Running the A/C on Household 110?

[comish4lif]

I have never had any trouble with the A/C at a campsite with a 30/50 amp connection.

But this week I needed to stay with family and used the camper to supplement living space in the house. I plugged the camper (2009 Rockwood, Mini-Lite2306) into a household 110 outlet. It flipped the circuit breaker. I assumed that the circuit didn't have enough amps to handle the A/C unit and just ran the fan for the rest of the time.

Is that the right assumption? Unless there happens to be a 30 amp circuit in the house, there's not enough juice to run the A/C.

[Dave_Monica]

Your camper will have a 13.5 BTU AC that draws 11-12 amps running. It may draw a little more on start-up. As you don't have a 30 amp style plug in, you're probably running a extension cord and a 30 A to 15 A adapter and therefore, not enough amps available to start the AC.

Dave

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by comish4lif

I have never had any trouble with the A/C at a campsite with a 30/50 amp connection.

But this week I needed to stay with family and used the camper to supplement living space in the house. I plugged the camper (2009 Rockwood, Mini-Lite2306) into a household 110 outlet. It flipped the circuit breaker. I assumed that the circuit didn't have enough amps to handle the A/C unit and just ran the fan for the rest of the time.

Is that the right assumption? Unless there happens to be a 30 amp circuit in the house, there's not enough juice to run the A/C.

A normal 15 amp circuit will not run the ac, but I have a 20amp circuit wired in my garage strictly for the camper and it will handle the ac just fine. I don't run anything else if the air is on other than 12v devices and one television. Have not tried to use the microwave, but don't intend to run it.

[KyDan]

What HE said x2.

All household outlets are not created equal.
I also have 20 amp outlets in my garage and have run the AC off them.
I use a heavy duty 14 ga extension cord as well.

We went to a friends house and he assured me he had adequate power
in his garage. We found out he also had a side by side refer in the garage
on the same circuit. We quickly tripped his breaker.
He wound up snaking an extension cord for the refer into his kitchen
and then we were able to keep the garage breaker from tripping.

To the OP, you say you tripped the breaker but you don't tell us
what the breaker said on the handle.
Was it 15 or 20???
Big difference!!

[RedLance]

Anytime you have to use a "regular" 15 amp household outlet, make sure you use a heavy 14 gauge or larger extension cord. The voltage drop alone in a light cord can cause the breaker to trip.

If you are in this situation again/still, try the washing machine outlet. They are usually wired all by themselves, since washing machines can use a good deal of power. I have an outlet in my basement right by the breaker panel, that I wired myself so I know it's the only thing on that 15 amp breaker. I can run my A/C just fine.

Also, make sure your electric heating element in your water heater is off, when on a household outlet, as it is another large load.

[comish4lif]

OP here, thanks for the answers. I had a nice heavy duty extension at my B-I-L's house. Don't know if it was a 15 or 20 amp breaker since it wasn't my house. At home, I can run the HEavy Duty cord to my shed, but it trips there. But the washing machine is too far from the camper.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by RedLance

Also, make sure your electric heating element in your water heater is off, when on a household outlet, as it is another large load.

YES. I'd forgotten about that.
IF you're running the AC on household outlet you can't have
much else on.
Put refer on gas or turn it off.
Put water heater on gas or turn it off.
Remember the electric heater in the water heater is a separate switch.
You should be able to run the AC only on an extension cord IF you
use a 14 ga extension cord.
Go to your RV fuse box and pretty much shut it all off except lights
and the AC.

[RickV]

I have 20 amp breakers in my detached garage and we can run just about everything in our 5ver. I have a question for the electrical Gurus I plan to run a 30 amp service from the garage to a dedicated box nearer where I park the 5ver. I have 8 gauge wire running from the house to the garage and it will be about a 60' run from that fuse panel to where I want to run the 30 amp to. So my question is could I possibly run 50 amp and if so could I do it with 10/2 wire?

Thanks.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by RickV

I have 20 amp breakers in my detached garage and we can run just about everything in our 5ver. I have a question for the electrical Gurus I plan to run a 30 amp service from the garage to a dedicated box nearer where I park the 5ver. I have 8 gauge wire running from the house to the garage and it will be about a 60' run from that fuse panel to where I want to run the 30 amp to. So my question is could I possibly run 50 amp and if so could I do it with 10/2 wire?

Thanks.

10/2 will not carry 50 amp. With a 60' run, 10/2 would barely carry a full 30 amp. If you want a 50 amp on a 60' run, I would run a minimum of 6/2.

