As noted on the Yahoo board, the GFCI in our van was the subject of a voluntary recall by ABB.
A GFCI is an essential part of a high-voltage circuit used outdoors or in wet conditions. When plugged in to shore power, the GFCI should "trip" when the test button is pressed. If yours fails this test, do not use shore power until the issue is resolved!
(A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter continuously compares the current flowing into and out of an appliance (in this case, the whole van) and cuts the circuit if those currents differ. This would occur, for example, if a person or pet became energized by the appliance and offered a path to electrical ground. In theory, the GFCI cuts the circuit quickly enough to avoid electrocution.)
When ours failed the test and I searched for a replacement, I found the info on the recall and reached out to German and ABB contacts but heard nothing back. (I am in Berlin.) The US reps were much more helpful, and said Germany would be in touch. After several weeks of waiting during peak camping season, I went down to the local building supply store and purchased a new one with the 25A/30mA rating needed in our van, in the same two-pole DIN rail package.
Installation was not entirely plug-and-play; I had to shorten the copper bus bar linking the original four components at the bottom because it would not fit the new GFCI. The new component is designed for a different kind of bus. The solution was to cut the bus down to three and add a short jumper wire. If you have any doubts about this, please get a qualified electrician to wire it up! (To release a breaker from the DIN rail, use a small screwdriver to pull the spring-loaded tab down from below the breaker.)
The ABB part number for the new GFCI is F202A-25/0.03. I paid 23 Euros, but unfortunately they are a lot more expensive in the US. The best source might be Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de/.fr/.es depending on what language you can read. Better yet would be if ABB (or Airstream) would replace a defective device for free.
Good luck and safe Sprinting,
Ted
http://www.sonepar.de/imperia/md/content/sonepar_de/abb-fi/erkennung_fehlerhafter_fi.pdf
https://www.platt.com/Downloads/pdfs/recalls/ABB-Recall-Poster-2.pdf
http://www02.abb.com/global/abbzh/a...e=us&m=9F2&c=7E615C16516D0EECC12572300029C283
A GFCI is an essential part of a high-voltage circuit used outdoors or in wet conditions. When plugged in to shore power, the GFCI should "trip" when the test button is pressed. If yours fails this test, do not use shore power until the issue is resolved!
(A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter continuously compares the current flowing into and out of an appliance (in this case, the whole van) and cuts the circuit if those currents differ. This would occur, for example, if a person or pet became energized by the appliance and offered a path to electrical ground. In theory, the GFCI cuts the circuit quickly enough to avoid electrocution.)
When ours failed the test and I searched for a replacement, I found the info on the recall and reached out to German and ABB contacts but heard nothing back. (I am in Berlin.) The US reps were much more helpful, and said Germany would be in touch. After several weeks of waiting during peak camping season, I went down to the local building supply store and purchased a new one with the 25A/30mA rating needed in our van, in the same two-pole DIN rail package.
Installation was not entirely plug-and-play; I had to shorten the copper bus bar linking the original four components at the bottom because it would not fit the new GFCI. The new component is designed for a different kind of bus. The solution was to cut the bus down to three and add a short jumper wire. If you have any doubts about this, please get a qualified electrician to wire it up! (To release a breaker from the DIN rail, use a small screwdriver to pull the spring-loaded tab down from below the breaker.)
The ABB part number for the new GFCI is F202A-25/0.03. I paid 23 Euros, but unfortunately they are a lot more expensive in the US. The best source might be Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de/.fr/.es depending on what language you can read. Better yet would be if ABB (or Airstream) would replace a defective device for free.
Good luck and safe Sprinting,
Ted
http://www.sonepar.de/imperia/md/content/sonepar_de/abb-fi/erkennung_fehlerhafter_fi.pdf
https://www.platt.com/Downloads/pdfs/recalls/ABB-Recall-Poster-2.pdf
http://www02.abb.com/global/abbzh/a...e=us&m=9F2&c=7E615C16516D0EECC12572300029C283
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