Shoeless Rver
Well-known member
If we cant get 50amp service how bad will it be to use 30amp for a bit?
50 to 30amp
- Thread starter Shoeless Rver
- Start date
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SeilerBird
Well-known member
I will not matter much if you just do not turn on two high drawing items. If you do the circuit breaker will trip. You reset the breaker and turn off one of the high drawing items.
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
Since we favor state and national park campgrounds, we spend more time connected to 30 amp service than we do 50 amp. We just keep which we're on in mind as we go about our daily routine. As Tom said, limit the high draw items you use at the same time. Run only one A/C at a time in warm weather, don't use the microwave while the hair dryer is in use, that sort of thing. As also said, the worst that happens if you happen to overload is that the breaker on the park stanchion trips and you need to reset it. We've been doing this for so long now that I can't recall the last time we tripped one.
Assuming you are referring to your 5th wheel in your signature, You will not be able to run both A/C units at the same time. Probably one, and a microwave at the same time. Surprisingly how much a coffee pot draws as well. But as others have said, worse case it pops a beaker at the pedestal you will need to reset.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
50A hook-up has almost 4x as much power available as 30A, so in comparison 30A is very restrictive. It's rather easy to exceed 30A if you don't practice some restraint. For example, one a/c unit draws about 12 amps when running and briefly much more each time the compressor cycles on. If your water heater is in electric mode, that's another 12 amps whenever it is heating. The fridge in electric mode is 2-3 amps and a microwave is typically 10-3 amps. A hair dryer is typically 10-15 amps, coffee makers 3-5 amps, etc. As you can see, it's not difficult to exceed 30A total if multiple of those items happen to be active at the same time. The fact that most of them are controlled by thermostats makes it hard to predict when the 30A circuit breaker might trip.
Most people cope by operating the water heater and fridge in LP gas mode, using only one a/c unit, and avoiding smaller electric appliances as much as possible.
Most people cope by operating the water heater and fridge in LP gas mode, using only one a/c unit, and avoiding smaller electric appliances as much as possible.
Lou Schneider
Site Team
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
- 13,320
The easiest way to think of this is anything that produces or moves heat is a high current user. Air conditioner, microwave, hair dryer, coffee maker, electric frying pan, etc. Don't forget things like the electric side of the water heater and the refrigerator if it's gas electric. If it's a residential fridge it doesn't use enough power to matter.
Set the water heater and refrigerator to use only gas to save power for other uses. Run one air conditioner and don't turn on more than one other large user while it's running. Don't worry about using things like lights, the TV, computers, etc. - they don't use enough power to matter.
Set the water heater and refrigerator to use only gas to save power for other uses. Run one air conditioner and don't turn on more than one other large user while it's running. Don't worry about using things like lights, the TV, computers, etc. - they don't use enough power to matter.
Kevin Means
Site Team
Most people find that not being able to run two AC units is the biggest drawback of 30 amp service, but you actually can if you install an aftermarket device called a Micro-Air EasyStart. They ramp the AC unit's compressor up very slowly, so the 30 amp limit isn't exceeded. I installed them in two of our three roof AC units, because one AC isn't nearly enough to cool the coach on a hot day. They're about $300.00 each, so they're not cheap, but IMO they're worth it.
Kev
Kev
OP
OP
Shoeless Rver
Well-known member
Thank y'all. I appreciate everyone's time.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Right now I"m on 30 amp with a 38 foot wrong color class A (Dark) and since it's 82 out that means the inside would be mid 90's (Heat exhaustion/stroke time for this old boy) so I'm burning gasoline to keep it cool High today anticipated to be 84
Thankfully the tank is near full (Gauge pinned but still some room in tank.. It is cooler inside than out however and that makes it much nicer for me.
Big ticket items #1 is the Air Conditioner often 13-14 amps
Water heater around 12.5
microwave 11-13
Fridge 3-4
Converter (Batteries dead) 10 or more
Converter (Batteries full) 1-2
Most electric kitchen appliances OTHER than microwave 7-10
One AC max on 30 amps
Thankfully the tank is near full (Gauge pinned but still some room in tank.. It is cooler inside than out however and that makes it much nicer for me.
Big ticket items #1 is the Air Conditioner often 13-14 amps
Water heater around 12.5
microwave 11-13
Fridge 3-4
Converter (Batteries dead) 10 or more
Converter (Batteries full) 1-2
Most electric kitchen appliances OTHER than microwave 7-10
One AC max on 30 amps
