How does 50 amp work?
Can someone explain how the 50 approach system works? Normally 50 amp is 220 but the rv is not 220 its 110 riright? So how does this work?
Forum Discussion
The key part above is the two HOT wires operate exactly 180 degrees out of sync.
AC power is sinusoidal in nature, so it goes from max voltage in one direction of flow to max voltage in the opposite direction (60 times a second for US power grid...aka 60hz). Since they peak in opposite directions, the voltage difference between peaks is +110v & -110v for a total of 220v (nominal voltage...actual voltage will vary). AC powered devices generally don't care about the direction as they expect it to keep reversing.
- If you are powering a 220v device, you draw a circuit off both HOT wires to get 220v.
- If you are powering a 110v device, you draw off one HOT wire and feed it back to the neutral (which connects to ground), giving you 110v.
As most 50amp RVs don't include any 220v powered devices, the circuit box typically breaks the incoming power out into two banks, so half the circuit breakers will feed off one of the HOTs and the other will feed off of the 2nd HOT. You can't combine them to get more 110v than 50amps on each side.
AC power is sinusoidal in nature, so it goes from max voltage in one direction of flow to max voltage in the opposite direction (60 times a second for US power grid...aka 60hz). Since they peak in opposite directions, the voltage difference between peaks is +110v & -110v for a total of 220v (nominal voltage...actual voltage will vary). AC powered devices generally don't care about the direction as they expect it to keep reversing.
- If you are powering a 220v device, you draw a circuit off both HOT wires to get 220v.
- If you are powering a 110v device, you draw off one HOT wire and feed it back to the neutral (which connects to ground), giving you 110v.
As most 50amp RVs don't include any 220v powered devices, the circuit box typically breaks the incoming power out into two banks, so half the circuit breakers will feed off one of the HOTs and the other will feed off of the 2nd HOT. You can't combine them to get more 110v than 50amps on each side.
