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Old 01-17-2018, 12:07 AM   #1
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15 amp supply

We're going to stay over night this weekend at a friends property. If I plug in to a 15 amp outlet on their house, can I expect to run the refrigerator (residential) and interior lights? Don't want to run the generator over night.
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Old 01-17-2018, 12:10 AM   #2
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We’ve never had any problem with fridge and lights on 15amp. Might have issues if you are also running furnace, but probably not. Will definitely have trouble if you try to run the microwave or K-Cup machine on top of all of that though.
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Old 01-17-2018, 12:13 AM   #3
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Ahhh, good point about the coffee maker. I could throw the breaker for the refrigerator to brew a cup of "nectar of the gods". Lol. Thank you
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Old 01-17-2018, 12:14 AM   #4
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Agree! Or just fire the generator for a few mins... :-)
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Old 01-17-2018, 01:51 AM   #5
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At home your residential refrigerator is plugged into a 15A outlet...just at the end of a lot shorter cord. Just make sure the cord you are using is a large gauge or use your supply cord with a short adapter.
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:34 AM   #6
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we use a Extension cord/reel that has it's own 'breaker' and built in outlets.... that way if we 'trip' a breaker, it's our breaker on the extension cord, NOT the home's breaker, which could be inside the house, or worse, have other items of the homeowners in use on it.

similar to this:


https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-20-f...R002/100661463
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Old 01-17-2018, 10:17 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by formerFR View Post
we use a Extension cord/reel that has it's own 'breaker' and built in outlets.... that way if we 'trip' a breaker, it's our breaker on the extension cord, NOT the home's breaker, which could be inside the house, or worse, have other items of the homeowners in use on it.

similar to this:


https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-20-f...R002/100661463
Too bad it's only 16GA. I wouldn't use anything smaller than 14 if you are powering a residential fridge. Even that is pushing it.
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Old 01-17-2018, 04:07 PM   #8
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don't know what you mean.... if a wire set is designed to handle up to 13/15amps, AND with it's own built-in 'breaker'... WHY would it matter WHAT you are powering.... a 'residential' fridge is no different than any other device you would use it for - it's designed to handle the stated amperage, period.
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Old 01-17-2018, 05:14 PM   #9
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That is correct, especially as this is only 20' long. The longer the run, the heavier the cable needs to be. Anything over 25' for 15 amp load needs to be 14 ga. I'm probably going to go with 50' of 14/3 so I can have more reach. I like your idea of a built-in breaker so that you don't have to go inside a building to reset. I'll add a plug in in-line breaker to solve that.

Thanks guys
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Old 01-17-2018, 05:44 PM   #10
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you may have an issue if youred plug into a GFI circuit. Go into the garage and plug into the washer circuit. No GFI (maybe) and it will be 20 amp.
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Old 01-17-2018, 05:47 PM   #11
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Yes, thankd
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:02 PM   #12
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What no one has pointed out is that your lights are 12vdc and operate from your battery. If you plug your shore power into a 15 amp outlet you will be powering your converter and refrigerator. You will also be able to use your tv. If you need heat it will also run the blower from your battery along with LP.

If you need help understanding how your electrical system works check out the following.

Disclaimer: These links and articles were compiled by wmtire. He is a site team member of forestriverforums (FRF). If you give thanks, then give it to him. I had nothing to do with gathering the information, I’m just passing it along.


“I always recommend these following links to newer RV owners. It explains a RV's different electrical systems, as well as what works off of 120 volt AC vs. 12 volt DC. Not knowing your RV experience, The below is a copy and paste, and I usually recommend it to those just starting out. Some of it, you may already know, or may not be applicable to your particular RV. You will be able to filter out what pertains to your situation or not. I would suggest you read the electric threads and energy management first, and then the converter thread. This will help explain your different electrical systems of your RV, and how they operate...as well as what the converter does. The very first link will explain what operates off what system.” - wmtire


Basic electric:


Basic RV Electricity - RV Information (RV Maintenance)


https://www.rvtechmag.com/electrical/chapter3.php


RV Electric

Your very important converter:

RV Converters and Amp Draw - RV Information (RV Maintenance)


Inverters and residential refrigerators in RV's:

http://rveducation101.com/articles/rvinverters.pdf

More reading so you understand the different electrical systems of your RV.

