AMP

[JOMO]

Does anyone know how many amp's the ac needs to run in an rv. My breaker's at my house are 20 amp breakers and I'm trying to run the ac in my camper and it keeps flipping the breaker. The plug in the garage has other things on it like the lights and fan in the garage but my washing machine has it's on breaker and I'm hoping I can unplug my washer and plug in my camper. I called an electrician to come out but he had to cancel on me and my grandson is coming for a visit so I need to try this solution for this weekend.

[wa8yxm]

RJsfishin wrote:
If this was 60 yrs ago, I'd say, stick a nickel (or was it a penny) in it,....that worked every time when the breakers were round 🙂

Caused more than a few fires too.

[TXiceman]

You also need to know what else is running on that one circuit...like a freezer or other items. In the RV, turn the frig to gas as well as the water heater.

The A/C will have a data plate with the total amps required,

Ken

[JOMO]

I'm the orginal poster. I plugged it into the washer outlet this morning and it's ran all day with no problems. Thanks for the help.

[Almot]

CA Traveler wrote:
ACs have a start up surge current that can trip the CB.

This may help: Dometic Smartstart.

And, there was some knock-off Chink-start for slightly less money, forgot the name.

When they will smarten up in the industry and start supplying RVs with inverter A/C, I wonder.

[time2roll]

RJsfishin wrote:
If this was 60 yrs ago, I'd say, stick a nickel (or was it a penny) in it,....that worked every time when the breakers were round 🙂

That worked back then because the pennies were made of copper. The zinc pennies today will burn your house down 😉

[time2roll]

Turn off all breakers in the RV except the 30 amp main and the 20 amp air conditioner.
Did that help?

[RJsfishin]

If this was 60 yrs ago, I'd say, stick a nickel (or was it a penny) in it,....that worked every time when the breakers were round 🙂

[MrWizard]

batteries fully charged?
fridge off or on l.p.
water heater off
turn a/c on fan only for ten minutes
then to cold start early in day when voltage is up and it's not do hot

[JOMO]

Thank you Fred for such a detailed answer and thanks to everyone else that took the time to answer. My rv only has a 30 amp service and I do have an extention cord with the same type of end as the rv cord. I will plug it in first thing in the morning and let it run for the day to check it out. The hot water heater is gas only. I will also turn the refrigerator on gas. I'll let y'all know what happens tomorrow.

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

Your laundry room is a excellent place to plug in your RV. There should be 2 20 amp circuits in the laundry room, and if you have a electric dryer, perhaps a third one.

Try plugging in to the receptacle where the washer is. It probably has 2 circuit breakers feeding that one receptacle (the only place in your house you might find this is the laundry room, and where the garbage disposal and dishwasher plug in under your sink).

The garage is a 'shared' circuit. While it serves the garage, if you noticed it might also run the garage door opener, nearby bedrooms, other outside receptacles and lights. If you have a 5 or 6 amp freezer in the garage, and the 14 amps from the A/C, that is enough to kick the 20 amp breaker. You might also have a desktop computer in a bedroom or 1 amp TV set running, and that can push it over the edge.

Also your RV 'converter' battery charger will be drawing 2-3 amps, unless it has been plugged in for a while. If the refrigerator is on electric, there is another 3 amp load.

Also MOST IMPORTANT is that you MUST Have a 12 gauge or 10 gauge extension cord! About the same outside diameter as the RV power cord. If you are using a tiny 14 or 16 gauge extension cord, the voltage drop will increase, and you might not have 100 volts at the compressor. This will cause the 1,200 watt compressor to draw 12 amps instead of the normal 10 amps.

Check every extension cord connection. If one is hot, that is also a potential 2-3 volt drop X 15 amps, or 45 watts heating that connection, can melt something. . . It is allowed to be 'warm'. So if it is say 90F outside, then the cord is 120F, that is acceptable, but not much warmer than 120F.

So my suggestions? If you are not plugged into the laundry room already, plug in there. Make sure that you are using a 12 gauge or 10 gauge extension cord if you must use one at all.

Make sure that the refrigerator is either off or running on gas only.

Make sure that the water heater electric element is off. This 8 amp load can cause your problem too.

Make sure that any other large loads in the RV are shut off, such as toasters, TV sets (though they are only a 1 amp load, and you can run the TV at night when the compressor amperage is less).

This should solve your tripping problems. . .

If you have a electric dryer with a 4 wire connection, it is possible to make a adapter to your 50 amp RV plug. Just buy a 30 amp dryer cord and 50 amp surface mount receptacle at your local hardware store, and put them together. They can show you how. THen unplug your dryer, and plug in your adapter. If you do not have a 50 amp RV, you can use a 50 to 30 amp adapter, and then have a full 30 amps to the RV. (Either way you will have 30 amps to the RV, as all dryers in the USA have a 30 amp 120/240 volt service to them). Just if you have a 50 amp RV, you could run up to about 6,500 watts of appliances without tripping the 30 amp breaker.

Good luck,

Fred.

[wolfe10]

And to define a "washer" vs "dryer" outlet:

A washer outlet and RV outlet will have: ONE hot, one neutral and one ground.

A dryer outlet will have TWO hots, a ground and depending on age, a neutral. NOT, REPEAT NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR AN RV. IT WILL BURN OUT A LOT OF EQUIPMENT ON YOUR RV.

[babun]

And use a 12 gauge extension cord, not some cheapie 16 gage one!!!
Or just a 30ampRv plug adapter to 15/20amp house hold outlet if your rv cord is long enuff.

[Ivylog]

Use the washer outlet... it will work fine as most ACs are less than 15 amps. You do not need an electrician to use the washer outlet which will work.

[wolfe10]

Start by verifying that nothing else in the RV is on. 20 amps is plenty to run an RV A/C.