugged in three ways:

1) to a shore power outlet
2) to the generator outlet
3) to the inverter outlet

My main power source is the inverter with the generator being my backup and shore power being a treat.

It is going to quickly become a pain to have to go outside to unplug the shore power cable from the inverter outlet and plug it into the generator outlet. Moreover, my electrical panel default position is a bunch of breakers off, so I have to switch them on before running the gen set. It is not good to use breakers as on/off switches with any sort of regularity.

So it looks like it’s time to consolidate all of that and get a transfer switch. I am looking at my options and see that most offer only two sources of power rather than three, and most are automatic. I also see that some electrically-minded folks have designed their own systems. I’d love to go that route.

What I am envisioning is something that would plug into both the genset 30A outlet and the inverter 15A outlet and into which I could plug the shore power cable. It would also give me an option of which circuits to have live.

The device would be accessible from inside and have a manual switch that would let me pick either the generator or the inverter, but would not start either automatically. So I could put it to inverter, walk to the living room, turn on the inverter, and only my inverter-friendly circuits would come on. If I picked the genset, I’d walk to the kitchen, flip on the remote generator starter, and all my circuits would be live.

Another thought is that surely a 30A splitter must exist? Something I could plug my shore power cable into and which I could then plug into two different outlets, only one of which would be live at a time?

I’m obviously not an electrically-minded person. 😀 But I’m starting to think I need to find myself an RVing forum so I can find some electrically-minded people to bounce ideas off of.

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Non-Working Remote Starter on the Generator

I wasn’t going to worry about the remote (kitchen) starter for the generator not working until I realised that the hour metre also wasn’t working. I went under the sink and discovered that a connection for the starter was loose and one for the metre was broken. L said he can fix the broken connection since he has his soldering equipment.

That left the starter. He went off to take a nap and I tightened the loose connection. I pulled out the multimetre and got 14.4V at the switch, which told me it was getting power and that the problem was at the generator.

I went outside, pulled the cover, traced all the wires, figured out which one went to the generator start button, disconnected it, cleaned off the corrosion, reassembled everything, and went inside.

Soon as I hit start, there was a rumble outside. Now, the genny won’t start since the choke needs to be manually activated, but this gives me hope that a bit of solder will get the hour metre working. No. Wait. I just started the genny from inside! OMG!

I feel pretty accomplished. 🙂

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Generator Under Load

Today is my generator’s first test after not running for almost five years. I had no trouble starting it, but I think I made a mistake after.

I keep a lot of my breakers off when I am using the inverter. I fired up the genset before turning those breakers back on. Soon as I slipped the breakers, my GFI buzzed, smoked (white, not black), and tripped, causing all the breakers to trip, too. I took the outlet apart and there is no scorched scent. The wiring looks good. L came in and said everything’s fine but to replace the outlet for my peace of mind.

Otherwise, all is good. I’m running backups now. The genset is not quiet, by any means, but is no more obnoxious than is the engine. L walked around the block and says he can barely hear it from the adjoining streets and properties.

Having the genny essential solves my power issues. I can run everything I use off my inverter, even my rice cooker and crock pot, but if I’m not in a sunny climate, my solar panels can’t always keep up. Having the genny means I can use all those power hungry things and make up for it in a couple of hours in the evening. I won’t be one of those who needs to run the genny just to watch TV or make dinner.

I was going to order myself another solar panel this week, but I’m now going to hold off as I really don’t need it. It would be a nice to have item, but I’m doing fine with just the one and a backup charging solution, so just the one plus TWO backup charging solutions (solenoid and genny) will be get me by.

L is a wonderful person and I love his company, even if it means staying up super late gabbing and drinking way too much on a work night (*g*) and I’d be glad he was here even without all the technical help. But him being an engineer is a really nice perk. 🙂

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Generator Exhaust Repair

L and I went into Assiniboia today to try to find some flexible steel tubing to fix my generator exhaust. I also wanted to buy a 20lb propane tank that was on sale at Peavey Mart and L wanted to have a nice meal out.

Charles suggested we try the farm supply places for the tubing. John Deere had nothing. We went to Young’s Equipment where one of my neighbours works and he sent us to NAPA.

NAPA had exactly what we needed. YAY! L thought we were so lucky that I should ask if they might have an air filter, too. YES! We couldn’t believe it!

Feeling jubilant, we went to Peavey Mart and then across the street to the Co-Op to fill the propane tank. There, L and I both had the same notion that the sales discount hadn’t been applied to the tank. It hadn’t. We went back and it turns out the sale wasn’t till Friday. The cashier didn’t bat an eyelash and refunded me the $4 and tax knowing that that was cheaper than loser a customer. Smart girl.

