Battery cutoff?----Looks like electrical system got hot. help please.

thejumpsuitman · August 26, 2011, 07:47:36 AM

I'm trying to figure out what's going on with our house batteries. I've kept the bus plugged up for the most part to keep everything charged and batteries have never given any trouble. But now I don't get any power to the 12 volt systems from the batteries. I think there is something going on with the cutoff. It looks like there are solenoids that control them. How do I get them to kick back in? I can plug in the shore line and power goes to the 12 volt systems, but nothing happens when I press the batter disconnect button. Any advice?

Oh, also the chargers do not run when the shore line is plugged in either.

Thanks,
Marc

luvrbus · August 26, 2011, 07:55:14 AM

If the batteries are below 9 v the chargers in that bus won't come on jump the 2 post on the solenoid and see if you get power and be sure the solenoid has a good ground no ground no workey

good luck

thejumpsuitman · August 26, 2011, 08:50:15 AM

Okay, I think there's more to it...

With the shoreline plugged in I have nothing. When the generator is running I have full power. I started from the shoreline and started investigating. I got to the transfer box and it has tripped and will not reset. It looks ugly. Looks like it has gotten hot. What do I do?

luvrbus · August 26, 2011, 09:34:33 AM

That is a 50 amp Esco automatic switch over not a cutoff 150 bucks at www.generatorsforless.com you may can replace the relay and make it work I have no idea where to buy that relay

good luck

thejumpsuitman · August 26, 2011, 09:38:51 AM

Clifford, just replace the relays if I can or the box worst case? Do I need to worry about the wires having been hot?

eddiepotts · August 26, 2011, 09:40:17 AM

Have you plugged in anywhere new lately. looks like you may have plugged into something wired wrong.

luvrbus · August 26, 2011, 09:44:54 AM

Marc, not to start a war with electrical guys here but I have saw many a shop install heat shrink over the burned insulation and use the same wire may not be code lol but it works a short run I would replace the wires check the lugs if they came loose that will cause the hot wiring

good luck

wal1809 · August 26, 2011, 09:46:25 AM

Bottom pic middle wires got super hot. Where does the electricty stop (by way of using a volt/ohm meter). Plud it in and follow the electricity using the v/o meter. If it is the relay then replace it. Then find out why it got so hot.

thejumpsuitman · August 26, 2011, 09:47:30 AM

Eddie, that is possible. Did not notice the trouble right away, but like I said, everything works fine on generator, so might not have noticed right away. Actually did not notice the problem until the house batteries went down.

thejumpsuitman · August 26, 2011, 09:54:34 AM

It might have been lightning. We have had some nasty storms the past few weeks. I didn't think I was plugged in during the storms, but maybe I missed one...

So bottom line, it looks like if I replace the relays I will be alright? Anybody know where I can find new ones quickly?

thejumpsuitman · August 26, 2011, 10:36:36 AM

Quote from: luvrbus on August 26, 2011, 09:34:33 AM
That is a 50 amp Esco automatic switch over not a cutoff 150 bucks at www.generatorsforless.com you may can replace the relay and make it work I have no idea where to buy that relay

good luck

Clifford, the one you are referring to for $150 looks like mine, only mine has a circuit board behind it. Is that crucial and what would it be for?

Also looks like complete replacement will be the way to go because the relays are pop riveted in.

Len Silva · August 26, 2011, 10:48:58 AM

Those relays (properly called contactors) are very rugged and I doubt they are the problem. The wires did get hot but not all that bad from the photos, probably from loose connections.

I think the problem is more likely to be the control circuit.

I would not try to replace one of the contactors as they are a mechanically interlocked set.

First, make sure that you have the proper voltage from shore power at the transfer.

Next, and it will be tricky to get to, is to check the coil voltage at the shore power relay.

If you are not using 240 volts from shore (120 only) then swap the two hots either at the switch or back at the shore power plug. The coils on these units are 120 volts and are fed only from one side of the input line. You can probably see the small wires coming from the input side of both contactors to the circuit board.

The white switch at the top of the unit is also part of the circuit. It is mechanically operated by the generator contactor and wired to the coil of the shore contactor to be sure it will not operate when the generator is running.

Since the generator works OK, I think the delay circuit is probably good.

With the generator off, you should hear and feel a solid thunk when the shore transfer operates.