Running AC off of my home's current/Please Respond

[Olive600]

I've been told that running the AC for my 2005 B Touring Cruiser Gulfstream off my house current can burn out the AC's air compressor. I've also been told that's not true, that the worst that will happen if there isn't enough current is that a fuse will blow. Unfortunately the difference of opinion has turned into some very bad feelings between friends. I'm still shaking. Please help me understand if you can. I'm new to all this. Evidently as an older, single woman I will be lied to and cheated at every turn. At least that's what I'm being told. (Yes, I'm so upset that I'm sniveling 8-) )

Thanks

[AllegroD]

Olive600 wrote:


Thank you, your response helps a lot. Now I feel like I have the whole picture. I also understand my particular situation better. I need to:

1. find out if the /circuit I'm using has anything else on it. My washing machine is inside the house and too far away from the RV to be useful.

This is important if a fan or washing machine robs volts/drops your volts below 108 or causing an overload and tripping the breaker.

2. check the power in the RV when I'm running the RV from the house outlet by plugging in a voltmeter. The reading should not drop below 108v.

Absolutely correct.

I checked my extension cord. It's 30amp, 125v, 3750watts. The label says it's for RV use. I think it's about 25ft long. Maybe a bit longer.

Thank you to everyone who has responded. I feel fully informed now.

You are on target.

[Pauljdav]

You can run your AC from the house as long as you do not have voltage drop. All you need to do is check the voltage in your RV with the AC running. I can run mine all day long and it stays above 110 volts.

Paul

[LittleBill]

it is unbelievable the amount of the******written in this thread.

this is a single line answer.

plug in the A/C, turn it on. watch the voltage in the trailer on and off for a couple hours. does it stay over 108v's? if yes your fine, if not get a bigger extension cord, or find a new outlet. PERIOD

been running off my 15 amp outlet for years on my 13.5k

[Gau_8]

fla-gypsy wrote:
insufficient amperage (under 20A the breaker will trip).

Dont think so Chief.

[The_Texan]

kaydeejay wrote:

Olive600 wrote:
Thank you everyone. I do not have a "special RV line" at my house. It's unlikely that I will get one.

Just curious as to why you would not get an RV outlet installed. Then you would never need worry about this situation ever again. You could run the A/C and other appliances up to the 30A limit of your circuit breaker just as if you were at a campground.
If your electrical panel is not too far from where you would want such an outlet, installation costs should not be through the roof.

May not be the homeowner...may not have the resources to get it done, lots of reasons and IMO, no ones business but hers.

[joebedford]

kaydeejay wrote:
Just curious as to why you would not get an RV outlet installed. Then you would never need worry about this situation ever again. You could run the A/C and other appliances up to the 30A limit of your circuit breaker just as if you were at a campground.
If your electrical panel is not too far from where you would want such an outlet, installation costs should not be through the roof.

I have TWO 30A RV circuits near my breaker panel for when friends come to visit.

Unfortunately, my RV normally sits about 200 cable feet away from that panel.

I plug it into a 15A GFCI to keep the batteries topped up. If I really need to run the AC, I unplug and start the generator.

Someday I'll get around to adding a 100A sub panel near my RV then add a 50A post using buried cable right beside its parking spot.

[happybooker1]

Olive600, as another Ahem 'mature' woman owning an RV I feel your pain. Luckily my brother is an electrician and my neighbor a mechanical engineer so I have a wealth of knowledge at my fingertips.

My house was built in '03. I have outside plugs that are dedicated for ONLY the outside/porch plugs. They are also on 20A breakers (be friends with your breaker box!). I can plug my RV, which is a 30A RV, into the outside outlet with a SHORT high-rated extension cord and run the AC. I do NOT run anything else when I've got the AC on in the RV, except maybe a light. I have never tripped the breaker or had a problem.

The key here being my house is fairly new, the outdoor plugs have nothing else plugged into them, and the extension cord is THICK and SHORT (i.e. more wire for the current to flow through).

