Current Draw Of Residential Refrigerator ?

pnichols wrote:
However - it also has a main 30 amp circuit breaker...

I think it is safe to say that "all" RVs will have a main breaker (or set of ganged) main breaker(s). I have a 30 amp main, two 20 and one 15 amp breaker (or something like that).

You can add as many sub breakers as you want. They protect the circuit to the outlet. Mains protect the shore power circuit.

Your 30 amp circuit breaker in the RV's load center operates as circuit protection between the incoming shore power and the load center breakers. It is called a "main breaker" in usual parlance. Your residence is wired similarly (if you have a S&B).

I'm guessing the two 750 heaters, the converter and anything else running, combined with the locked rotor load of the fridge is more than 15A. My dorm fridge locked rotor load is more than 4A, more like 6A.

You have a point - except for perhaps one thing you either haven't mentioned or your RV doesn't have.

I checked our Class C a little while ago. It has four (4) 15 amp circuit breakers and one (1) 20 amp circuit breaker.

However - it also has a main 30 amp circuit breaker - so if the overall load becomes too much from the five smaller breakers in combination, the main 30 amp circuit breaker will of course trip. Since this circuit breaker is right inside in the local breaker panel, it's convenient to get at.

I figure the reason(s) why this master 30 amp breaker was included by Winnebago is to serve as a backup to the Onan generator's internal overload protection and/or as a backup to any (perhaps unreliable) 30 amp circuit breaker outside on a campground power pole.

Hi Phil,

My 1987 Citation Supreme had a 30 amp service and 6 circuit breakers.

Obviously one can over load the 30 amps, particularly if a microwave and water heater are used at the same time--or air conditioner.

I have tripped a 15 amp shore power breaker--but never a 30 amp one.

One has to do intelligent load balancing. It's that simple.

Having only two breakers for all the circuits in the rv, would be, for me, a royal pain.

It is also quite possible to "break out" circuits as needed. In fact I use the OEM shore power cord and two auxiliary shore power cords. In a campground that allows me to draw 30 amps, 20 amps, and 15 amps. In a "home" situation (such as a Church parking lot) I can run three 15 amp circuits, and pretty much have full functionality in the rv--including heating it 100% electrically.

pianotuna wrote:
My RV has a thirty amp service and six 15 amp breakers.

That's "technically OK", assuming you trust the outside hookup 30 amp breaker (which can be old, corroded, etc.) to be reliable.

With more than two 15 amp breakers on a 30 amp RV main service, you're of course opening yourself up to having to go outside (in rotten weather?) more for breaker resets ... from the occasional overall overloads to the 30 amp maximum outside service resulting from a bunch of 15 amp local breakers and their circuits inside the RV.

the compressor will hit around 8amps for a split second then the run windings will drop off to 1.5 or less, the defrost cycle will be close to 4 amps & less than a 30 min run time on the heaters. the fan motors on most are dc now so amps are knocked way down from the older units

In my opinion, it is always a balancing act with power consumption in a 30 amp rig. We could not run 2 high power consumption items at the same time like anything when the hair dryer was running. Power management is just a fact if life with a 30 amp RV.

Hi Phil,

My RV has a thirty amp service and six 15 amp breakers.

An educated guess
Fridge compressor kicking on while defrost is operating
The surge of the compressor while already drawing defrost power, creates an overload condition
The solution is to remove something from that circuit, , or add another breaker
Get an electrician to add a dedicated circuit for the fridge, on the new circuit breaker

It sounds to me like the breaker has gotten more and more sensitive so it's basically worn out. They are cheap enough that I would just replace it.