[akcampr]

If your batteries are low, you will be drawing extra amp for your charger, even if all the other appliances are off. Once batteries are charged, the AC might work fine. I had than happen at my house.

[OffPavement]

The code specific difference between 15a and 20a circuit outlets...



I've never seen a true 20a plug utilized, but it would look like this...

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by OffPavement

The code specific difference between 15a and 20a circuit outlets...



I've never seen a true 20a plug utilized, but it would look like this...

OMG - THANK YOU

I have been looking for a photo comparison like this for EVER! Best seen to date - Thanks Sent - Added to HERKBRARY.

Shamelessly stolen without regard to copywrite
Herk

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OffPavement

The code specific difference between 15a and 20a circuit outlets...

I've never seen a true 20a plug utilized, but it would look like this...

Some household window a/c units use a true 20 amp plug

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

Your camper will have a 13.5 BTU AC that draws 11-12 amps running. It may draw a little more on start-up. As you don't have a 30 amp style plug in, you're probably running a extension cord and a 30 A to 15 A adapter and therefore, not enough amps available to start the AC.

Dave

As Dave has pointed out, "The downside of a 15K air conditioner"

A 13.5K draws 12 amps running
A 15K (like mine) draws 14 amps running.

On a poorly supplied campground circuit, that additional current load can cause a 13.5K to turn over while a 15K compressor will stall.

Experienced just last week in fact...

[Herk7769]

http://www.cerrowire.com/files/file/ampacity2010.pdf

http://www.zetatalk.com/energy/tengy10s.pdf

These two charts have everything you need to calculate the actual size and type wire to run for your actual length of run.

The second one takes LENGTH of run into consideration; the top one does not.

[Dodge Guy]

A 14ga. extension cord can only handle 15 amps! they do sell 20 amp extension cords. the HD 12ga. cord people are talking about only has a thick casing on it to make it look HD.

[punkaccountant]

Originally Posted by KyDan

YES. I'd forgotten about that.
IF you're running the AC on household outlet you can't have
much else on.
Put refer on gas or turn it off.
Put water heater on gas or turn it off.
Remember the electric heater in the water heater is a separate switch.
You should be able to run the AC only on an extension cord IF you
use a 14 ga extension cord.
Go to your RV fuse box and pretty much shut it all off except lights
and the AC.

Sorry but I just want to clarify about running the fridge on 110. Are you saying we shouldn't run the fridge on electric if we are plugged into 110 at any time or just when we are attempting to run the A/C also. When I'm plugged in at home, I have always just put the fridge on auto and ran it and assumed it was pulling from the electric.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by punkaccountant

Sorry but I just want to clarify about running the fridge on 110. Are you saying we shouldn't run the fridge on electric if we are plugged into 110 at any time or just when we are attempting to run the A/C also. When I'm plugged in at home, I have always just put the fridge on auto and ran it and assumed it was pulling from the electric.

IF you are having problems kicking your breaker when trying to run the
AC on a home outlet then you should put the fridge on gas mode.
Also make sure the water heater electric heat is shut off.

IF you're in a camp ground plugged into a normal 30 amp camper outlet
you should be fine running most everything on electric.

As far as the 14 ga extension cord goes, I've successfully ran MY AC on one more than
once. YMMV.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by punkaccountant

Sorry but I just want to clarify about running the fridge on 110. Are you saying we shouldn't run the fridge on electric if we are plugged into 110 at any time or just when we are attempting to run the A/C also. When I'm plugged in at home, I have always just put the fridge on auto and ran it and assumed it was pulling from the electric.

OK, here is the thing:

The fridge in "AUTO" runs on 120 AC when it is available and uses about 3 amps to run the heater that cools the fridge.

If you are trying to run the air conditioner (about 12 amps) (and the battery converter 1-2 amps if charging) in addition to the fridge you might either not have enough amps available (on a 15 amp source) or not enough voltage (from a long run of heavy duty extension cord).

If the air conditioner is bogging down trying to start; putting the fridge on gas only might reduce the load enough to turn the air conditioner over.

I think that is what he was trying to say.

[jimh]

u should be able to run the frig, tv, a/c, and some lighting on a 20a outlet.
i use a #12 extension cord at home. the microwave and a/c will not run on 20a (they wouldn't in my last camper).

most 15 amp outlets (common in homes) is wired with #12 and fused for 20 amp. they also use the same outlet and fuse them for 15 amp.

i had to install one of those 20 outlets in my trailer when i changed out microwave. i ran #12 to it and fused it for 20 amps. believe #10 would be expected.

if u buy a commercial extension cord with a 20 amp socket on it, it most likely will be wired with #10.