Ac and hair dryer flip breaker

[Triple SS]

I'm sure this has been addressed somewhere but I am on an iPad and it takes forever and a day to find what I am looking for. Ac with micro or hairdryer flips breaker. I need a why and a fix please

Thanks

[fonzie]

What size is your main breaker? 30 amps?

[KyDan]

If you have a 30 amp unit that is normal.
Turn off AC while using other hi load items like you mentioned.

[rana]

Yeah. He's 30amp. But unfortunately, there is no "fix" per say. You could run an extension cord from the camp pedestal or your generator to run your microwave, hair dryer, or other such.

With 30amp service though it's just one of those things that takes a little planning to run high loads.

[wmtire]

Yep, as other stated you have to keep total wattage under 3600 watts, which equates to 30 amps.

120 volts X 30 amps = 3600 watts.

You might can also get a lower wattage hair dryer, and get by too.

Here are some other threads with links that may help you understand this all better.:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post801443

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ter-45322.html

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post846629

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post783351

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post547299

[rana]

Originally Posted by wmtire

ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Buwahahaha..

Now that's a goodin!

Or should I say, "¡uıpooƃ ɐ s,ʇɐɥʇ ʍou ˙˙ʎɐs ı plnoɥs ɹo"

[Triple SS]

Well, that is not exactly what I wanted to hear. If nothing can be done, I guess I will have to live with it. Thanks everyone for your replies. I was hoping that perhaps we could put in a bigger inverter or something like that.

[heavynlori]

We have 50 amp

Can run television, fridge and water heater on elec, A/C , electric skillet all at same time but it will throw the breaker if we turn on toaster too😉.

Just have to learn what to turn on at same time

[rana]

If it really cramps your style, a lot of campground power pedestals will also have a standard 3-prong 20amp outlet. You could add a male 3-prong connector to the outside of your rig. Run that to a dedicated outlet inside, then just run an extension cord from the pedestal to your outdoor plug.

That would give you an additional 20amp dedicated outlet to run other loads on. I've seen a number of folks that have done that in order to run their electric heaters or other such.

There is 'always' a work around.

[davel1971]

or just take your hairdryer outside to plug it in

[dan-nickie]

Is your Water Heater on electric too?
If so, turn it to propane and try again.

[conceptumator]

I definitely would NOT recommend trying to run the blow dryer off the 20A outlet in the pedestal unless it is a GFI. Very dangerous! Blow dryers are just toasters with fans in them and toasters are the biggest issue you can get (usually) in wiring. They'll kick a breaker in a heartbeat. Here's a thought.....try using the blow dryer on cool air only (no heat). Bet that won't kick the breaker, although I don't know if it will dry your hair. It's a lot easier to dry my hair - both the remaining strands practically dry themselves without any help! Also wondering why the GFI you hopefully have the blow dryer plugged into is not popping before the 30A breaker - that in itself seems problematic, not to mention dangerous.

[Radio]

We carry an extra heavy extension cord in the winter so we can heat with a space heater AND make toast and coffee at the same time.

We run the extension cord out via the slide seal to the 15/20 amp outlet on the pedestal. This bypasses all the trailers breakers. Your hair dryer may require such an arrangement. We purpose bought a hair dryer to keep in the trailer. Took forever to find one around 1200 watts as they are all 1600 or better now.

[rana]

Originally Posted by conceptumator

I definitely would NOT recommend trying to run the blow dryer off the 20A outlet in the pedestal unless it is a GFI. Very dangerous!

Also wondering why the GFI you hopefully have the blow dryer plugged into is not popping before the 30A breaker - that in itself seems problematic, not to mention dangerous.

GFCI's have nothing to do with protecting against an overload, only circuit variation, so there is nothing wrong with his system.

According to the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), since the 1987 UL standard change, and as older units have been replaced with newer units with the ALCI or IDCI immersion protection, hair dryer related deaths have decreased dramatically. 1991-1997 there were 12, and from 1998-2005 there was 1. Additional laws have been passed that now require hair dryers to have their own GFI protection built into the unit (the big brick at the end of the cord with the 'test' and 'reset' buttons).

You're perfectly fine to use that type plugging directly into a CG power pedestal. If it overloads the circuit the pedestal breaker will trip. If it shorts out on you, the hair dryers GFI will trip.

If you install a dedicated outlet inside of your rig to be used with a 20A extension cord, it's never a bad idea to make it a GFI outlet.

Problem solved.

[Wolverine 1945]

3SS,,, hopefully your not trying to use a cord that is not heavy enough to carry 30 amps,,, hair dryers & toasters will surprise you on the amount of juice they draw !!!
I have not had a problem with a hair dryer in many years,,,
no hair,,, no dryer,,, just use a towel !!!
LOL !!!

[Triple SS]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I am just turning off the ac and then drying hair. Micro will run for 30 seconds to 1 minute without tripping breaker. We will just have to adjust. Was a new experience for means thought a bigger inverter would help. Guess not. Have a great summer camping. Until next time.....

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Triple SS

Thanks everyone for the responses. I am just turning off the ac and then drying hair. Micro will run for 30 seconds to 1 minute without tripping breaker. We will just have to adjust. Was a new experience for means thought a bigger inverter would help. Guess not. Have a great summer camping. Until next time.....

BTW, it is not an inverter, it is a converter. Inverter converts 12VDC to 120VAC and your converter coverts 120VAC to 12VDC.

[Triple SS]

Give me a break you old coot. I am still in the learning stage and will be there a long time Just kidding thanks for the correction

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Triple SS

Give me a break you old coot. I am still in the learning stage and will be there a long time Just kidding thanks for the correction

I did give you a break, you are sure not the first one or the last to confuse the two.

[jeff64]

Originally Posted by Triple SS

Give me a break you old coot. I am still in the learning stage and will be there a long time Just kidding thanks for the correction

Buy yourself a plug in voltmeter from CW. Put it in the most in your face outlet and look at it regularly. Then, you will know what to expect in terms of breakers popping or equipment failure. The green areas are from probably 110-125 or so. More campers, hotter weather, more ACs on spells lower voltage at the post.
I recall a Memorial Day weekend a couple years back, it was so hot out we couldn't get over 100 vac with everything running on LP that could.... we left and said the heck with it. It wasn't worth a burned out AC unit