"Be Advised! Abnormal Voltage Can Cause Damage"

Greetings,

The Utility Power Grid in the United States is, without question, the best in the World. We depend on it to reliably furnish the electrical energy that we use every day. In fact, most folks never give a second thought to what might happen to the countless appliances that are sprinkled through the average home until that power becomes abnormal.

During the previous week, two readers have sent in questions regarding their experience with Abnormal Power. “OK” you say, “so what is Abnormal Power and what causes it?”

The Utility Power Grid in the United States is highly regulated. Although some slight variances are permitted, generally the AC voltage distributed to homes will fall within the range of 115 to 120 volts. Over the course of many years, this voltage range has become the “norm” for Utility Power Distribution Systems. Of course there are times when this voltage will be slightly higher or lower depending on the environmental conditions existing at the time. This is very true when the weather turns hot and the demand for power for Air Conditioning increases. During this time, the Utility increases the line voltage to meet the increase in power demand.

Abnormal Power occurs when the Utility voltage moves outside of the “normal” range. Many areas of the US have lower than normal Line voltage, a condition that can cause problems for RVs.

“So why are RVs more susceptible to damage than my home” you ask?

The difference is found in how the AC power is connected to the RV and a house. Houses have large wires that connect to the Utility power, usually from a distribution transformer, to the home’s distribution box. This arrangement provides a very low resistance path of the electric power to reach the home’s appliances. Of equal importance is the fact that the distribution system for a house is extremely well grounded.

RVs on the other hand, rely on a length of cable to carry the electric power from a Power Post to the RV. Also, the RV’s Power Cable also provides the “grounding” of the RV’s electrical system to the Utility ground.

The result of all of this cable is an increase in the resistance between the Utility Power and the RV’s distribution systems.

Now there is one very well known fact for all electric power distribution systems. That fact states that “the lower the resistance, the better the System.”

Virtually all RVs suffer from some power problem, a fact that is mostly not recognized by the RV Owner. With the tremendous increase in the number of expensive appliances that are becoming a part of every RVer’s daily life, the time is right for the RV Owner to be considerate of the potential for extensive damage to their RV.

Here are some ways to mitigate the potential for RV appliance damage.

* When hooking up the RV to a Park Power Post, be sure to check the voltage. Use a good quality Digital Voltmeter and verify that the voltage is between 116 and 120 volts. If you do not have a good Digital Voltmeter, check out the Digital Voltmeter at www.dynamorv.com.

* Look over the connection box on the Park Power Post. Is it in good condition? Is the electrical power socket clean and in good condition? These are important criteria for a quality power connection.

* Purchase a high quality Automatic Power Regulator/Booster. These devices will maintain the voltage at the RV within the approved limits set for the RV. Automatic Power Regulator/Boosters are not expensive and provide a high degree of protection for the RV in “Brown-Out” prone areas. They also provide a degree of protection from Power Line voltage surges. Check out the Dynamo product at www.dynamorv.com for the latest in RV Voltage Regulator/Boosters.

The many high technology appliances in RVs rely on first class electric power if they are to perform as desired. Thanks for reading.

Respectfully,

Tech Support