Basic RV Electricity - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

Installing a dedicated 30 amp RV outlet at home:

How to wire a RV 30 amp outlet

Suburban water heater (if applicable to your RV):

Suburban's electric switch and much more

Suburban Water Heater Video Guides

Water Heater bypass/crossover valves:

NO (OR LUKEWARM) HOT WATER -Please read first


And the newest additions to help understand what constitutes a true full cylinder in refilling vs exchanging propane cylinders... as well as how the automatic propane changeover regulator works:

Propane Cylinders (Refilling vs Exchanging)

Propane automatic changeover regulator
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:11 PM   #13
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you may have an issue if youred plug into a GFI circuit. Go into the garage and plug into the washer circuit. No GFI (maybe) and it will be 20 amp.
Does this member’s friend have a washer plug in his garage? We don’t.
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:15 PM   #14
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I wouldn't use less than 12 ga. Also, I wouldn't be too concerned about having your own breaker. If you Draw too many amps, you might trip your breaker or you might still trip the house breaker. My bigger concern would be the voltage drop from trying to pull too much current through too small of a wire. Think of it like a water pipe. The flow is voltage. The pressure is amps. Low voltage not good for especially electronics.
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Old 01-17-2018, 09:26 PM   #15
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Washers don't need 20A circuits.
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Old 01-17-2018, 09:30 PM   #16
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don't know what you mean.... if a wire set is designed to handle up to 13/15amps, AND with it's own built-in 'breaker'... WHY would it matter WHAT you are powering.... a 'residential' fridge is no different than any other device you would use it for - it's designed to handle the stated amperage, period.
A certain size wire gauge is not designed for a certain current. All depends on the voltage drop that whatever you are plugging into can tolerate. That is of course calculated by the gauge, current AND wire length...not just the gauge of the wire. Refrigerators are large inductive loads and you want to minimize the voltage drop especially at startup...unless you like buying new refrigerators that is.
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Old 01-17-2018, 09:59 PM   #17
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Washers don't need 20A circuits.
No they don't but the National Electric Code requires that a laundry circuit of 20 amps be installed in every residence built since I became wiring houses in 1970. 47 year Licensed Master Electrician.
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Old 01-17-2018, 10:25 PM   #18
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A certain size wire gauge is not designed for a certain current. All depends on the voltage drop that whatever you are plugging into can tolerate. That is of course calculated by the gauge, current AND wire length...not just the gauge of the wire. Refrigerators are large inductive loads and you want to minimize the voltage drop especially at startup...unless you like buying new refrigerators that is.
Please do not listen to babcock. He doesn't know what he is talking about. Wire gauge is directly tied to current measured in amps. 15 amp = 14 ga wire. 20 amp = 12 ga. 30 amp = 10 gauge. the list goes on. This information is printed the NEC code book. Voltage drop is a product of voltage and the resistance of the circuit. If your requires fridge 10 amps to run you need a min 14 ga copper wire to prevent more then 5% voltage drop. 15 amp circuit. The longer the extension cord the bigger the voltage drop. Any extension cord less than 14 ga should NEVER be used on an RV. All my cords are 12 ga. The total current of the circuit determines the ga of the wire.

47 year Licensed Master Electrician/Business owner.
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Old 01-17-2018, 10:52 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by tfmdgm View Post
Think of it like a water pipe. The flow is voltage. The pressure is amps. Low voltage not good for especially electronics.
Pressure is similar to volts. Flow is similar to amps. (aka current flow)
If you try to flow too much water through a small pipe, you get a pressure drop. If you try to flow too much current (amps) through a small wire, you get a voltage drop.

Low voltage will damage a residential refrigerator among other things (air conditioners). That’s why an EMS will drop out on low voltage as well as high voltage.
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Old 01-18-2018, 01:22 AM   #20
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Please do not listen to babcock. He doesn't know what he is talking about. Wire gauge is directly tied to current measured in amps. 15 amp = 14 ga wire. 20 amp = 12 ga. 30 amp = 10 gauge. the list goes on. This information is printed the NEC code book. Voltage drop is a product of voltage and the resistance of the circuit. If your requires fridge 10 amps to run you need a min 14 ga copper wire to prevent more then 5% voltage drop. 15 amp circuit. The longer the extension cord the bigger the voltage drop. Any extension cord less than 14 ga should NEVER be used on an RV. All my cords are 12 ga. The total current of the circuit determines the ga of the wire.

47 year Licensed Master Electrician/Business owner.
The length of wire and the current the wire carries determines the gauge wire you need.

Voltage drop is a product of the CURRENT and the resistance of the circuit.

if you have a 15A circuit and it is 200 feet from the main circuit box, do you really think 14 gauge is sufficient? If you have a 15A breaker, you are allowed to go to a large gauge wire if the distance is long and yes, that is specified in the NEC. You just can't go to smaller than 14.

I agree that the NEC has minimum gauge for a given circuit breaker/fuse size. That's not what I was talking about here. I am saying the cord needs to be a larger gauge based on its length.

I believe we are talking the same but you didn't understand what I was saying.
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