Electrical Experts Needed!

[Henry J Fate]

Here is another. Looks pretty much the same but a different manufacturer.


https://www.amazon.com/JXPARTS-Thermal-Breaker-generator-Protector/dp/B00MHWCMAU

 

[Jey]

Alright guys you have been very helpful!!
I decided to stop into Lowe?s on my way home from work and even though the website said my local store didn?t carry that breaker box, I ended up finding one left in stock so picked it up. I also grabbed a really small grounding bar and I?ve drawn up how I think I?m supposed to be wiring this thing? (See attached photos)

Can someone tell me if that?s how the neutral is supposed to go in this box or should I be swapping the ground and neutral around?

 

[Henry J Fate]

Looks great. Lugs are always safer than wire nuts. If you do use any wire nuts make sure the wires are properly adjoined and the nut is tight. Wrap them with electrical tape and secure them. I removed all the wire nuts I could find in my coach and replaced them with lugs. The factory installed wire nuts at a junction box. Almost burned out the coach. They were not installed properly and without tape. Eventually one loosened and caused a change reaction which almost took the coach out. Lots of burnt wires and smoke. After that, I don't recommend using them in mobile applications but if you do, double up on the quality, tape well and secure.


Good luck with the project. I think I may install one of those Marinco inlets on my coach so I can feed the Norcold and converter when I have that 20 amp breaker available. That will free up some power from the 30 amp service. I will need to spend some time to design a circuit. It will need to switch the appliances off and on from the 30 amp service to the 20 amp service and include the switch I installed on the converter. I may also upgrade my service panel. They used crappy stuff. I prefer a metal box like the one you just bought.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Looks great! 

 

[Jey]

Thanks guys! This will be a bit easier than I thought.


My next question is will that one black wire from the 20amp inlet be feeding both of those circuit spaces or just the side  it?s connected to?

For instance if I ran the 20amp setup on one circuit side could I run a 15amp inlet to the other side or would the 20amp power be passing through both sides?

 

[Henry J Fate]

You should be able to tell by looking at it and use a meter to test. If you wanted to use the other side for a 15 amp circuit, that will be fine as long as you don't exceed the 20 amp pedistal breaker. You may be only to run one appliance at a time. Since you will have a switch on the heater, you can manage the power. If the two breaker slots are not on the same input, you should be able to run a jumper from the 20 amp service side to the 15amp service side and all is good. Just use the correct wire size. 14 ga is fine for a jumper for a 15 amp breaker but use a piece of #12 if it's available.

 

[Lou Schneider]

My next question is will that one black wire from the 20amp inlet be feeding both of those circuit spaces or just the side  it?s connected to?

For instance if I ran the 20amp setup on one circuit side could I run a 15amp inlet to the other side or would the 20amp power be passing through both sides?

Looking at the picture, each circuit breaker slot has it's own feedpoint lug and they aren't connected to each other.  This is normal for a double pole, 120/240 volt breaker box.

You can run a jumper over to the second breaker's feed lug to energize both breakers from the 20 amp feed and then install a second 10 or 15 amp breaker to run other stuff.  Just keep in mind the combined currents going through both breakers cannot exceed 20 amps or you'll blow the pedestal breaker.

For example, you could draw 10 amps through each breaker and be fine.  Or 5 amps through one breaker and 15 amps through the other.

You can't use a second inlet cord even though the breakers are separate because you'll have to connect the ground and neutral wires to the appropriate busses along with the ones from the first cord.  This places the neutrals of both cords in parallel with each other and it absolutely will trip a GFCI outlet when you plug in the second cord.  The GFCI expects all of the current going out the hot wire to return via the neutral and with two neutrals available the return current will divide between them, unbalancing the GFCI.

 

[Jey]

You guys have saved me a lot of time and headaches!

Now I?m wondering if I should get another small breaker box for my 15amp inlet.
We?re only installing it because we have the space for it, Might use it for a tiny space heater a few days out of the year. Or possibly the hair dryer  8)

 

[Henry J Fate]

I am a little confused. Are you referencing the extra breaker slot in the breaker box you just purchased?

