Melting extension cord
I will be taking our first big trip soon and we will need the air conditioner. We usually boondock and never use the AC. I have only used it at home a couple of times and when I did the extension cord...
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Another thing you must always do is keep your plug blades clean and shiny and do not plug into a pedestal or receptacle at home if the power is on. If you don't turn the power off, the result is pitting on contact surfaces leading to resistance and heat. 15 amp, 120 volt extension cords that are old, have been left out in the elements for a long time and/or have been well used and abused are candidates for poor contact, heating and in some cases a meltdown. I've had a couple of cheapo 15 amp extension cords go up in smoke in our driveway. I eventually installed a dedicated 30 amp recept. and disconnect switch in the carport for our TT and no more extension cords overheating.
Notwithstanding whether or not you can run the AC unit with what you have, you should monitor the voltage. You want it as close to 120 volts as possible at the AC unit (and it's 120, not 110). When the voltage goes down, the current draw of an AC unit goes up, putting an even greater strain on the supply cords, plugs and recepts. If low enough, can lead to damage to the AC unit and it can have trouble starting and may trip a breaker. If the voltage gets below 105, shut it off.
Notwithstanding whether or not you can run the AC unit with what you have, you should monitor the voltage. You want it as close to 120 volts as possible at the AC unit (and it's 120, not 110). When the voltage goes down, the current draw of an AC unit goes up, putting an even greater strain on the supply cords, plugs and recepts. If low enough, can lead to damage to the AC unit and it can have trouble starting and may trip a breaker. If the voltage gets below 105, shut it off.