[kaydeejay]

Olive600 wrote:
Thank you everyone. I do not have a "special RV line" at my house. It's unlikely that I will get one.

Just curious as to why you would not get an RV outlet installed. Then you would never need worry about this situation ever again. You could run the A/C and other appliances up to the 30A limit of your circuit breaker just as if you were at a campground.
If your electrical panel is not too far from where you would want such an outlet, installation costs should not be through the roof.

[Dave_H_M]

gees I am not going to read thru all this stuff.

I been plugging my fifth wheel into the 20 amp plug in the garage for 14 years at this house and all is well.

Plug er in Olive and kick back.

[Olive600]

PUCampin wrote:
Depending on the age of the house, outdoor outlets might be on a dedicated circuit, and other garage outlets may also be on a dedicated circuit (even if the washer is inside the house) My home was built in 1981, and code at the time did not require outside or garage outlets to be on dedicated circuits, but I believe more recent code does require it. So if the house is newer you may have that already. If not, find which breaker controls the outlet your RV is plugged into. When it is off, see what else in the house is off. Walk around with a small desk lamp and try plugging it in to various outlets to test. Most likely to be affected are outlets inside rooms adjcent to the outside outlet.

If you aren't a teacher, you should be. I'll do all this tomorrow morning. Thanks again.

[PUCampin]

Depending on the age of the house, outdoor outlets might be on a dedicated circuit, and other garage outlets may also be on a dedicated circuit (even if the washer is inside the house) My home was built in 1981, and code at the time did not require outside or garage outlets to be on dedicated circuits, but I believe more recent code does require it. So if the house is newer you may have that already. If not, find which breaker controls the outlet your RV is plugged into. When it is off, see what else in the house is off. Walk around with a small desk lamp and try plugging it in to various outlets to test. Most likely to be affected are outlets inside rooms adjcent to the outside outlet.

[Olive600]

PUCampin wrote:
Olive600 - I have a very similar situation at my house. I park my Trailer on the side of my house where there is a standard receptacle. My Trailer has the standard 30A 120V cord and plug. I like to use my trailer for a guest house for my aunt, I like to have the fridge on, and very occasionally use the air conditioner. Here is what I do and why.

1. Most of the time I just want to charge the batteries, run the lights, and the fridge. These things do not use a lot of power. I use a short adapter cord, sometimes called a pigtail, that I plug into the receptacle on the side of my house and plug my RV cable into that pigtail. This works great as long as I only charge the batteries, run lights and the fridge. This receptacle on the side of my house is part of a larger circuit that includes my daughter's bedroom, son's bedroom, the living room and some lights in the house. With all these other things on the same circuit, if I tried to run the AC in the trailer I would have problems.

2. If I really need to run the AC this is what I do. I unplug the pigtail from the receptacle on the side of my house, go into the garage an plug it in to the receptacle where my washing machine is plug in. This is a dedicated circuit, required by code. There is nothing else on this circuit, just the washing maching (and dryer if you have a gas dryer) I do have to add a short heavy duty extension cord because it is further away. I can then run the AC and whatever else in the trailer with no problems.

So why can I run the AC when pluged in to the washer outlet but not the one on the side of the house? Because the washer outlet is dedicated. There are no other outlets, no lights, nothing else. The one on the side of the house shares the circuit with a bunch of other stuff, any of which can be on at the same time.

If I try to turn on the AC while plugged in to the side of the house, there will be too many things on and it can trip the breaker. However, it MAY NOT automatically trip the breaker, but can cause the voltage to sag too low which can damage the AC. This is why you have been told plugging in to a regular outlet will burn up the AC, because it is possible.

Plugged into the washer outlet, with nothing else needing power, the voltage will not sag much if at all, it will not damage your AC, and will not pop the breaker.

If you try to run the AC, the fridge on 120V, the water heater on 120V, charging the battery, and running a microwave, yea you will probably trip the breaker, but with a little common sense it is no issue.

