Why 30 amp and not 50 amp
Why not build all RV’s with 50 amp service ? With AC, microwaves, electronic water heaters plus numerous other electrical appliances we take with us it seems to make More sense to have 50 amp
Forum Discussion
DrewE wrote:Bobbo wrote:
But, it is also true that a 50 amp trailer has access to 100 amps of power. You just have to use two circuits to access it. Sometimes, simplifying a subject can get the concept across even though the technical details are wrong.
I think it is both simpler and more correct to use units of power when comparing power, rather than units of current--doubly so when one of the current values must be incorrectly stated for the comparison to work out. "Amps of power" is a nonsensical phrase, if taken at face value. In the context, it is a shorthand form (or a shorthand way of thinking) based on the assumption that the voltage is invariant, when in fact the different voltages are at the heart of the matter. Similarly, saying that a 50A circuit supplies 100A is also something of an absurdity, and is also forced by incorrect assumptions about the voltages. Comparing power using the proper units--watts or kilowatts--avoids all the confusion.
You have just made my case for me. If Joe Blow, who knows less than nothing about electricity, were to read your statement and my statement, which one would he understand better? There is no reason, at all, for him to understand the nitty gritty details.
Also, please note that I did not say "that a 50A circuit supplies 100A." I said a 50a RV has access to 100a of power. You just have to use 2 circuits to get it.
Remember that I am not trying to educate Mr Blow about electricity. I am just trying to get him to understand that his 50 amp RV has more than 3 times the amount of power available than a 30 amp RV. The phrase "30 amps of power" vs "100 amps of power", while you say is "nonsensical", Mr Blow can understand.
I understand being a purist and wanting it technically correct. I, as a Pharmacist, often explained to patients if they asked, that aspirin prevents heart attacks by "greasing platelets" so they don't stick together to form a clot in the heart. My wife, as a Specialist In Blood Banking, understood the chemistry of how platelets clot in biochemical detail. However, she agreed that "greasing the platelets", while wildly inaccurate, was understandable, and would accomplish the goal. That was enough understanding for Mr Blow.
