Re: Surge Power Protector Question
Reply #4 –
"If we are running our heat pump, and perhaps brewing coffee the 30 A breaker will trip"
To begin with, don't use two power-hungry appliances at the same time when you're in a marginal power situation such as you described. Turn off the heat pump while making coffee. (Or make it on the stovetop using a percolator, French press, or filter coffee maker.)
The problem at your campground is low voltage due to inadequate wiring. The $40 "POWSAF" surge protector you mentioned can protect against surges and spikes, but it can't protect against your heat pump (for example) being damaged by low voltage.
The most popular solution is to buy an "energy management system" (EMS) that monitors line voltage and cuts off power if voltage drops below a level that is safe for compressor-based devices such as your air conditioner/heat pump. That means you'll lose shore power, but your heat pump will be protected from damage. The most popular such devices among Lazy Daze owners are Progressive Industries' EMSHW30C (hardwired; must be installed by an electrician) and EMS-PT30X (portable).
The hardwired version, although more expensive, is preferable. It's not vulnerable to theft, can't be left behind by mistake, and is never exposed to the elements. It comes with a wired remote display (not shown on that Amazon product page) that shows line voltage, frequency, and any errors such as reverse polarity, open ground, etc. The portable version has the same display built in, but you have to go outside to see it.
That brings up an important point. The $40 surge protector you mentioned has indicator lights for open neutral, open ground, and reverse polarity... but it will cheerfully pass along power regardless, potentially creating a dangerous situation for you and your Lazy Daze (for example, reverse polarity could cause the metal parts of your rig to become "live"). The Progressive Industries EMS devices will not only detect these problems, as well as too-low or too-high voltage and out-of-spec line frequency, but will stop power from reaching your rig if a miswired campground socket, bad voltage, or wrong frequency is present. That's in addition to stopping surges and spikes.
I should add that a Progressive Industries competitor, SurgeGuard, offers similar products. I've owned both, and I've seen the insides of both. The PI units are better designed and better built. I recommend them.
You may also hear about a device called an autotransformer that actually boosts voltage. They do, but they're bulky, heavy, expensive ($500-$700), don't cut off power in case of bad wiring, and actually make matters worse for everyone else in the campground. I have once or twice seen 50 amp autotransformers used by big rigs, but I don't know of any Lazy Daze owners who have one.
A Progressive industries EMS is the solution that many of us have chosen. Yes, it's inconvenient to have shore power suddenly cut off on a cold morning or a hot afternoon, but it beats buying a new air conditioner after low voltage causes yours to burn out.
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Topic: Surge Power Protector Question (Read 802 times)
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