AC and 110

[Gary A]

Will it do damage to your AC if you run it plugged into the 110 at your home.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by Gary A

Will it do damage to your AC if you run it plugged into the 110 at your home.

If you have installed a 30 amp circuit, yes. If you have a true 20 amp circuit (not 15amp) and make sure that nothing else in your house is running on that circuit and you turn off everything in the RV, many people have run their 15,000 btu A/C without an issue.

[blw2]

you can run it on a 15 amp circuit, that doesn't already have a load on it

and you won't be able to run much else in the RV....I have successfully run my house AC and the fridge, along with the converter and a few lights, while plugged into a 15 amp circuit with a dogbone adapter lots of times.

[SuperD]

if you're going to run the AC you need the heaviest duty cord you can find, preferably a 10 or 12 gauge, also as short as possible. Check your cord and adapter after your AC has run a while and make sure they aren't overheating.

[philvickie]

Running ac on a 15amp circuit is dangerous. Things are going to get hot; chance of fire erc

[blw2]

Originally Posted by SuperD

if you're going to run the AC you need the heaviest duty cord you can find, preferably a 10 or 12 gauge, also as short as possible. Check your cord and adapter after your AC has run a while and make sure they aren't overheating.

I wouldn't run it on a cord at all.... beyond the service drop cord from the RV. At 25 ft or whatever it is, that's already pushing it i think

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by blw2

you can run it on a 15 amp circuit, that doesn't already have a load on it

and you won't be able to run much else in the RV....I have successfully run my house AC and the fridge, along with the converter and a few lights, while plugged into a 15 amp circuit with a dogbone adapter lots of times.

The original question was can you run it without damage and other people have also noted "safely". According to Coleman, the approximate full load amp cooling draw for the 15k unit is 15.3 amps. The initial startup amperage is much higher. Can you run it on a 15 amp breaker? Obviously people do. Should you? I would vote no because of possible damage to the A/C unit and/or overheating of wiring and the possibility of fire. If you plan to run it on a 15 amp circuit I agree with other comments of not using any length of extension cord and being comfortable with the age and state of wiring in your home.

[blw2]

well, if that number is true then I should be tripping the house's breaker all the time!....which I'm not
I guess I'll also need to verify then what my circuits breaker is. Maybe it's 20Amp feeding a 15 amp outlet???

Anyway, I saw a number published for the AC that was 14.x amps

I think I'll make a point to see if I can get at a wire to measure actual the next time I'm doing it.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by blw2

well, if that number is true then I should be tripping the house's breaker all the time!....which I'm not
I guess I'll also need to verify then what my circuits breaker is. Maybe it's 20Amp feeding a 15 amp outlet???

Anyway, I saw a number published for the AC that was 14.x amps

I think I'll make a point to see if I can get at a wire to measure actual the next time I'm doing it.

Not necessarily. It is possible that a 15 amp breaker can take a momentary surge load without popping and then maintain a 15-16 amp load. But the problem is not only the breaker. If us there for a reason - to protect your wiring and your house. Did you see the Coleman stat sheet? It says 15.3 amps. If you have a good surge protector, it will tell you exactly how many amps your coach is pulling from the circuit. It certainly is possible to run it and it is also possible that your house won't burn down.

[DocMike]

Gary,

I have visited family and friends over night and have run the AC off of a 20 amp breaker but I made sure nothing else was on the line in the house and nothing else was running in the RV (switched the fridge to Gas). But that is not something I want to do all the time...not an AC tech so not sure what the actual risks are.

It may cost a few hundred dollars but if you are looking at hooking up at home when the RV is not out RV'ing I would recommend having a certified electrictian run you a 30Amp dedicated line out to your RV. We did that and we keep the RV ready to go all year long. I have the AC set at 82 in the summer, a heater set at 42 in the winter and the fridge up and running.


Doc

[JamieGeek]

Well I run ours all the time. I use the RV cord to the plug and then reduce it to the 15A plug (instead of reducing it to a std extension cord and running that).

The adapter does get a little warm, but we only have the 13.5k A/C so I'm sure the current draw is slightly less.

[DocMike]

Jamie,

We did that at a friends house and noticed the warming of the plug.

Doc

[gmc]

The original question still not really answered - would/could it damage the A/C unit?

The danger to the A/C unit would be a low voltage condition - if the circuit can't deliver what is needed... If running through your rigs surge suppressor which has a low voltage cutoff - I would say there is no danger to the A/C... (and you do have a surge suppressor - right?)

If running without the low voltage protection - and especially if using a cord lighter duty that a 30A RV cord - then you are risking damage to the A/C if the line voltage drops too low.

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Well I run ours all the time. I use the RV cord to the plug and then reduce it to the 15A plug (instead of reducing it to a std extension cord and running that).

The adapter does get a little warm, but we only have the 13.5k A/C so I'm sure the current draw is slightly less.

