Elec outlets not working

KathyWhitman · 01-04-2021, 05:38 PM

Outlets in kitchen area do not work--GFCI in kitchen wouldn't work (wouldn't pop in and out at all), so replaced it. Still won't work. Checked all the circuit breakers--no problem there.

Any help or experience would be appreciated. Thanks!

Ranger Smith · 01-04-2021, 05:54 PM

Don't check the breakers. Flip them off and on one at a time. Sometimes they trip and look like they are on. Only way to tell is reset it.

Morich · 01-04-2021, 05:57 PM

If the GFCI will not hold it sounds like the power coming to it was gone. But there are tons of options on different RV, so which year, model, and size like 2015 Vista 31KE will be a start on looking at where things connect and what path they take to get there.

rk911 · 01-04-2021, 06:23 PM

and look for a secomd GFCI. we found a second one in an exterior srorage bay.

be happy · 01-05-2021, 04:35 AM

The GFCI's will control many outlets within your unit. Have you plugged something into the other outlets? For a test you might want to unplug all the items that are plugged in, see if you can reset the GFCI when the system is clean of plug in's. Did you install the new GFCI correctly? Something else you might want to go to your main breaker panel , take the cover off and put a screw driver to all the connections to make sure they are tight. Unplug unit first however

winston74 · 01-06-2021, 08:53 AM

Remember to check inverter(s) for GFCIs as well.

Bill Forbush · 01-13-2021, 07:00 PM

A no-touch voltage tester from Home Depot is a great addition to your RV toolkit. If the GFCI buttons don’t respond, it probably isn’t getting power. Check other GFCIs and breakers. If no luck start testing to find where the power stops and investigate. Good luck.

Wyatt · 01-13-2021, 08:38 PM

It’s possible, but unlikely, there’s another GFCI that might be controlling that one although it’s more likely that the GFCI is just no longer getting power. I suggest as others have that you check all the breakers and test the back of the GFI for power.

Bo Walker · 01-14-2021, 01:59 AM

I would remove the outlet plates from other outlets starting with the ones between the GFCI and the circuit panel. The electrical line probably comes from another outlet. If there are two 3 wire lines (6 wires) in the outlet box that you removed the cover from, it indicates one line furnishes currant to this outlet and the other line carries currant from this outlet to another one, which could be the GFCI. I have found a loose wire on outlets that should furnish currant to the GFCI.

You may have to read this slowly to decipher what I'm trying to say.
Good Luck

David_Laura · 01-31-2021, 09:57 PM

I recently had an interesting evening. No outlets worked but other hardwired devices (furnace and others) did. I checked everything mentioned above, including polarity, with no luck.
In the morning (after the rain stopped) I unplugged the shore power plug even though I knew there was power to the furnace etc. My wife yelled to say everything worked the moment I plugged it in.

cbeierl · 01-31-2021, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Laura

I recently had an interesting evening. No outlets worked but other hardwired devices (furnace and others) did. I checked everything mentioned above, including polarity, with no luck.
In the morning (after the rain stopped) I unplugged the shore power plug even though I knew there was power to the furnace etc. My wife yelled to say everything worked the moment I plugged it in.

Of course the furnace and lights run off 12V DC, not 120V AC, so they would be running off your batteries (or the converter/charger if you were getting shore power).

Morich · 02-01-2021, 08:13 AM

This might have been a time to take a good look at your plug as well as the outlet to see how worn they are or if the pins need to be bent a bit to get a better connection. One reason we need to make sure the connection is good, even if it makes it a bit harder to plug in is what happens when it is NOT making a good solid connection!

A set on pins/connections that are semi-loose will leave a high resistance connection which heats and will at some point totally fail. We see a lot of outlets where there is a smoked area around it and you know somebody probably lost their plug there!

One way to help make sure you get a good connection is to put a slight curve in the plug pins, so that if the left side is a bit loose, the curve makes the right side of that pin more sure to connect.

RVwithDogs · 02-01-2021, 08:45 AM

I encountered the same problem on mine once, are you by chance using a Surge Guard ? Mine is designed to cut out if the voltage drops below 102 volts. Reset the connection and all was well. Out of curiosity I checked the voltage several times that day at the source and it was dropping close to 102.

David_Laura · 02-01-2021, 05:29 PM

Thanks for the feedback all.
Chris: The devices that were working that evening were 120v furnace heater and of course the 12v lights. I don't have an inverter and even if so the battery would not be able to run the furnace in a heating mode. I'll check and see if the furnace blower motor is 12v.
Richard: The shore power plug is in good condition but I can't say that for the power outlet (salt atmosphere). I've wondered if I could have been getting power on one leg only and the ground. Kind of like single phasing a three phase circuit. My polarity tester should have caught that.
Steve: No surge protection.

cbeierl · 02-01-2021, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Laura

Thanks for the feedback all.
Chris: The devices that were working that evening were 120v furnace heater and of course the 12v lights. I don't have an inverter and even if so the battery would not be able to run the furnace in a heating mode. I'll check and see if the furnace blower motor is 12v.
....

The gas furnace definitely runs on 12V DC, no AC involved.