Help please. Putting in a 50 amp service at home.

Yes, it is a 240v outlet, with a ground and a neutral (4 connections total). The RV appliances will draw 120v from either side of the outlet (L1 or L2), depending on the circuit breaker arrangement in your load panel inside the coach.

This diagram might help:

Yes it is a very common NEMA 14-50 connector that supplies 120/240 service.

http://www.myrv.us/electric/Pg/50amp_Service.htm

Same outlet that feeds your residential electric range.
Enjoy all that extra power!

After reading so many horror stories on here from folks that have done a DIY 50A install and even paid to have it done might I suggest:

If you do it yourself be 100% knowledgeable on how it works, to avoid frying your rv with 220volts.

If you hire a professional....be sure they know exactly how a 50A rv outlet works as too many of them end up frying rigs with 220V

Daryll

I just had a 50A installed last Fri. I asked the tech at RV dealer if he dealt w/ doing electric work on the side and said no, but knew a fella behind him who does. I had all the stuff, he just needed to cut hole thru wall in garage, attach outlet box, run wire along wall/into breaker panel, attach double pole breaker and wholla! $100.00 later. Have 117 volts on each line (based on readings from PI50amp EMS). He removed the double pole 30 amp breaker from box that was used for clothes drier, but no longer in use (switched to gas)and put the RV 50A breaker there. Wire run was only about 15' in total and used 10ga wire. Am not too concerned as we don't plan on running anything more than lights and fridge. IF for whatever reason we were to fire up either 1 or both A/C's, no problem...again based on only being 15' of wire. Main reason we wanted the 50A plug was based on more of a convenience to us to plug into so as to not have to keep jerry rigging the 110 adapter to 50A and tie up the 50A cord due to it's weight.

If you are going to be a ways from your breaker panel, you may want to use a heavier ga wire. Others agree or disagree? I'm not a wire expert, just basing this off of high school ag class memory.

FLY 4 FUN wrote:
After reading so many horror stories on here from folks that have done a DIY 50A install and even paid to have it done might I suggest:

If you do it yourself be 100% knowledgeable on how it works, to avoid frying your rv with 220volts.

If you hire a professional....be sure they know exactly how a 50A rv outlet works as too many of them end up frying rigs with 220V

Daryll

Double ditto!

*BEST* answer to the OP's question - (no disrespect, OP but maybe you should hire an electrician).

And.....

ALL the previous posts should have had the above as a "disclaimer".:R

~

ACZL wrote:
I just had a 50A installed last Fri. I asked the tech at RV dealer if he dealt w/ doing electric work on the side and said no, but knew a fella behind him who does. I had all the stuff, he just needed to cut hole thru wall in garage, attach outlet box, run wire along wall/into breaker panel, attach double pole breaker and wholla! $100.00 later. Have 117 volts on each line (based on readings from PI50amp EMS). He removed the double pole 30 amp breaker from box that was used for clothes drier, but no longer in use (switched to gas)and put the RV 50A breaker there. Wire run was only about 15' in total and used 10ga wire. Am not too concerned as we don't plan on running anything more than lights and fridge. IF for whatever reason we were to fire up either 1 or both A/C's, no problem...again based on only being 15' of wire. Main reason we wanted the 50A plug was based on more of a convenience to us to plug into so as to not have to keep jerry rigging the 110 adapter to 50A and tie up the 50A cord due to it's weight.

If you are going to be a ways from your breaker panel, you may want to use a heavier ga wire. Others agree or disagree? I'm not a wire expert, just basing this off of high school ag class memory.

If you are running 10 gauge wire you better put that 30 amp breaker back in to protect your house. You can still use the 50 amp outlet but will only be able to pull 30 amps through it.

tiffy2000 wrote:

ACZL wrote:
I just had a 50A installed last Fri. I asked the tech at RV dealer if he dealt w/ doing electric work on the side and said no, but knew a fella behind him who does. I had all the stuff, he just needed to cut hole thru wall in garage, attach outlet box, run wire along wall/into breaker panel, attach double pole breaker and wholla! $100.00 later. Have 117 volts on each line (based on readings from PI50amp EMS). He removed the double pole 30 amp breaker from box that was used for clothes drier, but no longer in use (switched to gas)and put the RV 50A breaker there. Wire run was only about 15' in total and used 10ga wire. Am not too concerned as we don't plan on running anything more than lights and fridge. IF for whatever reason we were to fire up either 1 or both A/C's, no problem...again based on only being 15' of wire. Main reason we wanted the 50A plug was based on more of a convenience to us to plug into so as to not have to keep jerry rigging the 110 adapter to 50A and tie up the 50A cord due to it's weight.

If you are going to be a ways from your breaker panel, you may want to use a heavier ga wire. Others agree or disagree? I'm not a wire expert, just basing this off of high school ag class memory.

If you are running 10 gauge wire you better put that 30 amp breaker back in to protect your house. You can still use the 50 amp outlet but will only be able to pull 30 amps through it.

This above
Breaker is sized for the wire. #10 copper only good for 30amps .

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

FLY 4 FUN wrote:
After reading so many horror stories on here from folks that have done a DIY 50A install and even paid to have it done might I suggest:

If you do it yourself be 100% knowledgeable on how it works, to avoid frying your rv with 220volts.

If you hire a professional....be sure they know exactly how a 50A rv outlet works as too many of them end up frying rigs with 220V

Daryll

Double ditto!


*BEST* answer to the OP's question - (no disrespect, OP but maybe you should hire an electrician).

And.....

ALL the previous posts should have had the above as a "disclaimer".:R

~

NO NO NO

Read Gordon Three's answer above. The 50a outlet DOES use 220v. The 30a does NOT. The "horror stories" come from the 30a RV outlet being wired for 220v like a residential dryer out;let, instead of the proper 120v.

The 50a RV service IS 220v and uses the same outlet as your residential stove.

The outlet that electricians often wire wrong is the 30 amp outlet, which in a house is often 220 vac for dryers, welders etc. In an RV it's 120 vac.

As Scott said a 50 amp RV outlet is the same as a stove outlet. I can't recall any electricians miss-wiring this common outlet.