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PC Current Draw

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Barry-Sue

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PC Current Draw
« on: September 21, 2013, 09:33:13 am »
Several posts on the on the forum peaked my interest about surge protectors and voltage monitors for RV's.  I did some additional research and decided to install a Progressive Industries Electric Management System Model EMS-HW30C.  The installation was very simple except for the 10g wire. The unit  provides voltage protection (<104V & >132V),frequency protection (<51HZ & > 69HZ), Surge Protection, Polarity Protection and Open Neutral/Ground Protection. Also, it has a built in volt meter, frequency meter and amp meter all very handy when it comes to troubleshooting power proplems.

Here is a link to Progressive Industries web site and an Amazon listing:

30 Amp Service

http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems_hw30c.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Industries-EMSHW30C-Surge-Protector/dp/B0050EGS5W/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379717202&sr=8-1&keywords=ems-hw30c

50 Amp Service

http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems_hw50c.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Industries-EMSHW50C-Surge-Protector/dp/B007O6INSE/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1379854241&sr=8-2&keywords=progressive+industries+hw50c

One very useful feature is the amp meter that allows for real time monitoring of the current draw.  This feature allowed me to measure the current draw of each major electrical device in the PC and I would like to share this information with the forum.  Since items change from year to year in the PC's so I can only verify this table for a 2012 2551 equipped with an Apollo Half Time Microwave/Convection Oven.

120 V Electric Component                                                                       Load in Amps         Load in Watts  



Air Conditioner With Fan On Low                             9            1080
Air Conditioner With Fan On High                           10            1200
Convection Oven                                            14            1680
Convection Oven With Half Time Feature                     14            1680
Converter( Store/Use Switch in Store Position)    <1 Amp    0               0
Converter( Store/Use Switch in Use Position)
With Batteries At Full Charge                               1             120
Inverter (With No Load)                           <1 Amp    0               0
Fan (In A/C) On Low Speed                                   2             240
Fan (In A/C) On High Speed                                  3             360
Heat Strip (In A/C) With Fan On Low                        13            1560
Heat Strip (In A/C) With Fan On High                       14            1680
Microwave On High                                          18            2160
Microwave Auto Dry                                         14            1680
Refrigerator With Inside At 70 Degrees                      2             240
Water Heater (Filled With Cold Water)                      10            1200

Barry
  
« Last Edit: September 22, 2013, 08:53:01 am by Barry-Sue »
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Barry and Sue 
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keelhauler

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Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2013, 10:38:29 am »
I've installed this same unit in my last 2 PC's.
For people just ordering a new PC, you can supply the unit to PC and they will install it for you free.
I put the display right next to the door so I can pop my head in to see what's going on quickly.
They also installed my solar array charge controller, shown just below the Progressive display.


Does it work, you bet. Don't leave home without it.

It will not allow you to plug into any bad power source and it will save the expensive items in your RV that will fail with high/low voltage or power surges.
The little card next to it show all the error codes that could be displayed.

But most of all if you travel to Mexico, as we do, you will find their RV park wiring to be very bad and the unit is mandatory.
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John
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skipper

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Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2013, 10:48:43 am »
Barry, this is extremely useful information to me.  Thank you for posting. I have a question regarding the 1 amp draw with batteries at full charge.  Is this the draw of the battery charger providing a trickle maintenance charge to the house batteries?   Also, is there any way to turn off the battery charger if you need to use this one amp somewhere else?  I don't know where it is located.  Thanks, Mark
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Mark
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Barry-Sue

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Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2013, 12:27:23 pm »
Mark

If your PC is equipped with a Xantrex Converter you can connect the PC to shore power without having the converter charge the batteries.

1.  With the shore power disconnected place the Store/Use Switch in the STORE position.

2.  Connect the shore power to the PC.

3.  Leave Store/Use Switch in the STORE position.

4.  The converter is now supplying 12VDC but not putting a float charge into the coach batteries.

Barry
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Barry and Sue 
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TomHanlon

Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2013, 08:28:40 pm »
Barry, what about the lp detector and the clock in the dash radio?  Just want to konw for when storing unhooked.
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Barry-Sue

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Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2013, 09:23:25 pm »
Tom

If the STORE/USE switch is in the Store position the LP Detector would draw 0 amps.
If the STORE/USE switch is in the USE position the LP Detector would draw on average .040 amps with a maximum draw of .075 amps

The clock in the dash radio runs off the van battery.

Barry
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Barry and Sue 
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TomHanlon

Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2013, 08:50:45 am »
Thanks Barry.
I was not aware that the LP detecter ran through the switch. I thought it was hard wired to the coach battery so it was always on.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2013, 08:53:05 am by TomHanlon »
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gradygal

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Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2013, 01:58:44 pm »
Barry

I need some more info on your installation. Did you wire the box to the incoming wire or to the transfer switch? I'm not sure where the transfer switch is. By wiring to the transfer switch, I understand that you have protection from both generator and power source.

thanks

George
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Barry-Sue

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Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2013, 03:08:28 pm »
George

Wired to the output of the transfer switch ( input to breaker box).  I'm able to monitor both shore power and generator sources.

Barry
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Barry and Sue 
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2 Frazzled

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Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2014, 11:10:07 am »
An additional note on the Progressive Industries Power Manager. We have the one that plugs into the post and it has recently saved our bacon a few times. At a State Park in Tennessee, our power shut off, then came back on, then later shut off. We checked the Power Manager and we were getting low voltage - brown out conditions. There were only about a half dozen people in the campground but the campground power system was old and we were at the end of the line. There was a fifth wheel next to us and we asked if they had any problems. Their answer was no and all they had running was their AC - that cycled on and off. We think we dropped power when their compressor surged on. Our power manager shut us down rather than let us run our microwave, etc. in brown out conditions (which we've been told can gradually kill the appliances). It was a pain to keep losing power BUT we were happy the power manager worked. We kicked on the generator to finish cooking the turkey breast and the power became steady when the other campers left the park.

The next park we went to (Mississippi this time) checked out OK but then we lost power, then it came back, then we lost it. Back to the power manager for answers. This time was high voltage surges. The power manager simply shut us down, waited, then came back online. When the weekend crowd left, the power leveled out and all was well once again.

We may have Phoenix hard wire one for us to make life a little easier than the bulky plug on the post but we definitely would not hook up without one.
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John, Holly, and sometimes Chloe.
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Barry-Sue

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Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2014, 12:30:24 pm »
We totally agree with you John and Holly.  It saved our PC many times this winter.  Yes, it was a pain when it shut down but well worth the pain considering what it would cost to replace broken appliances.  Florida Power and Light had some problems this winter when we were in Stuart and it saved us on several occasions.

Sue
« Last Edit: April 23, 2014, 01:18:54 pm by Barry-Sue »
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Barry and Sue 
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Pax

Re: PC Current Draw
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2014, 02:21:21 pm »
Ditto on the benefits of a surge protector.  We haven't done a ton of camping yet, but it already saved us twice. We have a factory installed 50 amp Technology Research Corp Surge Guard.  It wouldn't let power to the rig due to a reversed neutral on the power post at Skyline Wilderness Park (Napa).  We moved to a different site and all was well. It also dropped power from the rig when there was a low voltage condition at Porto Bodega RV Park (Bodega Bay).  Power was restored about ten minutes later when the voltage was stabilized.

There is a small monitor panel on the wall next to the generator switch, and the bulky brick portion is hidden between the drivers side bed and the exterior wall.  The unit monitors and displays voltage, amps, faults and keeps a history of all faults.

   - Mike
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