50 AMP question

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

If we get a 50 amp rig... but have a site with only 30 amps, I think this would only cause a problem when running the second a/c.  Does that sound right?

Booking sites out west and I have no idea if we'll have a different rig, so I'm planning as though we will however... if I can save $10-$20/night by taking a 30 amp site and only using one a/c, I'll probably do that.

[ceemike...Mike & Judy 50]

I have a 30 amp rig with 2 ACs, and I can run them at the same time. However, I can't use the W/H on electric or the microwave while running both ACs. My rig has a power management system that prevents exceeding the 30 amp limit in most cases.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Sounds good... thank you :) 

[keith_h 420]

You can use a 30 amp service with the adapter you will just have to be careful of the load. You should be able to get by just fine running one A/C unit and microwave along with your other things like lights and TV. You will not be able to use the water heater on electric at the same time and you might have issues trying to run your fridge on electric. An easy way to test this is nect time you are out camping hook up to the 30A service and see what you can and can't run at the same time.

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

3 hours ago, keith_h said:

You can use a 30 amp service with the adapter you will just have to be careful of the load. You should be able to get by just fine running one A/C unit and microwave along with your other things like lights and TV. You will not be able to use the water heater on electric at the same time and you might have issues trying to run your fridge on electric. An easy way to test this is nect time you are out camping hook up to the 30A service and see what you can and can't run at the same time.

Thank you..

[DaveInTN 3,247]

If you are visiting the southwest in the summer and have a 50 amp rig big enough to have 2 AC units, you will likely want to run them both. Yellowstone and other areas further north it might not be an issue.

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

2 hours ago, DaveInTN said:

If you are visiting the southwest in the summer and have a 50 amp rig big enough to have 2 AC units, you will likely want to run them both. Yellowstone and other areas further north it might not be an issue.

North on the way out, more South on the way back so I'll keep that in mind.  Thank you, good thought!

[LONE-STAR 370]

Our trailer is 50 amp but I only need 50amp for my rear a/c I have it plugged into 30 amp all the time at my house.

[Andrew Roberts 17]

You lose a lot with the 30 amp adapter.  A 30 amp rv system is 30 amps.  What most don't understand is a 50 amp rv system is two pole 50 amp so you actually have 100 amps of service.   So your not dropping 20 amps by using a 30 amp adapter you are losing 70 amps 

 

if if that helps 

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

3 hours ago, Andrew Roberts said:

You lose a lot with the 30 amp adapter.  A 30 amp rv system is 30 amps.  What most don't understand is a 50 amp rv system is two pole 50 amp so you actually have 100 amps of service.   So your not dropping 20 amps by using a 30 amp adapter you are losing 70 amps 

 

if if that helps 

Thank you.  

[djsamuel 322]

The worst that will happen is you will trip the circuit breaker.

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

Our trailer is only 30 amps but or friends we camp with have a 50 amp trailer (only one AC). They have had problems at some of the state parks running their AC, fridge, water heater, and the small fridge in the outdoor kitchen on a 30 amp plug. I believe we had to turn the water heater and indoor fridge to gas to keep from tripping the breaker after that everything else seemed to run fine. 

 

When looking at trailers maybe ask if it can be plugged into a 30 amp to see what you can run. 

[Andrew Roberts 17]

1 hour ago, djsamuel said:

The worst that will happen is you will trip the circuit breaker.

That would be the best thing that could happen lol????

[djsamuel 322]

1 hour ago, Andrew Roberts said:

That would be the best thing that could happen lol????

If the trailer draws more than 30 amps, wouldn't that just trip the breaker on the power pole?  I'm not thinking of low voltage, but perhaps I'm missing something. 

[keith_h 420]

52 minutes ago, djsamuel said:

If the trailer draws more than 30 amps, wouldn't that just trip the breaker on the power pole?  I'm not thinking of low voltage, but perhaps I'm missing something. 

Yes the beaker will trip in the pedestal if you exceed the current draw. There is no more risk of an electrical fire than there is using 50 amp or any other electrical service.

[Andrew Roberts 17]

I have been a firefighter for over 20 years. I'm just going to laugh off the idea of no risk in over loading an electrical circuit ⚡️?⚡️?⚡️?⚡️?⚡️?

[keith_h 420]

I'm an electrical engineer.

[caveat lector 181]

I'm a Sith Lord......does that count?

[Andrew Roberts 17]

1 hour ago, caveat lector said:

I'm a Sith Lord......does that count?

Hell yes it dose.   

[Andrew Roberts 17]

7 hours ago, keith_h said:

I'm an electrical engineer.

Good lord and you have documented in writing that it is ok to connect a piece of equipment designed to run on two pole 50 amp service to a single pole 30 amp with a cheater.    

 

Lawyers in here licking their chops 

[keith_h 420]

The purpose of the 30 amp breaker in the pedestal is to prevent the drawing of excessive current from the line. If it becomes overloaded it will trip. That is why circuit breakers are installed, for safety and to prevent a fire. If they didn't serve this function they wouldn't be designed into electrical circuits and towns would be burning down all over the place.