Stepping down at the last minute to a 15A/20A is the only way I would try it... (ie - no non-RV extension cord) and as you noticed it does get warm... Heat is not your friend here.

Originally Posted by blw2

... Maybe it's 20Amp feeding a 15 amp outlet???

Unless it is a single receptacle on a 20A circuit (a duplex outlet is NOT a single receptacle) - 15A outlets are permitted on a 20A circuit...
Maybe not best practice - but permitted by code (should still be 12GA wire).

The expectation if only a single receptacle is that a 20A load would be plugged into it... If more than one, then assumes the load will be multiple devices with each outlet likely remaining under 15.

Still cheap to update to 20A outlets in that case... And in this case where you will be drawing 15-20A thru single plug, certainly should be a 20A outlet.

[blw2]

yeah, it says "approx. 15.3"
I found something else that called it 14.8
My RV isn't handy for me to check what my particular unit is, to check my manual, or to measure the actual.

regardless, splitting hairs I know.

I certainly understand and agree with your point. and yes, it's right on the edge for sure. I'm just telling what has worked for me. Not saying it's "best practice", and not saying that I would do this long term, or anything else....just that it is possible.
I'll add, that my progressive industries monitors the power for my RV. I think it did trip once on low voltage when it was really very hot out. One other time I had a breaker trip when something else loaded the line.... I don't recall what the voltage "normally" is when I'm running this way, but I have looked at it. No doubt it's on the edge.

To the OP, the point I think summing up is
will it work?
20 amp circuit, sure
15 amp circuit, maybe....probably...... but certainly not best practice
and I'd say that if your circuit is on the edge, and the voltage drops below some level that I don't know, then yes it is possible that it could do harm

[Travelin' Texans]

To anyone that doesn't have a surge protector GET ONE!! There's way too many delicate electronics onboard to not have one & it's cheap compared to a new frig or all of the tvs.

[16ACE27]

Low voltage will be the killer. The approximately 15.3 amps is at 115 Volts. If you have a high resistance connection or long skinny extension cord that voltage may drop to 95 volts at the AC. Guess what happens to current when the voltage goes down if the AC is still trying to put out 15,000 BTUs? That added current through the compressor will cause the winding to overheat and damage the unit.

I have run the AC only on a 15 amp circuit (reefer on gas) but I have also installed this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So I know exactly what the voltage is at the coach and how many amps we are pulling.

[CasaLoca]

Originally Posted by Tfryman

L

I have run the AC only on a 15 amp circuit (reefer on gas) but I have also installed this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So I know exactly what the voltage is at the coach and how many amps we are pulling.

I looked at this item and note that it is intended for 50Hz. Can anyone guess how accurate it might be at 60Hz? Would that make a difference?
Chuck Peck in CasaLoca

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by CasaLoca

I looked at this item and note that it is intended for 50Hz. Can anyone guess how accurate it might be at 60Hz? Would that make a difference?
Chuck Peck in CasaLoca

You didn't read far enough:

"The multimeter can only work on AC 50-60Hz pure mains supply."

To translate from chinglish: You have to use it on a 50 to 60 Hz pure sine wave supply.

[Baddad53]

Used a 15 amp plug when parked next to home...now I installed 30 amp RV receptacle off my 50 amp old hot tub outlet (exterior home run).

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/mem...picture403.jpg

[Chance]

Originally Posted by blw2

yeah, it says "approx. 15.3"
I found something else that called it 14.8
.....cut....

I think you are both correct. The new Eco-Friendly refrigerant is listed at 15.3 full-load Amps, but an older data sheet shows 14.8 Amps.

Note both of these ratings are at "standard" rating conditions, and "real-world" (as some people like to say ) conditions may yield higher or lower current.


=================

A few points I'd like to add: The OP didn't state what size or model A/C he has as far as I can tell. Based on RV size and model it's "probably" a 15K, but even then various A/C models exist. If it's a 13.5k PowerSaver he installed, as an example, it may only pull 10 Amps. Who knows? More data is needed regarding required breaker size.

A properly wired house shouldn't overheat or start a fire because the breaker should trip first. That's why it's there. Wiring has to be sized to handle breaker rating without overheating. If A/C overloads the circuit, the breaker should trip before any damage is done to house (again, assuming house is done right).

Low voltage at A/C is indeed a severe condition, but these units are tested at "Desert" conditions while running at 90% voltage (103.5 VAC instead of standard 115 VAC). That's a lot more wattage and at lower voltage, so current is way higher. I wouldn't want to run an A/C like that often, but it shows these things aren't as fragile as some think; particularly when running at normal temperatures.

I ran my old motorhome's A/C, as well as a bunch of rented RVs' A/C, off a plug in my garage and never had a problem. To minimize voltage drop I do use the 30-Amp cord along with an adaptor in garage. The A/C doesn't know whether it's on my driveway or a campground.