30 AMP Connection at home

pianotuna wrote:
While PastorCharlie is confused, you are not correct either.

By direct measurement, my 13500 btu Dometic draws as little as 1100 watts continuous and as much as 1900 watts depending on the ambient temperature and how long it has been running. Start up surge may be as much as six times the running wattage.

The reason that adapters burn is because of low voltage. That can be addressed by having an autoformer to boost the voltage.

jkwilson wrote:

PastorCharlie wrote:
A 1350 watt A/C uses less current than a 1500 watt floor heater. 1350 watts pull 11.25 AMPs. It will do just fine on either a 15 or 20 AMP circuit.

How many RVs have 1350W AC?

Most are at least 13,500 BTU/hr which translates into at least 2000W with starting current over 3000W.

And I can tell you from first hand experience you can’t run them with an adapter on a 15 or 20A circuit without burning up adapters.

An autoformer can't make any difference. The power that comes out of an autoformer will always be a little less than what goes in, so adding an autoformer results in the RV drawing more current through the adapter.

Low voltage has no direct effect on an adapter. If you have low voltage at a 15/20A outlet, it is either wired wrong or you are drawing too much current out of it.

While PastorCharlie is confused, you are not correct either.

By direct measurement, my 13500 btu Dometic draws as little as 1100 watts continuous and as much as 1900 watts depending on the ambient temperature and how long it has been running. Start up surge may be as much as six times the running wattage.

The reason that adapters burn is because of low voltage. That can be addressed by having an autoformer to boost the voltage.

jkwilson wrote:

PastorCharlie wrote:
A 1350 watt A/C uses less current than a 1500 watt floor heater. 1350 watts pull 11.25 AMPs. It will do just fine on either a 15 or 20 AMP circuit.

How many RVs have 1350W AC?

Most are at least 13,500 BTU/hr which translates into at least 2000W with starting current over 3000W.

And I can tell you from first hand experience you can’t run them with an adapter on a 15 or 20A circuit without burning up adapters.

PastorCharlie wrote:
A 1350 watt A/C uses less current than a 1500 watt floor heater. 1350 watts pull 11.25 AMPs. It will do just fine on either a 15 or 20 AMP circuit.

How many RVs have 1350W AC?

Most are at least 13,500 BTU/hr which translates into at least 2000W with starting current over 3000W.

And I can tell you from first hand experience you can’t run them with an adapter on a 15 or 20A circuit without burning up adapters.

PastorCharlie wrote:
A 1350 watt A/C uses less current than a 1500 watt floor heater. 1350 watts pull 11.25 AMPs. It will do just fine on either a 15 or 20 AMP circuit.

A heater is different, it has a steady draw. A 13,500 BTU AC compressor draws 40+ amps on startup, about 12.5 running. Hot weather also affects the draw when running. In the real world, I've never had good luck running a 13.5 AC on a 15 amp circuit, especially if an extension cord is involved. A 20 amp circuit does it no problem.

A 1350 watt A/C uses less current than a 1500 watt floor heater. 1350 watts pull 11.25 AMPs. It will do just fine on either a 15 or 20 AMP circuit.

Colorado #5 wrote:
Thanks a ton for all your help you guys.

I went to the Minnesota RV show this weekend and a dealer there said just use dog bone and plug into a 110 outlet and I should be fine. I think I will watch my voltage drop though.

You won't be fine. You'll burn up the adapter when you try to run the AC very long.

Thanks a ton for all your help you guys.

I went to the Minnesota RV show this weekend and a dealer there said just use dog bone and plug into a 110 outlet and I should be fine. I think I will watch my voltage drop though.

If someone has a dinosaur electrical system they should be spending the $$$ to bring it to modern times instead of buying an RV. I know, harsh!

John & Angela wrote:

MFL wrote:
Just a thought, but many older homes just have 100 amps available. If you put a 50/30/20 next to the driveway, your guests MH may cut you short, when using many household appliances at once.

Jerry

Meh. The worst that happens is you pop the main breaker, reset it, educate everybody and move on. Many Electric Vehicle owners live in houses with 100 amp service. An EV can pull 32 amps at 240 volts. But the chargers are all programmable and they just charge at night. They learn fast after the main 100 amp breaker kicks on the house. Just have to do a little power management. Easy to do with an RV.

Though my house has been updated there are still older homes in my area that use Cartridge Fuses for the mains and screw in fuses or fusestats for the smaller circuits. So if you blow a main cartridge fuse it can be a struggle to find one on a late Sunday afternoon when all the stores are closed. (People should keep spares but, I have known people who didn't )

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Jerry,

That is unlikely to happen. Go to the breaker box and count how many 15 amp circuits are already there. If you ran them all "flat out" the main breaker would blow.

So too, on an RV. 12000 watts divided by two legs is designed for a maximum continuous load of 9600 watts.

MFL wrote:
Just a thought, but many older homes just have 100 amps available. If you put a 50/30/20 next to the driveway, your guests MH may cut you short, when using many household appliances at once.

Jerry

Unlikely when everyone uses electric wisely. We up graded the entrance into the family lake cabin for this very reason. After adding outdoor plug-ins for a couple family members RVs, for holiday gathering, the existing cabin electric was coming up short.

Jerry