New problem,,,,lost one of my Freedom Inverters

[Don Bradner]

Older Birds had separate inverters and chargers. Modern units, and the Freedom
25 qualifies, are inverter/converters, with the converter referring to charger.

A breaker marked "Charger" pretty much has to be going to your inverters,
because those are your only chargers.

When there is shore power the breakers control power going to your converter,
which in turn is putting out DC.

The thing that holds your output voltage down is your batteries. If you are
running 17, but measuring 14 a the batteries then one would suspect that the
batteries aren't getting anything at all from the converters, and the coach is
getting all of its power from the converters.

If you flip the breakers off, any DC power you see should be from the batteries
- do DC items work OK in that mode?

On 6/29/2009 at 9:33 PM Ron Thompson wrote:

>Wayne,
>
>I only have two breakers that are labled Battery chargers. None are
>labled "Inverters". I checked all the breakers and none had tripped.
>This is a real puzzler. The fact that the voltage is rising on the driver
>dash guages disturbs me. It is at 17 volts according to the guages but I
>measured the voltage at a lamp socket and it was 16 volts. That is still
>too high for a 12 volt bulb. One has blown already. I don't know why the
>voltage is rising like it is. It is a very slow rise. It started rising
>yesterday when we parked at this RV park and between 2pm and 10pm it had
>risen from 14 volts to 16 volts. and today as of 9:30 PM it is slightly
>over 17 volts.
>
>If I am going down the road with the engine power it is 14 volts. Go
>figger.
>
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>
>
>Ron Thompson -Waller, Tx.
>
>1995 WLWB 42'
>
>(cockyfox@...)
>
>--- On Mon, 6/29/09, Wayne Kotila wrote:
>
>From: Wayne Kotila
>Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] New problem,,,,lost one of my Freedom
>Inverters
>To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
>Date: Monday, June 29, 2009, 11:19 PM
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> Did you check all the breakers in your 120 volt panel, sometimes you
>can't tell that one is tripped and your two inverters should be on 2
>seperate 120 volt breakers.
>Wayne
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>From: Ron Thompson
>To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com
>Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 2:05:14 PM
>Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] New problem,,,,lost one of my Freedom
>Inverters
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>Pete,
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>I have checked the pop out resets on the two Inverters and they were all
>in so no need to reset them I pressed them anyway just to make sure and
>they were solid in.
>
>What switch was it that you accidentally hit. I have looked at everything
>on the dasboard console and didn't notice anything that jumped out at me.
>
>It appears that a breaker has been tripped. I did check those 4 breakers
>you mentiobned and tripped all of them off then back on and it didn't
>chanbge a thing. The Inverter panely that is next to the drivers seat
>(two of them) , the bottom one is off. No indicators are lit at all.
>Evidently your coach has a different Inverter than mine. Mine is a Heart
>Interface, Freedom, Model # 25.
>
>I think the Inverter has a breaker tripped somewhere. I have some 120
>volt outlets with no voltage even though I am plugged into shore power so
>that is a clue to the
> problem I would think. It appears that the shore powerr has a leg that
>is non functinbal.
>
>Got to go pick up the wife at the laudry right now but be back shortly.
>
>
>Ron Thompson -Waller, Tx.
>1995 WLWB 42'
>(cockyfox@sbcglobal .net)
>
>--- On Mon, 6/29/09, Pete Masterson wrote:
>
>
>From: Pete Masterson
>Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] New problem,,,,lost one of my Freedom
>Inverters
>To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com
>Date: Monday, June 29, 2009, 1:16 PM
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>I had a similar situation not long ago. After troubleshooting, I thought
>I'd have to replace the inverter. Eventually, I discovered that a switch
>on the control panel (next to the driver) had been accidently turned off.
>Turned it back on -- and now it works just fine. (I guess I must have
>bumped the switch while working with the HWH level controller right next
>to it.)
>
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>I don't know what controller you have -- but a P.O. had installed a
>(Heart) Link 2000R controller. It manages the power output of the chargers
>and limits the charge rate to the batteries (I have AGMs and they require
>a lower voltage than regular wet cell batteries). On the downside, the
>Link 2000R controller takes an electrical engineer to operate it -- the
>manual is very difficult -- but I've been able to puzzle out the way to
>get it set up right for my batteries.
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>The standard interface is not as adjustable -- but I'm not really familiar
>with it.
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>The inverters have a small breaker on the front (inverters are inside a
>metal box just above the batteries inside the curb side battery
>compartment) . Push in to reset. There are dual breakers for each
>inverter. Mine are located in the bedroom on the engine bulkhead below the
>main 120 V electrical panel behind a carpet covered door (with an obvious
>handle). (I have a side-island bed.) 2 breakers for each inverter. These
>protect the inverter from an overload on an inverted circuit since the
>inverter power is NOT routed through the main 120 V panel.
>
>
>The back closet has a removable wooden panel which you might think is to
>access the engine from inside. You would be incorrect. I removed the panel
>the other day (in exploration) and discovered it covers a bunch (9 or 10)
>of 120 vac relays. I have no idea what they all serve (I didn't look for a
>wiring diagram -- I was just exploring). To remove the panel, you must
>remove about 6 screws in a gray felt covered strip, then remove 4 or so s!
>crews al ong the top edge and 2 screws further down -- but you probably
>don't need to get in there for this problem -- you should just be aware
>it's there.
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>Pete Masterson
>'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
>El Sobrante CA
>aeonix1@mac. com
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>On Jun 29, 2009, at 8:56 AM, Ron Thompson wrote:
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>Good morning,
>
>I guess that when you go out on a trip is when everything really gets a
>workout. I left Texas 2 weeks ago and I have finally made my way to
>Eugene, Or. on my way to Alaska. I have had different kinds of problems
>arise and corrected them but I have now lost one of my Inverters This is
>not good for the batteries I would predict.
>
>I think that maybe the inverter is fused or has a breaker in the circuit
>but I have no idea where to look for that.
>
>If there is anyone out there familiar with the Inverter power circuits,
>transfer swithches, etc. please advise me. I would like to reset the
>Inverter that is down and see if it will hold.
>
>The type Inverter I have is the, Heart Interface, Freedom Model 25. There
>are two of them and one is offline. I don't have any schematics with me
>or location diag!
> rams.&nb sp; Maybe someone on the forum can help me in identifying how
>this system works and where the transfer switches are if there is such a
>thing on this coach.
>
>My coach is a 1995, WLWB, 42'. There must be a transfer switch somewhere
>that senses when shore power is available nad turns the 120 VAC from the
>Inverter off. That may be where the problem is.
>
>My greatest fear right now is that the Inverter that is still powered up
>is producing 16 volts to the batteries. That can't be good for the
>batteries I would think. My next fear is that the Inverter that is down
>will have to be replaced if it can't be restarted. That will cause me a
>delay for sure waiting for one to be shipped in and installed.
>
>All the other sytems seem to be okay, except for the LPG gas shut off
>valve that I presented to the forum about 2 weeks ago. I have not done
> anything about pulling that panel to see if the main shut off valve is
>turned off. I don't really have a need so far for it since my generator
>is now functioning properly.
>
>Any help with this will be appreciated. I am on a WIFI that finally works
>as it should. I am in Eugene, Or. at the Shamrock RV park located on Old
>Franklin Blvd. just off I-5. Nice cool weather here.
>
>Thanks again for your assistance.
>
>
>
>Ron Thompson -Waller, Tx.
>1995 WLWB 42'
>(cockyfox@sbcglobal. net)