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Old 04-28-2006, 05:39 AM   #1
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Unhappy Problem with univolt ?

Hi,
there is my problem.
I did plug my AS on the 120, without the battery, as I wanted to run the 12v lights and the furnace, but nothing happened, and I thought that I could do it that way.
So I did plug the battery, and then I was abble to run the lights and the furnace, for few minutes.
The battery went low pretty fast.
So I thought I have to let it charge...
After a complete day and night the battery is still lowm and if run one light it goes down.

How can I make sure that the univolt is working well...
Is the problem is just because of the battery...

My AS is a Overlander 1975, with the original univolt, and I don't have the manual, and on my other AS (overlander 1972) the univolt is brand new, and the manual of that could help me, but the fact is that manual is in my 1972 AS, and the 1972 AS is not home.

Thank you for your help,
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Old 04-28-2006, 06:31 AM   #2
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Sounds like the univolt is not working. Do you have shore power to the outlet that the univolt plugs into? Is the polarity correct? You should be able to hear the Hummmmmm of a working univolt. My 75 has an indicator on the exterior rear of the trailer that indicates if the polarity is incorrect.
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Old 04-28-2006, 06:43 AM   #3
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actually I've just tried to check the outletm and being that close I heard the hummm, quite soft.
I checked all the fuses, I don't have any 12v from the univolt, I'm running with the residual charge of the battery...
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Old 04-28-2006, 07:11 AM   #4
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If I had a dollar for every sentence I've read with the words "Univolt" and "problem" on this website........................
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Old 04-28-2006, 07:11 AM   #5
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Just because the Univolt hums, doesn't mean it is working.

Put a voltmeter across the output wires of the Univolt and you should have ~13.8 volts. The transformer could be receiving electricity (that's the hum) but the diodes or capacitor could be shot. You could have it fixed at a motor shop, but I recommend replacing with either an Iota or WFCO converter.
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Old 04-28-2006, 07:20 AM   #6
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Mine is getting replaced with an Intellicharger this weekend. I am reading 29 volts AC, at the battery terminals, with the battery connected!
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Old 04-28-2006, 07:24 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pick
Mine is getting replaced with an Intellicharger this weekend. I am reading 29 volts AC, at the battery terminals, with the battery connected!
Are you getting the 91xx or 92xx series?
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Old 04-28-2006, 07:32 AM   #8
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get rid of it

hi- I agree, get rid of the 30+ year-old dinosaur and go for a new intellicharger or similar unit.I too was fooled by the HUM (and the PO, who, giving his sales pitch to me, said "sure it works- hear it humming?") and wasted time trying to make it work. Into the dumpster with the 40-lb. anchor, into the coach with a feather-weight, quiet new converter! -tim
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Old 04-28-2006, 11:36 AM   #9
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thank you,
I know what I have to do now...
So if I want to change for a new one, should I purchase a 30 amp or more...
thank you again
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Old 04-28-2006, 01:20 PM   #10
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AZ, got a 40 amp 9100 series. Have not got the Charge Wizard, yet.
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Old 04-28-2006, 03:38 PM   #11
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boat anchor

I just got my 9260 this morning , will be connecting it tonite , even though my boat anchor , battery cooker still works
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Old 04-28-2006, 07:31 PM   #12
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My Intelipower 9160 with Charge Wizard is sweet! The installation was swift and the operation is noiseless (especially important, since the unit sits under the bed).
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Old 04-28-2006, 07:53 PM   #13
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One last thought for you, and some may think it is silly, yet it is so simple it can be overlooked. Many people in the past, realizing the univolt cooks batteries, put on/off switches behind the couch to keep that from happening, yet allowing the shore power to stay plugged up to allow use of 110 volt appliances. When the batteries went low, they would turn on the switch, and the univolt would charge the batteries. Does yours, by chance, have one of those switches?
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Old 04-28-2006, 09:25 PM   #14
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That's a great point steelbird. Actually the idea originated from the humming noise at night from the old Univolts transformer but I'm sure there were people even back then realizing it might be overcharging their battery too. I read in one of the owner manuals that the option was to reduce the noise while sleeping.
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Old 04-29-2006, 07:10 AM   #15
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So THAT'S what that switch was for!

Quote:
Originally Posted by steelbird312
One last thought for you, and some may think it is silly, yet it is so simple it can be overlooked. Many people in the past, realizing the univolt cooks batteries, put on/off switches behind the couch to keep that from happening, yet allowing the shore power to stay plugged up to allow use of 110 volt appliances. When the batteries went low, they would turn on the switch, and the univolt would charge the batteries. Does yours, by chance, have one of those switches?
You just solved a major "headscratcher" for me! My old Univolt was wired directly into the 110V line with wires going up to something I couldn't see, rather than being plugged into the "patio" socket like my Intelipower unit is. They must have been going to that (now functionless) switch installed by the PO! I had never used the Univolt and had never bothered to trace out the wiring. When I got the trailer, the first thing I got rid of was the Univolt since I had heard so many complaints about them. Thanks!
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Old 04-29-2006, 07:35 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vince Brach
You just solved a major "headscratcher" for me! My old Univolt was wired directly into the 110V line with wires going up to something I couldn't see, rather than being plugged into the "patio" socket like my Intelipower unit is. They must have been going to that (now functionless) switch installed by the PO! I had never used the Univolt and had never bothered to trace out the wiring. When I got the trailer, the first thing I got rid of was the Univolt since I had heard so many complaints about them. Thanks!
Whoa. Can you explain what the that second sentance means "Rather than being plugged into the "patio" socket like my Intelipower unit is"? I'm not sure I understand what this means. Do you mean that there is a new outlet put inline with the patio outlet (the one that's on the outside of the trailer, that you plug your patio lights into)? and the Intellipower is plugged into that new outlet?
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Old 04-29-2006, 09:01 AM   #17
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On my 75 the power convertor is plugged into the same circut as the patio outlet. The PO had a story about that when I bought the unit. He had someone plut their trailer into his patio outlet when camped one time. When the PO went to bed he turned off the breaker to stop the hummmm. When he saw the person next door he had a rather ugly gash on his head. The neighbor explained that last night the power had gone out and smashed his head into a window when he was looking for the problem. Ouch!
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Old 04-29-2006, 01:14 PM   #18
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Ah ha. Got it.
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Old 04-29-2006, 03:02 PM   #19
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9200 series Intellicharger

I'd check on the reliability stats of the 9200 series converter/charger before I did anything. Poor reliability of this series led me to the WFCO. Compare at Bestconverter.
I hope this does not come back to bite me. I will be changing it out as I replace the axel.
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Old 04-29-2006, 07:26 PM   #20
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After a little research, I changed out the Parallax converter that came from A/S in my 19CCD with a new WFCO. Great little unit and from what I've read......very reliable! The old (actually new) OEM unit was working fine, I just wanted 3 stage charging in one complete unit.
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