JerryW Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 2009 HR Sceptor 42KFQ This is a new to me coach. My first experience plugging into a 30amp outlet was at my storage facility. The ems would cycle quickly through its shut down system and finally the progressive surge protector would shut down all power, then power up and go through the cycle repeatedly. I moved to a second location in the facility hoping for better power but no joy. Left the coach disconnected until we left on our first trip. Back on 50 amps all was fine, except we found we had no hot water from the Aquahot electric. Did some trouble shooting and discovered that the relay in the ems system has failed. I bypassd the relay and all was good. Yesterday we returned and plugged back into 30amps and all works perfect. So the questions are: Can I comfortably leave it as is? Will it have effect on the ems system? Should I replace the panel? Is there such a thing as having the panel repaired? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinvz Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 Something similar happened to us. I assume this Ems is the Intellitec board nest to the 120v breakers and hidden behind the cover plate. Your questions: You can leave it as it is but it could cause an overload condition when on a 30A (or less) power source. You could use a different circuit like the washer/drier if you do not use that often. You can replace the board or have it repaired. The boards are available online. M&M electronics can repair the board for a fee (I do not know the cost) but until it is repaired and reinstalled, the coach will not be usable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 Those relays are notorious for failing especially the ones for the rooftop AC's. The relays are not heavy enough to carry the amperage required by the device it is monitoring. Just bypass that specific relay as you did, however, when hooked to 30 amp or less shore power you need to monitor your amp usage as the EMS board is no longer playing a role in that job. New boards are available but it will still have the relays that will fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryW Posted September 19 Author Share Posted September 19 Swaping with the washer dryer makes perfect sense. Good suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacwjames Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 Check your model number for the EMS system and part number on the board itself, you might be able get a replacement at a reasonable price. My board failed, I called M&M Electronics and they walked me through doing a reset, which didn't work. I had a 750 model which was obsolete and had to upgrade to a 760 model which required a new load display & wiring harnesses. I was leaving on a trip and M&M routed the new board to my destination. To be able to run one AC I bypassed the EMS system until I was able to get it fixed. The installation instructions aren't the easiest to understand but I was able to install the new board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinvz Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 Jerry, Rich’s email reminded me to mention that the new an repaired boards ‘have better’ relays now. Whatever that may mean. The new board I installed has worked perfectly without any further issues for at least 4 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyronTruex Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 I would suggest you turn the breaker off for the aquahot when on 30 amp unless and when needed. I'm a bit concerned about swapping to the washer dryer relay without really refreshing my mind a bit. Some EMS panels use the washer dryer power to provide a feedback sense to the ems and for example, when some folks have turned the washer dryer breaker off, thing being going click clack and the board seems to be going through a constant startup cycle. If it works of course, then my caution is null and void. Heat is the biggest problem for these relays/boards. Many of the panels are behind closet doors where there is virtually no air circulation, and in my case the water heater lives below the panel in a closet. The rising heat caused a tremendous heat build up inside the panel and my board went up in flames. It was not repairable. To help reduce the heat insulation was added around the water heater. That was a huge success. I did another tiny mod that helps get the air flowing just a tiny bit and my AC breakers never get above a warm to the touch situation. In the past the closet door had to stay open with an AC vent blowing on the front air conditioner breaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 I would bet that a small box cooling fan would help that area also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill R Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 Jerry - is it the EMS shutting down or the Progressive Surge Protector? Your post says it is the Progressive. If so, does it give you a code? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryW Posted Thursday at 05:24 PM Author Share Posted Thursday at 05:24 PM Thanks to all who replied to my questions. The bottom line is I will continue with the bypassed relay until such time as another issue arises. Thanks to Tom C for the call and making sure I understand how this all funtions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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