Electrical disaster - near miss

[Imbriaco]

08 Keystone Montana 3400

We were definitely lucky, and I think our Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X prevented worse damage. Here's the chain of events, although I'm not completely sure what caused what

1. Vacuum valve for black tank flush busted (keystone put this one in the pocket door about 6ft high) and water cascadsd onto and in the converter (that Keystone mounts unter the stairs). I thought is was ok and dried it out but left it plugged in.

2. next day, everything worked in the am. Came home in afternoon and no power to trailer. Check EMS unit and it was flashing normal codes except a PE code (I think it was for high voltage). Also noticed slight burning odor

Microwave outlet not working either.

Bypassed EMS unit (dumb move in hindsight) and power restored.
Noticed water in EMS unit, drained it, plugged in back in and would not work.

Replaced dead converter and Progressive Industries is sending a replacement unit. BTW, PI said that may be the reason for the EMS failure. Everything back to normal finally but no microwave outlet.

Troubleshooting that and we find the fried connection under the trailer, before the wiring enters the slide-out.

Questions - where do i source a replacement connector? Opinions on what caused what? Possible that wet, fried converter knocked out the microwave line and that killed the EMS?

[shastagary]

the plastic plug melted because of a bad connection or high resistance at that plug causing it to heat up and melt i do not think this happened all at once but over time from the high current draw of the microwave.
is there anything else on that wire in the circuit? wall outlets or any thing else in the slideout.
the fried converter had nothing to do with that plug melting if you were going to use another plug there i would use a 30 amp twist lock nylon plug.

[drsteve]

byronlj wrote:
I would put a waterproof j-box under the trailer and connect your wires in that.
Dave

What he said. The connector is unnecessary. It's there for ease of assembly, as someone else mentioned, no other reason.

[Imbriaco]

Update - there is NO water getting in to where that plastic connector was mounted. Totally enclosed area and dry when I opened it up. Back to the chronology -

Is it possible that the failed converter would send a power surge through the system, and if we happened to use the microwave at the time that would fry the connector??

Just trying to be sure of origin before I repair that junction. Or would there have had to be some sort of a short in that connection for it to fry???

[neschultz]

Bobbo wrote:
The hand pump that drsteve linked will do it. I blow out my water lines, so I just blow out the flush too.

It takes 20psi to close the air gap so a hand pump may just squirt antifreeze out the top.

[Bobbo]

The hand pump that drsteve linked will do it. I blow out my water lines, so I just blow out the flush too.

[drsteve]

ktmrfs wrote:

TakingThe5th wrote:

drsteve wrote:

neschultz wrote:

I replaced my anti-siphon/check valve with brass parts when it went bad (which was the first time I used it).

Yep. The plastic check valves are guaranteed to fail, especially if not winterized, which most people forget to do.

How do you winterize an anti-siphon valve? I pour some anti freeze down the drains but I don’t think that would get to the valves.

I agree some of the plastic anti siphon valves on the flush system are very failure prone mine did as well. A quality brass replacement fixes the problem. But they do not need to be winterized. the anti siphon valve never has water retained in it. It is a vacuum check and won't let water retain in the line.

True in theory, but I've read more than one post concerning cracked plastic check valves leaking water all over the floor.

As for winterizing, that's what these hand pumps Hand Pump are for:

I don't use mine, so I don't have to worry about the stupid thing.

[ktmrfs]

TakingThe5th wrote:

drsteve wrote:

neschultz wrote:

I replaced my anti-siphon/check valve with brass parts when it went bad (which was the first time I used it).

Yep. The plastic check valves are guaranteed to fail, especially if not winterized, which most people forget to do.

How do you winterize an anti-siphon valve? I pour some anti freeze down the drains but I don’t think that would get to the valves.

I agree some of the plastic anti siphon valves on the flush system are very failure prone mine did as well. A quality brass replacement fixes the problem. But they do not need to be winterized. the anti siphon valve never has water retained in it. It is a vacuum check and won't let water retain in the line.

[TakingThe5th]

drsteve wrote:

neschultz wrote:

I replaced my anti-siphon/check valve with brass parts when it went bad (which was the first time I used it).

Yep. The plastic check valves are guaranteed to fail, especially if not winterized, which most people forget to do.

How do you winterize an anti-siphon valve? I pour some anti freeze down the drains but I don’t think that would get to the valves.

[drsteve]

neschultz wrote:

I replaced my anti-siphon/check valve with brass parts when it went bad (which was the first time I used it).

Yep. The plastic check valves are guaranteed to fail, especially if not winterized, which most people forget to do.

[neschultz]

Water in the EMS and on converter most likely ruined them. Ditto for the microwave connector if it got wet. If it didn’t get wet, that was one heck of a coincidence caused by a loose connection in that connector.

I replaced my anti-siphon/check valve with brass parts when it went bad (which was the first time I used it).

[drsteve]

Black tank flush systems seem to cause more problems than they prevent.

[rhagfo]

byronlj wrote:
I would put a waterproof j-box under the trailer and connect your wires in that.
Dave

X3!

[Lynnmor]

I've seen those connectors fail and would not replace it with a similar part. As said above, make your connection in a junction box instead of using a part that only exists for convenience and speed on the production line.

[byronlj]

I would put a waterproof j-box under the trailer and connect your wires in that.
Dave