rv46
Oct 27, 2014Explorer
Dedicated 15A Outlet
We wanted a dedicated 15A outlet for hairdryer, space heater, etc. I wanted a circuit breaker inside so I would not have to go outside.
Parts:
Parts:
myredracer wrote:
I would be questioning the interrupting capacity of a circuit breaker like that. Residential type breakers (and in pedestals) will have a minimum ampere interrupting capacity (or "AIC" for short) of 10,000 amps by code. Those mini-breakers often only have a rating of 1,000 or maybe 5,000 amps.
With too small an interrupting capacity, under short circuit conditions, the peak amount of current a system can deliver can cause a breaker to explode, catch fire or fail to operate with potentially serious consequences.
If there happens to be enough overall impedance in the circuit between the mini-breaker and the power company's transformer, and you have a short circuit, you *might* be lucky, but if the transformer is nearby, you may not be. And the bigger the utility transformer, the higher the let-through current will be (for ex., pad-mounted transf. serving many users).
The safe and easiest thing to do is just match what's in the pedestal which is going to be a min. 10,000 AIC rating.
Some brief simplified info.:
here
and here
or some not so simplified info:
here
and here
CA62Mini wrote:
Parts List for Breaker,and wall Plate?
Thanks for sharing
RoyB wrote:This is why these forums are great - sharing ideas. I had never considered using the 15A pedestal circuits before to not overload the 30A circuit. I added 4 15A outlets, 2 on each side of our trailer and changed a single 15A breaker to a double to put them on. The first in sequence is a GFCI and all are in weatherproof boxes with waterproof conduit. When we can we try to cook outside with electric, especially bacon. I like having the outlets all around outside if I need to use a drill, tire pump, polisher, etc. I can add a 15A extension cord alongside the 30A cord, plug the 15A cord into a new box with a 15A male socket and go thru an On-On switch to select the source for the outside outlets - 15A breaker or pedestal breaker.
I always carry a couple of Extension cords with us on trips and plug into 15A/20A pedestal circuits to run our electric heaters or other high wattage things.
It is neat to have these so we don't over load the 30A Pedestal Breakers at times... Roy Ken