length of 30 amp line
How long can a 30 amp line from pole to RV be?
Forum Discussion
Several items change the acceptable length: Generally, you need sufficient voltage at the device you are powering. The longer the cable, the more the voltage drops but there are other factors that can come into play:
- What is the voltage at the pedestal? I've seen everything from 107V to 126V. At the lower end, I would be hesitant to run most anything. At the upper end, you can probably get away with a pretty long cord.
- What size are the conductors in the cable? Most are standard but you can get an upsized cable. Bigger conductors reduce voltage drop.
- What are the power draws? The more amps drawn the bigger the voltage drop. If you are just running the fridge, you can get away with a much longer cord. If you run the fridge, air/con, several lights and get up near the limits, the acceptable length gets shorter.
We have a voltage monitor we plug into an outlet in the kitchen ($25 at home depot). It's easy to see and just stays plugged in. As long as the voltage stays above 110v, I don't worry too much but it's a good idea to check when the air/con or other heavy load kicks on that it doesn't drop too low. It will dip for a second during startup of the compressor but shouldn't go too low and should quickly rebound to 110v or better.
- What is the voltage at the pedestal? I've seen everything from 107V to 126V. At the lower end, I would be hesitant to run most anything. At the upper end, you can probably get away with a pretty long cord.
- What size are the conductors in the cable? Most are standard but you can get an upsized cable. Bigger conductors reduce voltage drop.
- What are the power draws? The more amps drawn the bigger the voltage drop. If you are just running the fridge, you can get away with a much longer cord. If you run the fridge, air/con, several lights and get up near the limits, the acceptable length gets shorter.
We have a voltage monitor we plug into an outlet in the kitchen ($25 at home depot). It's easy to see and just stays plugged in. As long as the voltage stays above 110v, I don't worry too much but it's a good idea to check when the air/con or other heavy load kicks on that it doesn't drop too low. It will dip for a second during startup of the compressor but shouldn't go too low and should quickly rebound to 110v or better.