We then went to Nash’s, a Greek restaurant, and had a good lunch. L had ‘New York cut’ steak and I had the chicken pita with homemade tzatziki sauce. We shared baklava for dessert. It was all very yummy and I would like to go back one evening to try their dinner menu.

It was about 3:00 when we got in and L had almost no difficulty in getting the flexible tubing in. And that’s when the flexible tubing on the other side of the muffler gave. CRAP. L looked at the bit and hemmed and hawed and considered MacGyvering it until I could get to an exhaust repair shop. Finally, he decided that the best course of action was to go back to NAPA and get more pipe and more clamps. So we did.

He’s under the rig now getting this new section in.

I can't believe we found a new air filter! The other one was just about black.

I can’t believe we found a new air filter! The other one was just about black.

This is what we replaced.

This is what we replaced.

Shiny new pipe before the muffler.

Shiny new pipe before the muffler.

This section after the muffler snapped while L was working on the other side.

This section after the muffler snapped while L was working on the other side.

Now, I know what y’all are wondering, how expensive has my generator repair been?

Oil: about $4 for a quart of it (a few weeks ago)

NAPA gave us a ‘preferred customer discount’ after L asked for a senior’s discount, so I am putting the full price in brackets after the price paid:

Flex tubing: $3.41/ft ($4.39) x 3 = $10.23
Clamps: $2.10 ($2.26) x 2 = $4.20
U-Bolts (they were out of clamps on the second trip): $1.46 ($1.46) x 2 = $2.92
Air filter: $7.05 ($15.46!!!)

Total before tax at NAPA: $25.86 ($26.84 with tax).

So counting the oil, I’m at just over $30.

The spark plug is good and there is absolutely no reason to replace it.

The only other issue is that the choke isn’t working automatically. I have to manually close it to start the genny and then release the catch so that it will open. Not a biggie.

L suggests that I run the genny regularly until the winter. If I have no issues with it, then I should look at having the brushes replaced. But he doesn’t want me to spend that money now since the genny has sat so long as it would suck for the motor to throw a rod or whatever a month down the road. Smart man.

Oh, and there is the issue of it not starting from the button in the kitchen, which is an electrical and possible electronic issue. I am not going to worry about that at this time since I don’t have an automatic transfer switch. Therefore, I have to go outside anyway to plug the shore power cable into the genny from the inverter or vice versa.

I am going to continue leaving the cable plugged into the inverter as being the default plug in condition. The genny will just be for charging or giving me a boost in grey weather. I look forward to seeing what its gas consumption is compared to the engine.

I’m still reeling from disbelief that my generator is working.

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Ever Wonder What a Miracle Sounds Like?

A miracle sounds something like this:

It took L about 10 minutes to get my generator going. He:

-removed the fuel line and blew in it to see if air was getting through (yes);

-sucked on the line till he got a mouthful of gasoline (the things this guy does for me);

-put in 25L of fuel to make sure I was well above the quarter tank mark;

-removed the cover from around the brushes (which I as not able to remove) and manually rotated the brushes to a clean spot that was not all gummed up;

– primed the carburetor by spraying fuel directly into it.

So this tells me that when I first noticed the genny wasn’t working in the spring of 2009, all I would have had to do was suck on the fuel line. The brushes were spinning back then and I knew to prime the carb and was doing so. *sighs*

But all is not copacetic as the exhaust pipe is missing a section. We are going to hit up the farm equipment suppliers tomorrow to see if we can find a replacement piece of flexible metal exhaust hose. We can then give the genny a good bit of exercise. I need to find a replacement air filter in the nearish future. When we meet up again in January, he will replace the spark plug.

I ran my AC for 10 minutes today and even nuked something in the microwave! COOL! 😀

We had a lovely day. He made a breakfast of pancakes with fresh blueberries in them and real maple syrup (what a treat for someone who’s been almost carb free for a while!). We went out in the morning and looked at the petroglyphs, then went to Willow Bunch for the fuel and to check out the thrift store. I came out with a few sweaters and a pink colander that matches my kitchen. 🙂

We had a late lunch of VERY expensive pizza at Willow Bunch’s Stagecoach restaurant (the toppings and sauce were 10/10 and the crust was a 4 or 5/10, but neither of us have had pizza in eons, so it hit the spot!). We came in, got the genny going, then I took him over to meet C&C. We came home to gab and then C&C came by a little while later for a longer chat.

Tomorrow should be pretty full with a trip to Assiniboia for parts and fixing the exhaust pipe, but things will get a little more sedate as I need to get some work done.

Having a guest arrive with their own house ROCKS. It really is very little hassle and disruption to the routine!