Can I simply combine 2 "DIFFERENT" 20 amp lines running from my breaker box in the house to form a 30 amp receptacle for RV to plug into. Keep in mind, they will be 2 different breakers (20amp) with 2 different 10ga lines to form a 30amp outlet. The wires will be joined at the outlet. THANK YOU. The reason I ask, is because I have 3 different 20amp lines buried and running to a garage 50 feet away and to run a new line would be unbelievably expensive.
Most likely they are from a side by side (220) breaker in your electrical panel and you would have 220 volts dead short if you tied them together.
If they are from the same source (i.e. skipped a spot) theoretically you would tie them together in the garage (Black to Black and White to White) have a 120 volts and 40 amps at the ends. This would not be to code and very dangerous for you and any future owners of your property.
Also you said the two 20 amp circuits were on 10 Gauge wire. Normal 20 amp wire is 12 gauge. Is it a long run to the garage? If you really have 10 gauge wire, you can go UP TO 60 feet at 30 amps. Just change the breaker in your panel 30 amps and terminate that circuit with an RV 30 amp outlet.
If its longer than 60 feet you can not. (20 amps on 10 Gauge wire will run 90 feet)
If longer than 60 feet, you can just dedicate one of the 20 amp circuits to your RV's use and put a 30 amp outlet on it. Watch what you turn on and keep your camper under 20 amps.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Can I simply combine 2 "DIFFERENT" 20 amp lines running from my breaker box in the house to form a 30 amp receptacle for RV to plug into. Keep in mind, they will be 2 different breakers (20amp) with 2 different 10ga lines to form a 30amp outlet. The wires will be joined at the outlet. THANK YOU. The reason I ask, is because I have 3 different 20amp lines buried and running to a garage 50 feet away and to run a new line would be unbelievably expensive.
10 gauge is rated for 30 amp, you could use 1 of these with a 30amp breaker and 30amp camper outlet. You need hot, neutral and ground, 3 wire, 10 gauge.
You 'could' simply take the two black wires from each run and connect them to a single 30a breaker at the source and tie the two whites to the neutral buss bar with the grounds. You would be using TWO WIRES to carry the load. Then at the 30a R/V outlet end the two blacks would go under one screw on the appropriate post, (L1) the two whites under one screw (neutral) and the the grounds on the ground screw.
As also mentioned... NOT TO CODE but could be used temporarily to carry a 30a load 50 feet until you pull the correct gauge wire.
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If these are the twenty amp 120 volt lines (not 240 volt), they make an adapter that lets you plug into the fifteen/twenty amp outlet, then your RV shore power cord into it
You will be limited to the twenty amps total, but you with some power management in the RV, you don't have to make any modifications to anything. These adapters are usually under $20.
Garage is about 100 feet away however, thanks to the opinions here, I will tie 2 of the lines together and run the 30 amp breaker off that. I clearly know it is not to code but I would rather tie 2 together than risk a melt down with 1 line. In regard to my 15 amp description, I apologize. I thought they were 15 but they are 20's. I would like to blame it on old age but its just personal incompetence and lack of memory. Warm regards and THANK YOU!!!!!!
Garage is about 100 feet away however, thanks to the opinions here, I will tie 2 of the lines together and run the 30 amp breaker off that. I clearly know it is not to code but I would rather tie 2 together than risk a melt down with 1 line. In regard to my 15 amp description, I apologize. I thought they were 15 but they are 20's. I would like to blame it on old age but its just personal incompetence and lack of memory. Warm regards and THANK YOU!!!!!!
If you tie the wrong two together, you run the risk of creating a 240-volt short circuit! Kinda like directly connecting the two 120-volt hot lines on your 240-volt dryer line together.
I think the best suggestion, assuming the length and gauge of the wire are capable of 30 amps, is to make that one line a dedicated 30-amp line, with the proper 30-amp breaker at one end and a 30-amp RV outlet at the other.
I recommend always following code—or making sure your insurance covers you when you don’t! Health, life, homeowners, and RV!
Herk7769 wrote: "...This would not be to code and very dangerous for you and any future owners of your property."
Agree. Not meant as commentary or to hijack...but, just to confess that having moved several times over the years and having owned/sold several homes leaving my "DIY projects" intact, I've found it wise to re-contact some of those owners as my own "education" has progressed. My early "sins" with wiring projects mostly involved utilizing 14 ga wiring vs. 12 or 10, reversing hot/neutral, installing low amp outlets/switches and improper grounding. One thing "education" has (finally) taught me is to leave anything approaching complex wiring to the pros...and to not leave anything potentially or even remotely dangerous for others to "discover". Just FWIW.
Garage is about 100 feet away however, thanks to the opinions here, I will tie 2 of the lines together and run the 30 amp breaker off that. I clearly know it is not to code but I would rather tie 2 together than risk a melt down with 1 line. In regard to my 15 amp description, I apologize. I thought they were 15 but they are 20's. I would like to blame it on old age but its just personal incompetence and lack of memory. Warm regards and THANK YOU!!!!!!
Do you really need the full 30A? I can run everything in my unit off of 15A except the AC. As mentioned by wmtire you can just use the adapter and be done with it instead of making a frankenplug. Just because you can do something does not mean you should. Especially if there is a cheap, viable option readily available.
Garage is about 100 feet away however, thanks to the opinions here, I will tie 2 of the lines together and run the 30 amp breaker off that. I clearly know it is not to code but I would rather tie 2 together than risk a melt down with 1 line. In regard to my 15 amp description, I apologize. I thought they were 15 but they are 20's. I would like to blame it on old age but its just personal incompetence and lack of memory. Warm regards and THANK YOU!!!!!!
