Replacing the Power Converter

For awhile now, our power converter, the device that is responsible for taking 120 volt AC and converting it to 12 volt DC, has been dying. It's been a slow, painful, agonizing death, complete with buzzing, humming, irregular output, and periods of not functioning at all. So I ordered a replacement for it, and it finally got to us.

As a side note, do not have any imperative equipment fail or need replacement around the holiday times. It will take twice as long for the replacement to get to you than it normally would, and you will be anxious and frustrated beyond belief.

The shiny new converter!

I replaced a WFCO 65 amp converter with a Progressive Dynamics (PD9270V) 70 Amp Power Converter . I originally looked at a direct replacement, but the WFCO had some bad reviews, and I didn't want to have to deal with the same issues in a year or two. The Progressive Dynamics model comes with the company's Charge Wizard circuiting, which is a multi mode operation allowing for normal operation/charging, a quick charge mode, a storage mode, and a desulfation mode. The unit is designed to automatically select the mode needed, but also comes with a remote pendant to allow manual selection.

Installation was pretty easy. I had already done the leg work of locating the old converter, which was pretty easy with the noise that it was making. Access was behind a panel in my basement, which gave ample work space.

The panel is easily removed with four screws to reveal...

...the power converter (and some plumbing. Not well thought out if you ask me).

Always remember to shut off all electricity before working on any appliance. In this case it meant shutting off the breaker in the 120 volt panel as well as disconnecting the battery. Safety first.

Removal and installation was a breeze. Remove two screws holding down the existing converter, unhook the positive and negative wires from the DC output side, and remove the grounding/bonding wire from the housing. The converter is connected to the 120 volt paned via a standard Edison plug. This was the hardest part of the process, since I had to reach my hand into the dark hole to feel where it went. Reverse the process for installation.

The new converter in place.

As I mentioned, the converter came with a remote pendant. We have a closet directly above the power center, providing a convenient place for installation.

Glad I can close the door, that green light is bright!

I'm very excited to have a consistent 13.5 volts, even with all of the 12 volt lighting and systems in use. All in all, the whole job took about 20 minutes.

The Daredevil

As an almost unrelated intro to this post I will make a reference to the CBS tv show, How I Met Your Mother.  For anyone who has watched the show, the characters of Marshall and Lily hit very close to home for Stephanie and myself.  Their quirks, mannerisms, and general behavior have us convinced that the writers follow us around at times.  While I claim to not have one, a recent episode revealed that Marshall and Lily have a 'long term bet' box, in which they place their wagers with each other that will take some time to achieve an outcome.  Stephanie and I have had a running wager of our own for the past 2-2.5 years, which has yet to be settled.  What is this wager that has been running for that long?  It is this:


Ian will be the first of our children to send someone to the ER, be it himself or another immediate family member.


Understandably, he is a boy.  His natural tendency is to be wild and raucous.  I get this.  I've been there, done that, so forth.  He just seems to take it one step further, to leap head first into a situation with no regard to the self harm that may be inflicted.  And I do mean head first.  There was a span of several months where he consistently had a knot or scratch on his head from running into items or tripping and hitting his head.  We got really good with icepacks for a while there.  


What brings all of this to light?  Well, today he tried to electrocute himself!  My wife says that his dad being an electrician has removed some of that fear of electricity from him.  Please understand that we both are consistent with our warnings and instructions to the kids regarding electrical outlets, cords, switches, and such.  We warn them of the dangers and what safety precautions that I take when I am working on electrical things.


So the story is that Stephanie and myself are in the extra bedroom chatting about things.  All of a sudden there is a loud pop and the lights go out.  I immediately know what has happened (a breaker tripped) whereas Stephanie is wondering why the lights went out suddenly.  I raced out into the hallway, where Ian has already vacated (a good sign in my mind, he can move freely).  After some coaxing, we are able to get a story out of the kids of what happened and investigate Ian for any injuries.  He managed to only get a black mark from the arc soot, no skin damage whatsoever.  He likes to hang his key ring on various items around the house, and today he decided the night light in the hallway was a good location.  Too bad the keys were too heavy and pulled the night light out of the socket just enough so that it was still plugged in, but far enough out that the prongs were exposed.

Needless to say, the night light is toasted, the key ring is welded together, and I had to replace the outlet.  Mild damage compared to what could have happened.  We now have some good visuals for our electrical safety speeches.  Let's hope that we don't have any repeat situations like this.   


On a side note:  Both of us have bet against the house about the ER thing, so either we both win or we both lose.