Hope this helps some.

Thank you, your response helps a lot. Now I feel like I have the whole picture. I also understand my particular situation better. I need to:

1. find out if the /circuit I'm using has anything else on it. My washing machine is inside the house and too far away from the RV to be useful.

2. check the power in the RV when I'm running the RV from the house outlet by plugging in a voltmeter. The reading should not drop below 108v.

I checked my extension cord. It's 30amp, 125v, 3750watts. The label says it's for RV use. I think it's about 25ft long. Maybe a bit longer.

Thank you to everyone who has responded. I feel fully informed now.

[PUCampin]

Olive600 - I have a very similar situation at my house. I park my Trailer on the side of my house where there is a standard receptacle. My Trailer has the standard 30A 120V cord and plug. I like to use my trailer for a guest house for my aunt, I like to have the fridge on, and very occasionally use the air conditioner. Here is what I do and why.

1. Most of the time I just want to charge the batteries, run the lights, and the fridge. These things do not use a lot of power. I use a short adapter cord, sometimes called a pigtail, that I plug into the receptacle on the side of my house and plug my RV cable into that pigtail. This works great as long as I only charge the batteries, run lights and the fridge. This receptacle on the side of my house is part of a larger circuit that includes my daughter's bedroom, son's bedroom, the living room and some lights in the house. With all these other things on the same circuit, if I tried to run the AC in the trailer I would have problems.

2. If I really need to run the AC this is what I do. I unplug the pigtail from the receptacle on the side of my house, go into the garage an plug it in to the receptacle where my washing machine is plug in. This is a dedicated circuit, required by code. There is nothing else on this circuit, just the washing maching (and dryer if you have a gas dryer) I do have to add a short heavy duty extension cord because it is further away. I can then run the AC and whatever else in the trailer with no problems.

So why can I run the AC when pluged in to the washer outlet but not the one on the side of the house? Because the washer outlet is dedicated. There are no other outlets, no lights, nothing else. The one on the side of the house shares the circuit with a bunch of other stuff, any of which can be on at the same time.

If I try to turn on the AC while plugged in to the side of the house, there will be too many things on and it can trip the breaker. However, it MAY NOT automatically trip the breaker, but can cause the voltage to sag too low which can damage the AC. This is why you have been told plugging in to a regular outlet will burn up the AC, because it is possible.

Plugged into the washer outlet, with nothing else needing power, the voltage will not sag much if at all, it will not damage your AC, and will not pop the breaker.

If you try to run the AC, the fridge on 120V, the water heater on 120V, charging the battery, and running a microwave, yea you will probably trip the breaker, but with a little common sense it is no issue.

Hope this helps some.

[dougrainer]

The difference between a 11k and 13.5k amp draw is about 2 amps.
The OTHER problem is this. That outlet you are plugging into is usually NOT the only plug in your house on that circuit. You may have other items in your house plugged into wall outlets that are on that circuit. VERY FEW Home wall outlets will have a 20 amp breaker, most are 15 amp. You need to verify this,. Using a heavy Extension cord helps but people forget the WEAKEST link in this is the adapter from the RV to the 15 amp adapter. THIS IS A 15 AMP ADAPTER, NOT A 20 AMP ADAPTER. That means ITS rated at 15 amps max. The wall receptacle, is also rated AT 15 AMPS not 20 or 30. When you plug into at Shore current, the AC is NOT the only thing ON in your RV. You have a Power Converter pulling current also, but usually 1 to 2 amps. LOW voltage will NOT trip a Circuit Breaker(VERY common misconception about this on this type thread). LOW voltage will indeed ruin a Compressor or fan motor.
Since you are a novice, the best advice is to NOT do what you want to do without having a true 30 amp service connected at your house. Remember, the MINIMUM rated current IN the RV for a RV roof AC is a 20 amp breaker, NOT a 15 amp breaker. Doug