down home wrote:
rhagfo wrote:
Bill.Satellite wrote:
rhagfo wrote:
Bill.Satellite wrote:
If they are talking about the Cheap Heat system it IS 5000 watts and requires 50 amp service as it does draw somewhere close to 40 amps. Nothing cheap about that if you have to pay the electric bill.
If you don’t know what you are talking about, you should stay out of the discussion!
#1. It DOESN'T require a 50 amp service to operate, on the 1,800 watt setting it works on a 30 amp service, through a 20 amp breaker.
#2. On the 5,000 watt setting, yes a 50 amp 208 volt service is required, but the system runs on a 30 amp 208 volt breaker.
We have a 32’ 5er the we heated to 70 degrees easily with outside temperatures in the low forty’s on the 1,800 watt setting on a 30 amp service used other electrical device without issues.
Currently on a 50 amp service, and the 5,000 watt setting and will heat us down in to the teens.
I am seriously considering the new add on box that auto detects the voltage 120/208 and switches to the correct wattage for the service one is connected to. I can manually change over in about 20 minutes, but having it do it automatically would be nice.
It doesn’t make any difference if use cheap heat or electric space heaters, you are still using electricity so the bill will be the same. My furnace doesn’t run continuously cycles just like using gas.
Thanks for the kind thoughts! Also, thanks for confirming that you are going to need 50 amp service if you plan to use the 5000W option. There is NO 208 V service available with 30 amp service. Don't you hate it when that happens!
Yep, sure do!!:S
I looked in to this closely before deciding to install. Several emails to the developer. Once I realized that the package was one set of components, just wired differently, I decided to buy.
As I have stated I have wiring for both 30 amp 120 volt and 50 amp 240 volt installed, and it takes about 20 minutes of work to switch. RV Comfort Systems now offer an auto switch device for $119, which I am seriously thinking of installing to save the time and effort.
I am still impressed with how well it works, I had done the watts to BTU previous to buying, I knew my gas furnace rated at 30,000 BTU INPUT, was only rated at 23,700 BTU OUTPUT. That is still better than the 17,060 BTU on 5,000 watt setting, so far it does the job of keeping us warm.
One of the nicer features is that heat is almost instant, there is no 15 second purge, the element gets power the same time the fan starts, the only cool air you feel is what is in the duct.
My personal reason,for buying was mainly SAFETY, I am the son of a Firefighter, he disliked winter, too many fires caused by space heaters and from time to time death. Secondary to that is my heater doesn't take up any floor or counter space.
This is important because you don't want to destroy your mh electric by plugging into a 240 volt pug as quite a few have.
We don't have 50 amp 240 volt service. You have two 50 amp legs and a common ground. 100 amps total but on two legs unless you have a Prevost or other with two fifty amp cables and 100 amp service.
Don't hit your mh with 240 Volts. It might burn up but will msot certainly be expensive if the breakers can't handle it.
I do not think this is correct. A RV with 50 Amp service connects via a standard NEMA 14-50R receptacle which is a 240/120V receptacle. It may be (and is in my rig) that there are no 240V breakers or loads connected, but I assure you that if you opened up your distribution panel and checked the voltage between the two phases you will see 240VAC (or 208 probably).
I think where all of the scare about plugging into 240 and frying things came in to play was with 30 amp service when people would plug into welding outlets in their garages which were 240V 30 Amp instead of the intended 120V 30Amp service their RV needed.
