A/C off of 20 amp service?
Has anyone ever heard of a single a/c unit not being able to start and run on a 20amp shore power circuit? We bought a new coach and the dealer says don't run a/c unless connected to a 30 amp servic...
Forum Discussion
dougrainer wrote:Effy wrote:
Yes, I do it all the time. Worst case it will trip a breaker.
Sorry, Worst case is NOT tripping a breaker, but overloading the systems which results in HEAT buildup, which can lead to a FIRE. Your Post is a good example of the misconception of what a 120 breaker REALLY does. A Lot of bad things have happened to people that assume that the 120 breakers stop ALL bad results. I always ask customers, WHY do you think your 30 amp shore cord end is all burnt and pitted? Why is your 30 to 15 amp adapter slightly melted and burnt and pitted? WHY do you think your 50 to 30 Dogbone is Burnt and pitted on the 30 amp end? BECAUSE THEY OVERLOAD THE SYSTEM WHEN NOT CONNECTED TO 50 OR 30 AMP SERVICE. Doug
Overheated plugs on dogbones or whatever are not generally a sign of overloading the system but rather of having a poor connection, usually due to a worn out outlet or a physically damaged plug or cord. The heat comes from the power dissipated by the high resistance connection. In many cases you would see heat damage even within the nominal ratings of the system and its components, just as you can see heat damage when there are loose connections in the distribution panel even when nothing was overloading the system's rated capacity.
If on the other hand you can overload an electrical system (i.e. consume more current than the wires are rated to carry), then the breaker or fuse is not doing its job properly and that is a safety hazard in itself.
