Replacing DC Breaker

[scottyb]

I have read a couple times where it was recommended by Lippert to replace the 50A breaker for the hydraulic pump, with an 80A. I have searched and have been unable to locate one of the same style, above 50A. For those that have replaced them, were you able to find an 80A of the same type or did you have to go to a different style of breaker? Mine is getting worse with every use. It popped twice today pulling in the slides.

Another related item; the breaker for charging my batteries appears to be an automatic reset as well. All of the breakers appear to be automatic. I have stuck my head in there and got a close look at them. There is no small button on any of them to manually reset it. I have read about this on many occasions, and expected to find at least one manual breaker.

 

[jnbhobe]

One of Liperts fixes was to put two 50 amp breakers in parallel.

 

[branson4020]

Those Bussman "shortstop" breakers only go to 50A. Only thing I have found larger are manual reset. Like the one pictured. Parallel breakers are a little hokey but will work. Throw a 40A in parallel with the 50A and that will give you 80A.

 

[Jim.Allison]

I like these breakers, I have a 60 amp in my rig for the solar hot. It performs flawlessly and is a great on off switch as well. Easy to mount and easy to attach leads. The rubber cover are not cheap and they stay on. You won't go wrong with one of these if it suits your application.

Those Bussman "shortstop" breakers only go to 50A. Only thing I have found larger are manual reset. Like the one pictured. Parallel breakers are a little hokey but will work. Throw a 40A in parallel with the 50A and that will give you 80A.

View attachment 31695

 

[pegmikef]

I still question the use of an 80 amp breaker on a circuit that was designed for 50 amps. If it is supposed to be 80 amps why do the systems continue to be manufactured with 50 amp breakers?

 

[JohnDar]

The reset button on the OEM breaker is a tiny button on one end. I did buy an 80A manual reset, similar to the ones shown in this thread, to have on hand. I had to buy it online after doing a search. It's still sitting in my electrical toolkit.


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[porthole]

Throw a 40A in parallel with the 50A and that will give you 80A.

[

A 40a in parallel with a 50 will give you 50, until it trips, then you will have 40 amp protection.

West Marine has a good assortment of
surface mount manual reset breakers, all the way up to 200 amps DC

 

[Jim.Allison]

The breaker is required to be within x inches of the batt, it protects the line to your fuse box. It is rated for that line only. The rest of the system is protected by the individual blade fuses in the DC fuse box. What ever OEM breaker you are replacing needs to be replaced by the same breaker.

Example, on my Inverter I have a 250 amp fuse that does nothing more than protect the cables and battery from a direct short or overload. It is recommended that it be within 7 inches of the terminal. I mount mine on the terminal itself.

If the breaker you are replacing is 80 amp then the wire gage is capable of 80 amps or more but protected by the 80 amp breaker. There are items in your rig that do not necessarily go through the blade fuse box. Perhaps the hydraulic pump needs the 80 amp for the surge or load when it reaches it limit. either way take an 80 off and put an 80 back on. good luck

 

[branson4020]

A 40a in parallel with a 50 will give you 50, until it trips, then you will have 40 amp protection.

West Marine has a good assortment of
surface mount manual reset breakers, all the way up to 200 amps DC

Duane,

The 40A trips first, the 50A then trips instantly because its trying to carry 80A .

 

[cookie]

I replaced mine with a new 50 amp. Works just fine.
A $10 dollar item, 5 minutes to replace, no added wires and no worries about overloading something.

Peace
Dave

 

[danemayer]

I replaced mine with a new 50 amp. Works just fine.
A $10 dollar item, 5 minutes to replace, no added wires and no worries about overloading something.

Peace
Dave

X2 - it stalled a few times and I ordered 2 50 amp breakers. Put one in and keep the other in the compartment as a spare.

 

[TedS]

I replaced the breaker with an 80-amp breaker. The rv service shop measured 76 amps peak when operating the hydraulic pump. I think that surge stresses the 50-amp breaker to where it opens more often with continued use. The wiring is large enough and short enough to handle 80 amps. Never had the wires even feel warm after opening and closing slides.

 

[Hippy]

So, TedS, where did you find, buy the 80amp breaker? I have no problems or issues but would like to buy and replace my 50amp to avoid any future problems.

 

[TedS]

Bought the Buss breaker from Arizona Wind and Solar online. Looks like the price has gone up. Tried to post the link, did not work.

I removed the original breaker from the bank of breakers. Mounted the 80-amp on the bulkhead aft of the pump. Used existing wire to pump. Added new wire from buss bar to new breaker.

 

[danemayer]

Maybe it's just me, but discussions like this always make me think of the days when homes had fuse boxes instead of circuit breaker boxes. Every once in while you'd hear about someone who got tired of replacing blown fuses and would either put in a larger fuse or maybe even use a penny to make sure they didn't have any more blown fuses. Didn't always work out too well.

I know Lippert at one time recommended fixing certain problems by switching to an 80 amp breaker. But they later withdrew that service letter. We can only speculate as to why.

But my theory is that if you need a larger breaker to avoid problems, you're really just masking another problem. Maybe it's a loose 12V connection, low voltage, bad ground, a mechanical bind, pump problem...hard to say. But if it was normal for the pump to draw more than 50 amps, I think that Lippert would have long ago changed the wires and breakers on new builds.

 

[bsuds]

Maybe it's just me, but discussions like this always make me think of the days when homes had fuse boxes instead of circuit breaker boxes. Every once in while you'd hear about someone who got tired of replacing blown fuses and would either put in a larger fuse or maybe even use a penny to make sure they didn't have any more blown fuses. Didn't always work out too well.

I know Lippert at one time recommended fixing certain problems by switching to an 80 amp breaker. But they later withdrew that service letter. We can only speculate as to why.

But my theory is that if you need a larger breaker to avoid problems, you're really just masking another problem. Maybe it's a loose 12V connection, low voltage, bad ground, a mechanical bind, pump problem...hard to say. But if it was normal for the pump to draw more than 50 amps, I think that Lippert would have long ago changed the wires and breakers on new builds.

I was a service tech for over 30 years and my experience tells me this is a very bad idea. If you are blowing fuses then look for the problem that is causing it to happen.

 

[TedS]

Forest River uses the Lippert hydraulic system and protects the pump with a 100-amp breaker. Do they know something that Heartland does not? In researching the possible hydraulic power unit by Parker, the dc motor is rated at 1hp. That is 754 watts and with 12 volts the current required is about 63 amps. I'm good with using at least the 80-amp breaker.

 

[JeromyS]

I just had Lippert install a new 6 point level up system on my unit. They installed it with an 80 amp breaker:

 

[JeromyS]

Also appears there is a manual on replacing it: 80 amp breaker lippert

 

[danemayer]

Also appears there is a manual on replacing it: 80 amp breaker lippert

Yes - we captured the Lip Sheet before it disappeared from the Lippert site.