Tranfers switch

[farmingdad]

When I ran a 100 ft drop cord out to motor home to keep ref working the tranfer switch keeps clicking on an off

[tropical36]

hohenwald48 wrote:
I think the progressive low voltage drop out is set to 104 volts. If that's a cheapo 16 gauge extension cord. You will have about 13-15 percent voltage drop so you would need at least 120 volts coming in to the cord to keep the voltage at the distant end above the Progressive drop out voltage level.

I suspect your problem has no relationship to the transfer switch but power disconnect is occurring due to the Progressive detecting a low voltage condition. The Progressive contactor is the thunk you're hearing and not the transfer switch.

I think you probably need a shorter and/or fatter cord.

That makes better sense, if the OP should have one of those low voltage sensors.
I've learned some, since posting, cuz I had some problems of my own, upon arriving at our location on Thursday afternoon.
Story short, I was missing the neutral return, with shore power and I think because the twist loc shore cord wasn't seating and tightened properly. Took care of some other things along the way to this probable discovery, including some wiring heat damage inside the transfer switch, due to loose connections. What I found out with it's operation, is that shore power goes straight through the normally closed contacts, so not much to normally prevent it from low voltage there. The genset uses the NO contacts and as a result takes priority over the power feed, so when it starts, it first delays, utilizing a PC board inside and then the contacts close for energizing the circuit box, regardless of power from the shore or not. It's possible that the genset wouldn't transfer with low voltage, I guess.
Anyway and unless you have other sophisticated equipment inline, there's not much to prevent low voltage from shore power and I've seen plenty of it, in our travels.

[hohenwald48]

I think the progressive low voltage drop out is set to 104 volts. If that's a cheapo 16 gauge extension cord. You will have about 13-15 percent voltage drop so you would need at least 120 volts coming in to the cord to keep the voltage at the distant end above the Progressive drop out voltage level.

I suspect your problem has no relationship to the transfer switch but power disconnect is occurring due to the Progressive detecting a low voltage condition. The Progressive contactor is the thunk you're hearing and not the transfer switch.

I think you probably need a shorter and/or fatter cord.

[10forty2]

tropical36 wrote:

farmingdad wrote:
When I ran a 100 ft drop cord out to motor home to keep ref working the transfer switch keeps clicking on an off

Check the voltage at the source with it off and then at the load side with it on. The difference is the voltage drop and probably insufficient to activate the transfer sw.
If the fridge is your only concern, then just power it up directly.

That's what I was thinking. Just open the access panel to the fridge and plug it directly in to shore power.

[tropical36]

farmingdad wrote:
When I ran a 100 ft drop cord out to motor home to keep ref working the transfer switch keeps clicking on an off

Check the voltage at the source with it off and then at the load side with it on. The difference is the voltage drop and probably insufficient to activate the transfer sw.
If the fridge is your only concern, then just power it up directly.

[time2roll]

farmingdad wrote:
Yes it does have the progressive low voltage on it , that is problay what it is thanks

Fridge is only 3 amps and should run fine with minimal drop. Even keeping the battery charged should be only one extra amp once the batteries are topped up. Should not have an issue. I highly suspect something else is running.

[farmingdad]

Yes it does have the progressive low voltage on it , that is problay what it is thanks

[OLYLEN]

The Gen itself has a delay to stabilize then connect for power, the transfer switch makes contact or switching when shore power is added. And if the Gen is on or started most revert to the Gen. With the Gen off and connecting with low voltage the transfer chatters trying to power the RV.

LEN

[hohenwald48]

RLS7201 wrote:

farmingdad wrote:
When I ran a 100 ft drop cord out to motor home to keep ref working the tranfer switch keeps clicking on an off

The transfer switch is in the normally closed position to shore power. It makes no difference what the voltage is. The transfer switch should not be trying to switch unless it sees voltage from the generator.
Are you sure it was the transfer switch clicking?

Richard

If you have a protector unit, like a built in Progressive unit, it could be disconnecting due to low voltage. When it connects/disconnects it make a thunk similar to the thunk of a transfer switch. (Probably uses a similar contactor internally)

[RLS7201]

OLYLEN wrote:
Think you have it backward, default is Gen, when you plugin the transfer switch makes the noise. And then the electrons flow.

LEN

No I had it correct. In the transfer switch's relaxed state it conducts from shore power. When the generator starts, the circuit board, in the transfer switch, starts timing down, when it finishes timing down it energizes the coil and pull the transfer switch to the generator. When both shore power and generator are available, then the generator will be dominate.

Richard

[MrWizard]

30amp ? or 50 amp

my 50 has two relay contactors

one for shore, one for generator
neither one is engaged unless there is power on that line

[time2roll]

I thought generator was secondary (normally open) as the switch has a delay for the generator to get up to speed.

[BigRabbitMan]

Default for my coach is the generator and if voltage from a cord drops it will switch. Had intermittent voltage drop in a campground once and my transfer box was switching back and forth.

[OLYLEN]

Think you have it backward, default is Gen, when you plugin the transfer switch makes the noise. And then the electrons flow.

LEN

[RLS7201]

farmingdad wrote:
When I ran a 100 ft drop cord out to motor home to keep ref working the tranfer switch keeps clicking on an off

The transfer switch is in the normally closed position to shore power. It makes no difference what the voltage is. The transfer switch should not be trying to switch unless it sees voltage from the generator.
Are you sure it was the transfer switch clicking?

Richard