Can I plug into a 30 amp outlet and not be worried about burning out the compressor on my air conditioner? I've been told that you HAVE to have a 50 amp outlet to NOT do so. Thanks for any response.
You can run an a/c on a 20 amp circuit with no problem as long as you don't try to run anything else. If it is overloaded it will trip. Years back we attended many a Rally at fairgrounds that only had 20 amp service and never had any problems as long as we didn't try to run the micro or toaster without turning the a/c to fan only. It is "low voltage" that will burn up a compressor. As long as you have the right size wire (12 gauge) and the cord is not too long you will be fine.
Grandma in front of her retirement home..
She lets Grumpy drive!!
ronfisherman wrote: You can run your AC on 120 volt 30 amp without any problems. You may not be able to run 2 AC's though.
X2, unless the campground/fairground/etc underpowers their side of things, or you find yourself running 100' or more of extension cords.
The bottom line is watching the voltage when your compressor kicks in. If she dives below 110V it's risky; below 105 and you are inviting damage. You can do this monitoring from any other outlet in a 30A rig. I ordered an $8.00 digital gauge on eBay I intend to mount by my power center to keep an eye on things.
Todd
Todd
1993 Ford E-350 pushed by a 1988 Wilderness 24' TT
Don't think amps think volts. Monitor the voltage getting to your electrical outlets with a meter like a Kill-A-Watt. 108v or higher when the AC compressor is running is safe.
Duggie wrote: Can I plug into a 30 amp outlet and not be worried about burning out the compressor on my air conditioner? I've been told that you HAVE to have a 50 amp outlet to NOT do so. Thanks for any response.
The person who told you that has no idea what they are talking about. A single 20 amp outlet will suffice if you limit current use to the air conditioner only.
2003 Revolution 40C Class A. 2002 Vanguard 22 foot Class C. Diesel smart car Toad or pulling a 2009 Timeout Tent Trailer.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but rather by the moments that take our breath away.
Duggie wrote: Can I plug into a 30 amp outlet and not be worried about burning out the compressor on my air conditioner? I've been told that you HAVE to have a 50 amp outlet to NOT do so. Thanks for any response.
Of course you can, if you couldn't, then everyone (like me), who has a 30A MH would not have an AC.
* This post was
edited 07/29/12 09:38pm by an administrator/moderator *
2007 Forester 2941DS
2005 KIA Spectra
Zamboni, Long Haired Mini Dachshund
You can have my RV, when you pry my cold dead fingers from the Steering Wheel
I am plugged into a 20 amp circuit, and running my A/C as I type. Yes it is possible to run it on a 30 amp circuit, I do that when I can. I have not run mine on a 50 amp circuit, so I could say it is impossible for ME To run mine on a 50 amp circuit as I only have a 30 amp cord.
Yet your friend is giving friendly advice. IT is best to monitor the voltage on any circuit that you plug into. If below 108 volts, I will shut mine off, plug in a booster transformer, and turn it back on again.
If your voltage is below 110 volts, keep a close eye on that volt meter, and shut it off it is goes below 105 for sure, 108 if you want to be safe.
The problem with 30 amp circuits is many times they have #10 wire from the circuit breaker panel to each receptacle, and that wire is to small for a 50+ foot long run away from the electrical panel, the voltage starts to drop a lot when more than 20 amps is being drawn or you get to much farther from the main panel.
With most modern parks, and 50 amp services, they have really large wires going to each site, like #00 wire that is connected to a 150 amp circuit breaker, and will offer very little voltage drop even at 150' from that main panel. Then at each site, the #00 wire is connected to your power pedestal, and more wire to the next one, your receptacles each have their own 50 or 30 amp protection, and the wires feeding it are really large.
So to answer your question, yes you can run the A/C on a 30 amp power post. However it is much more likely that you will run into a low voltage situation in a 30 amp equipped park than a park with larger wiring and 50 amp service to the power posts.
Costco sells the Kill-A-Watt, it is a meter that you can plug in things to test how many watts it will consume. It can also be used as a voltage monitor, and left plugged into a accessible receptacle, and then you can monitor your voltage all the time.
Duggie wrote: Can I plug into a 30 amp outlet and not be worried about burning out the compressor on my air conditioner? I've been told that you HAVE to have a 50 amp outlet to NOT do so. Thanks for any response.
I can't imagine why you were told that. I have an AC in my TT, and I plug in at 30 amp hook ups all the time. I don't even think my plug would fit in a 50 amp outlet, but I am not entirely sure since I have never tried. Never needed to.
If you have two AC's on your unit, I can't speak to that, as I have always had small to mid size TT's with only one AC unit.
Offline
