Kevin D Pem
RVF 1K Club
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2020
- Messages
- 4,252
- Location
- AZ
- RV Year
- 1984
- RV Make
- Alpinelite
- RV Length
- 26'
- TOW/TOAD
- 2016 Ram 1500
- Fulltimer
- Yes
Jabber jaw asked this question, and this is my attempt at answering!
"Curious question....
What kind of variance do you see?
If substantial, could that be one of the reasons that a lot of these a/c units, and fridges go bad after only a couple of years of use?:
"
My dad was a refrigeration man. Every time there was a brown out, we didn't see him for weeks! He was gone before we got up, and came home after we went to bed!
Years later I became an electrician,and started to understand the problem,so here is my long explanation!
I start with the refrigerator to answer the question first.
No matter what brand you have you will likely find a "Made in China" label someplace. Under "normal conditions" All is fine,and the life is acceptable in today's standards. Years ago the opinion would be different. So what is considered normal???
Well a voltage that is within tolerance! In the day, energy demand was easily handled with the grid as it was built. Today we have an overloaded grid, and no place more so than RV parks. My first experience with this situation was in 1978 in an RV park in California during a heat wave!
In grid design, boost transformers are used on long runs to keep the output voltage within tolerance, enter Hughes Auto boost transformers. And although the person using one has proper voltages, most of the time, the rest of the park doesn't.
For the answer we must go back to the transformers, and feeders. Both installed for a designed load that is being overwhelmed!!!
For a very quick, and likely incomplete electronics theory lesson, number of windings will always be established by the voltage. The size of the wire establishing how much power the device can use for the job at hand. This is true no matter what kind of electromagnetic device we are talking about.
For instance,the transformers that supply the park, the refrigerator's compressor motor,and so on!
So when demand is high, the transformers don't magically offer up more power,the voltage sags and they heat up beyond designed limits. As they heat up the resistance limits output even more!
This process is repeated in every device, all the way down the line! Even that refrigerator!
Now about that "made in China" to offer low priced equipment, most equipment produced is under powered,and will heat up beyond design limits, shortening equipment life cycle, when facing low voltage.
In your brick and stick where autotransformers are not used, the number of brown outs are fewer! This is mostly due to utility control over grid design, yes they know what is on their grid and limit what can be added.
In short, that kind of use is what your refrigerator was designed to endure!!!
Hope that helps!!!
"Curious question....
What kind of variance do you see?
If substantial, could that be one of the reasons that a lot of these a/c units, and fridges go bad after only a couple of years of use?:
"My dad was a refrigeration man. Every time there was a brown out, we didn't see him for weeks! He was gone before we got up, and came home after we went to bed!
Years later I became an electrician,and started to understand the problem,so here is my long explanation!
I start with the refrigerator to answer the question first.
No matter what brand you have you will likely find a "Made in China" label someplace. Under "normal conditions" All is fine,and the life is acceptable in today's standards. Years ago the opinion would be different. So what is considered normal???
Well a voltage that is within tolerance! In the day, energy demand was easily handled with the grid as it was built. Today we have an overloaded grid, and no place more so than RV parks. My first experience with this situation was in 1978 in an RV park in California during a heat wave!
In grid design, boost transformers are used on long runs to keep the output voltage within tolerance, enter Hughes Auto boost transformers. And although the person using one has proper voltages, most of the time, the rest of the park doesn't.
For the answer we must go back to the transformers, and feeders. Both installed for a designed load that is being overwhelmed!!!
For a very quick, and likely incomplete electronics theory lesson, number of windings will always be established by the voltage. The size of the wire establishing how much power the device can use for the job at hand. This is true no matter what kind of electromagnetic device we are talking about.
For instance,the transformers that supply the park, the refrigerator's compressor motor,and so on!
So when demand is high, the transformers don't magically offer up more power,the voltage sags and they heat up beyond designed limits. As they heat up the resistance limits output even more!
This process is repeated in every device, all the way down the line! Even that refrigerator!
Now about that "made in China" to offer low priced equipment, most equipment produced is under powered,and will heat up beyond design limits, shortening equipment life cycle, when facing low voltage.
In your brick and stick where autotransformers are not used, the number of brown outs are fewer! This is mostly due to utility control over grid design, yes they know what is on their grid and limit what can be added.
In short, that kind of use is what your refrigerator was designed to endure!!!
Hope that helps!!!