As has been stated we know that running too many appliances will overload the 30 amp circuit and trip the breaker. Running too many electrical items on a 50 amp circuit will have the same result. Running one A/C unit without running other high current devices like the water heater will be well under the current draw for a 30 amp circuit and is perfectly safe. In fact based on general current draws of the devices I would estimate the load under to be under 20 amps. Quit trying to scare people on something you know little about.  

[Travisma 1,317]

23 minutes ago, keith_h said:

The purpose of the 30 amp breaker in the pedestal is to prevent the drawing of excessive current from the line. If it becomes overloaded it will trip. That is why circuit breakers are installed, for safety and to prevent a fire. If they didn't serve this function they wouldn't be designed into electrical circuits and towns would be burning down all over the place.

As has been stated we know that running too many appliances will overload the 30 amp circuit and trip the breaker. Running too many electrical items on a 50 amp circuit will have the same result. Running one A/C unit without running other high current devices like the water heater will be well under the current draw for a 30 amp circuit and is perfectly safe. In fact based on general current draws of the devices I would estimate the load under to be under 20 amps. Quit trying to scare people on something you know little about.  

I think (and I could be mistaken) that Andrew Roberts is talking about fire issues with overloaded circuits and the problems entailed if the breaker is defective (old, corroded, won't trip) or appliance cords that are defective and overloaded.

We see a lot of those type of fires in the south in winter when people break out ancient space heaters with brittle power cords, exposed wires, or hook them up on 3 or 6 way adapters or thin extension cords and those components overheat/melt way before the breaker pops.

Most breakers in the Fort sites won't be frozen/corroded and not pop, in fact they have been tripped so often they may pop on a lot lower draw.  last time we camped I had to go buy a 30 amp to 20? amp pigtail because the little breakers at the site kept popping with just a crock pot connected.

And Keith is correct, if you have a 50 amp cheater on a 30 amp circuit and overload the 30 amps (or again at the fort possibly as low as 15-20 amps) once you hit 30 amps that breaker is going to pop.

 

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

I think one thing we can all agree on is that the safety of any circuit depends on a good installation.  Most of us have camped somewhere that had electrical problems due to mis-wired pedestals.

Keith is correct that the breaker will do it's job, but only if the wiring is done correctly and the correct wire and breaker itself is used. Many CG owners try to save money by skimping on materials and/or doing the wiring themselves.

Not just CG's either, I worked with our Fire Investigators for several years and I was amazed at some of the so-called "Professional" installations at homes and businesses that ended up causing fires.

When going to any CG I use a circuit tester, a good quality surge protector, and a Voltmeter inside.

I do trust the Engineers who design the equipment, but not so much the humans who install and maintain it.....   LOL

 

[keith_h 420]

16 minutes ago, Travisma said:

I think (and I could be mistaken) that Andrew Roberts is talking about fire issues with overloaded circuits and the problems entailed if the breaker is defective (old, corroded, won't trip) or appliance cords that are defective and overloaded.

We see a lot of those type of fires in the south in winter when people break out ancient space heaters with brittle power cords, exposed wires, or hook them up on 3 or 6 way adapters or thin extension cords and those components overheat/melt way before the breaker pops.

Most breakers in the Fort sites won't be frozen/corroded and not pop, in fact they have been tripped so often they may pop on a lot lower draw.  last time we camped I had to go buy a 30 amp to 20? amp pigtail because the little breakers at the site kept popping with just a crock pot connected.

And Keith is correct, if you have a 50 amp cheater on a 30 amp circuit and overload the 30 amps (or again at the fort possibly as low as 15-20 amps) once you hit 30 amps that breaker is going to pop.

 

Defective wiring or components are something different and as I said the risk here isn't any different than you would have using 50 amp or other service. I have just as good a chance of having a bad 50 amp breaker as I do a 30 amp breaker. The number of electrical defects that can cause fires are infinite. You can't use that as a basis to the question, "Can I hook this up safely?" If you are concerned about fire then one of the most common causes is someone running a 15K watt space heater on an 18 gauge 3- wire extension chord which are only rated for 7 amps. No breaker will detect that. You have arcing from poor connections which is why arc detecting breakers are now code in many areas. Mice like to chew insulation. These have nothing to do with the question is it electrically safe to hookup  a 50 amp service to a 30 amp pedestal.  The answer is yes with easy to follow restrictions.

[keith_h 420]

22 minutes ago, Avatab.... Steve said:

I think one thing we can all agree on is that the safety of any circuit depends on a good installation.  Most of us have camped somewhere that had electrical problems due to mis-wired pedestals.

Keith is correct that the breaker will do it's job, but only if the wiring is done correctly and the correct wire and breaker itself is used. Many CG owners try to save money by skimping on materials and/or doing the wiring themselves.

Not just CG's either, I worked with our Fire Investigators for several years and I was amazed at some of the so-called "Professional" installations at homes and businesses that ended up causing fires.

When going to any CG I use a circuit tester, a good quality surge protector, and a Voltmeter inside.

I do trust the Engineers who design the equipment, but not so much the humans who install and maintain it.....   LOL

 

True the installation and maintenance of the system has a big effect on its safety but as I have said the risk here is no different whether I am using the 30 amp, 50amp or 15/20 amp service. It is the same risk you take anytime you plug your MH or trailer into an unknown power source.