AS I said you MUST make sure they are NOT adjacent breakers! That will make 220 and a big mess; potentially ruining your run to the garage.
At 100 feet you can NOT put 30 amps on 10 gauge wire! ONLY 20 amps; even then pushing it. 15 amps is "legal" at 100 feet and 10 gauge.
Trying to push more will drop your voltage so much you will ruin your air conditioner and microwave for sure.
Herk
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
I may be repeating, but this bears repeating:
"Not to code" becomes an issue when a fire inspector and insurance adjuster are looking for something to blame for a fire. Not to code might negate your insurance in a disaster, even if the circuit is not the cause of the fire.
If you have buried #10, you must assess the distance from the main panel to the outlets in the garage (or subpanel). #10 is great for 30 amps up to a certain distance. I saw someone else has posted a wire gauge vs. distance chart, so I won't repeat.
Here's a handy calculator for wire gauge at voltage/amps/distance. Wire Size Calculator
Be sure to plug in 120 volts, 30 amps, single phase, and the default voltage drop of 3%. When calculating wire distance, do your best to account for the REAL distance from the main panel, down into the ground, the distance underground, and back up to the outlets/sub-panel in the garage. Your underground buried wire is likely to be at LEAST 18" underground...more likely 3' to 4'. If you have a water line from the house to the garage, it's likely that the power is buried with the water line below the frost line. If you're buried 4', you must add 8' for the burial (4' on each end) and another 6' to 8' on the main panel end (wire in the box counts), and at least 4' to 6' on the garage end. You could very well have 24' of wire accounted for just to get down into the ground and back up again. That's 24' of the allowable 50' for #10 at 30 amps. Your garage had better be close.
As you'll see from the calculator, anything over 50 feet will require 8 gauge or larger wire. #10 won't do it.
Good luck.
__________________
Jim & Renee
2020 Jayco Jay Feather X-213
previously 2014 Forest River/Rockwood HW 277
2006 Ram 1500 4WD Crew with Firestone Airbags
Every weekend boondocking in the National Forests or at Lake Vallecito.
AS I said you MUST make sure they are NOT adjacent breakers! That will make 220 and a big mess; potentially ruining your run to the garage.
<<SNIP>>
Herk
What he said!!
__________________
Jim & Renee
2020 Jayco Jay Feather X-213
previously 2014 Forest River/Rockwood HW 277
2006 Ram 1500 4WD Crew with Firestone Airbags
Every weekend boondocking in the National Forests or at Lake Vallecito.
I think I will listen to your advice. I will stick with the 20 amp and see how things go. THANK YOU
I run a single A/C unit on 20 amp with no problem. I made sure the electric water heater is off and don't use the microwave. But I do run my dual fridges, converter and lights as needed. Use the adapter pictured by wmtire and use a 10 guage cord.
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Cedar Creek Lake, Texas
2019 Keystone Loredo 290SRL
2019 Ram 2500 4x4 Cummins crew cab
Andersen hitch
You can easily find these dogbone style adapters in the RV section at Walmart, at places like Lowe's and Home Depot, and I have even seen them at Harbor Freight ..,not counting Amazon and RV dealers
__________________ 2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
You 'could' simply take the two black wires from each run and connect them to a single 30a breaker at the source and tie the two whites to the neutral buss bar with the grounds. You would be using TWO WIRES to carry the load. Then at the 30a R/V outlet end the two blacks would go under one screw on the appropriate post, (L1) the two whites under one screw (neutral) and the the grounds on the ground screw.
As also mentioned... NOT TO CODE but could be used temporarily to carry a 30a load 50 feet until you pull the correct gauge wire.
DO NOT even consider this, even as a temporary measure. This is considered paralleling wires and is very dangerous, especially with smaller sized conductors. Just a fire looking for a place to happen! The installation and termination of parallel conductors in large conductor size (only permitted in sizes at or larger than 3/0 AWG) is strictly enforced by NEC Regulations. As was mentioned elsewhere, an insurance adjuster / fire investigator will find non-conforming installations and you could well be on the hook. Is it worth taking the chance?
Your AC is typically capable of running off a 15 amp breaker in the trailer panel. The 20 amp circuit should (?) be if sufficient size to handle the AC load as well as the converter and some lighter loads
Your AC is typically capable of running off a 15 amp breaker in the trailer panel. The 20 amp circuit should (?) be if sufficient size to handle the AC load as well as the converter and some lighter loads
Just for clarification, I'm not sure I've seen any air conditioners on a 15 amp circuit breaker in many years. Most are going to be on 20 amp circuit breakers in the RV distribution panel.
__________________ 2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
Your information doesn’t jive. You may want to get an electrician involved. It will likely be cheaper than possible damages to your rig. Or clarify what you see including the wire sizes you are talking about
2019 F150 4X4 7050 GVWR 1903 payload
2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
that having moved several times over the years and having owned/sold several homes leaving my "DIY projects" intact, I've found it wise to re-contact some of those owners as my own "education" has progressed. My early "sins" with wiring projects mostly involved utilizing 14 ga wiring vs. 12 or 10, reversing hot/neutral, installing low amp outlets/switches and improper grounding. One thing "education" has (finally) taught me is to leave anything approaching complex wiring to the pros...and to not leave anything potentially or even remotely dangerous for others to "discover". Just FWIW.
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