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Topic ClosedWFCO Power Converter Smoking
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FrankTank View Drop Down
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Joined: 05 May 2020
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Posts: 7 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: WFCO Power Converter Smoking
    Posted: 03 Jun 2020 at 3:17pm
First time connecting to 30 amp power, I heard a pop and smoke was coming from the power inverter

For the last month I have been testing the camper with 15 amps and no problems.

I take out the power converter and notice two capacitors are bulging on top and there is a oily fluid all over the board probably capacitor fluid.

So I either replace the capacitors with the same rating or find a new 30 AMP WFCO converter.


Has anyone had this issue.

I had a feeling something was going with the electrical because the battery lost charger after a week of being off ( not connected to power)
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jun 2020 at 3:38pm
Welcome! Please give us more information to go on. What model RPod and what year? What is the model of your power center? Is it a WF-8955PEC? That is what is in our 2016 RP179./

What is the model of your power center? Is it the WFCO 8955? If so, the converter is 55A, not 30A. Why the difference? It is because of the transformer. 55A at 12V DC is less than 9A 120V AC (roughly). The circuit breaker for the converter is 15A. It would only draw maximum amperage trying to charge a very low battery. When it switches from bulk to absorption mode, the draw is much less. It is minimal when it switches to float mode.

Capacitors can go bad. I had that happen with multiple electronic items over the years. Until you can get the converter addressed, you can use an automotive battery charger to charge the battery. However, it it was dead, it may be bad and should be tested.

I have a brand-new WF-8955-MBA on hand. I had one replaced under warranty and was sent a new one. It has been sitting in the box which was opened only to let someone take pictures of it. Then it was sealed up again. I recently changed from a Pb-Acid battery to a LiFePO4 battery and needed to change the converter to the WF-8950L2 MBA and so I have the working WF-8955-MBA as a spare. I don't need two of them. I would sell it for significantly less than you could purchase one.

OTOH, is your RPod less than 2 years old? If so, you should contact WFCO as the warranty on the converter is two years. Go to WFCOelectronics.com and choose the option best suited for you.
StephenH
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FrankTank View Drop Down
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Posts: 7 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jun 2020 at 3:54pm
Wow thanks for the informative response.

I have the 2017 R-pod 179

The model number is WF-8955PEC, but I thought since the camper is rated for 30 amps I would need a 30 amp converter.  Thanks for that explanation. 

I did wire the outlet myself, I took power from a old water heater connection ( pretty sure its 120v because it's a single breaker)

Say I did wire it incorrectly 240 instead of 120v, would this be a similar outcome?

Odd thing is that I tested it on 15 amp immediately after the incident happen and everything seems to be working, then retested the 30 amp, and no pop but with the control module out you can see smoke rising from the swollen capacitors. 

What would you want for the inverter?

Located in Gainesville, Florida

Was planning on moving in this weekend as I finish fixing up my mobile home. 
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FrankTank View Drop Down
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Posts: 7 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jun 2020 at 4:32pm
So that is my problem. I gave it 240 amps instead of 120. Hope I didn't destroy anything else.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jun 2020 at 4:38pm
Originally posted by FrankTank

I did wire the outlet myself, I took power from a old water heater connection ( pretty sure its 120v because it's a single breaker)

Say I did wire it incorrectly 240 instead of 120v, would this be a similar outcome?



If you somehow got 240Vac across those caps they would almost certainly cook off on you. Can you be a little more specific about what and how you wired things up? Do you have a voltmeter you could use to check what you are supplying to the trailer? It needs to just be straight 2 wire (line and neutral) plus ground 120Vac. 
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jun 2020 at 5:24pm
Likely, you did smoke the converter with 240V. The 30A outlet must be 110V. Don't bet on the water heater connection being 120V unless you actually took a meter and checked. If so, it was a wonder that you did not cause more damage to the RPod. I installed one myself for our RPod. Since I was starting from scratch, I did not have the issue of wrong wiring. Here is something I looked up about water heater wiring: https://www.thespruce.com/safely-replace-electric-water-heaters-1152637

"Electric water heaters require a 240-volt dedicated circuit, which serves only the water heater and no other appliances or devices. The circuit wiring typically includes a 30-amp double-pole breaker and 10-2 non-metallic (NM) or MC cable. At the water heater, the black circuit wire connects to the black wire lead on the water heater, and the white circuit wire connects to the white wire lead on the water heater."

If by some rare chance it is 120V, then you may have the polarity reversed. I'm not sure if that would have the same effect. As for the converter, I will send you a private message about that.
StephenH
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FrankTank View Drop Down
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Posts: 7 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jun 2020 at 7:23pm
Yes I did. Good lesson to test with a voltmeter whenever making new connections. I am good with electronics, but I make stupid mistakes sometimes. I removed the neutral leg from the 240 30 amp breaker and attached it to the panel neutral as a 120 would be. Tested with a volt meter, no issues with camper so far. 
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FrankTank View Drop Down
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Posts: 7 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jun 2020 at 7:42pm

Picture for reference. 
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 2020 at 6:25am
Originally posted by FrankTank

Yes I did. Good lesson to test with a voltmeter whenever making new connections. I am good with electronics, but I make stupid mistakes sometimes. I removed the neutral leg from the 240 30 amp breaker and attached it to the panel neutral as a 120 would be. Tested with a volt meter, no issues with camper so far. 

Let's hold up here a minute.  Unless the 240V 2 pole breaker was a gfci breaker it didn't have a neutral wire going to it. Neutrals are never disconnected in breakers. In gfci circuits they are routed via the breakers so the breaker can monitor the current flow through them, but still not disconnected by the breaker. Neutrals are white so you can tell what they are (unless someone wired your house improperly). Hot wires are always colored, typically black or red. Grounds are bare or green.

The two wires originally leading through your double pole 30A breaker are both hot wires. Most likely one is black and the other red.  If you measure the voltage between either one and neutral you should get 120Vac. If you measure between the two of them you should get 240Vac. That is because while they each provide 120Vac line to neutral they are 180 degrees out of phase with each other, ergo, 240V between them.  

Edit: deleted, unless you know what you're doing hire a licensed electrician for this work. 
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 2020 at 8:50am
+1 on Offgrid's instruction. A double-pole breaker may have only one switch but a single-pole breaker is usually not much wider than the switch. If it is twice as wide (takes up 2 slots), then it is a double-pole breaker whether it has one switch or two with a bracket tying them together. My dryer breaker is actually two single pole breakers tied together with a bar holding the two switches. Our house was built in 1992.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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