 

[Jey]

I am a little confused. Are you referencing the extra breaker slot in the breaker box you just purchased?

No I?m sorry, I meant I have a whole different inlet. I purchased a 15amp inlet originally then purchased the 20amp one when I decided on running an electric water heater and I still intended to install the 15amp just to have if we ever need it.

 

[Lou Schneider]

No I?m sorry, I meant I have a whole different inlet. I purchased a 15amp inlet originally then purchased the 20amp one when I decided on running an electric water heater and I still intended to install the 15amp just to have if we ever need it.

Running THREE cords to a pedestal is likely to annoy the park owner, who has an interest in not having his electrical system overloaded or damaged. Or having you use more power than you're paying for in the daily rate - many parks in areas with high electricity rates charge more for 50 amp RVs than they do for 30 amp rigs based on the higher expected power usage.  Running two cords to the pedestal to get extra power is bad enough, three is definitely pushing it.

The RV will be plugged into the 30 amp pedestal outlet, the water heater will be plugged into the duplex 20 amp (or 15 amp) GFCI outlet in the pedestal and you'll plug in the 15 amp cord where?  Not into the second outlet in the GFCI, you'll still only be able to draw 20 amps out of it.

If you want a dedicated outlet, I'd just put the second breaker in your box (you have room for it) and just use either the hair dryer OR the water heater.  Turn on one, turn off the other.

Or plug in the room heater or hairdryer elsewhere in the trailer. which come off of the 30 amp plug.

 

[Henry J Fate]

You could set it up for an additional 15 amp service but you would not find an additional source to power it at camping facilities. Typically all you will have available is 50, 30 and 20 amp options. Some may not have all those options.

 

[grashley]

That will work fine, and can be run through the same box - separate breakers.  Note, however, if you plug both cords into the same receptacle, the receptacle will limit you to 20A total on the two cords.  To get full benefit, the two cords must be plugged into separate circuits.

 

[ryancousins]

Typically, service cord (S/SJ/SJOOW, etc.) is not listed for permanent install, hence why it?s called cord and not wire. It?s technically not supposed to be hard-wired into a panel, except in cases like concerts, festivals, or conventions where it?s tied into a disconnect on a temporary basis. Otherwise it?s supposed to have a plug and be able to disconnect. Using it in a permanent fashion isn?t really unsafe in your case where I?m assuming it?ll be protected inside a cupboard or storage bay, but it just depends on how tight you want to stick with NEC rules.

 

[Jey]

Typically, service cord (S/SJ/SJOOW, etc.) is not listed for permanent install, hence why it?s called cord and not wire. It?s technically not supposed to be hard-wired into a panel, except in cases like concerts, festivals, or conventions where it?s tied into a disconnect on a temporary basis. Otherwise it?s supposed to have a plug and be able to disconnect. Using it in a permanent fashion isn?t really unsafe in your case where I?m assuming it?ll be protected inside a cupboard or storage bay, but it just depends on how tight you want to stick with NEC rules.

Thank you for letting me know! I?ll pick up some 12/2 romex I?d rather do it right

 

[Old_Crow]

Thank you for letting me know! I?ll pick up some 12/2 romex I?d rather do it right

I'd use the UF rated romex.  That's the one that's rated to be buried without conduit or for use in wet areas.  Maybe overkill, but then again, maybe not.

 

[ryancousins]

If any of the wire will be running on the undercarriage of the camper you?ll definitely want to use UF.

 

[Jey]

If any of the wire will be running on the undercarriage of the camper you?ll definitely want to use UF.

None of it will be. I?ll be running about 4ft total and it will all be within a cabinet. I just have to figure out where I?m mounting my breaker box and go from there

 

[Jey]

Alright guys I got her wired up.. not sure how to test it out without my water heater but maybe I can figure something out.

Let me know if I?ve done this correctly

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Looks good to me.

My only observation would be to leave the wires inside the box a little longer. So in the future if you need to move something around you have the wire to do it.