Can I use 20 amp service

[jimcatinmi]

If we are not going to run the A/C can we use20amp service safely? I o ly have 20 amp athome a dI use an adapter to run the fridge and lights but what if we need to use the furnace would that be safe?

[wa8yxm]

Have done it two ways
ONE At home (TT-30 outlet but 20 amp breaker) I was able to use some stuff but very limited. Never could get wife to understand

I spent a couple months at a Auto Shop on 20 amps. On my coach I can "Break out" (Technical term you don't actually break anything) the converter and power it separately from the rest of the RV and so I did. Inverter ran electronics if it got hot enough to need A/C fired up genrator. Had to kick converter into BOOST mode to make my morning coffee though.

[bazar01]

I run my 12k btu mini-split heat pump on a 20-amp service. It only pulls about 9 amps. I can also run the ref and lights but no microwave.

[AllegroD]

valhalla360 wrote:
Assuming you are fairly close to the outlet and you use your 30amp cord with an adapter at the 20 amp outlet, voltage drop is unlikely to be any more of an issue than if you plugged into a 30amp outlet at a campground.

Also, if it is using an outlet that is part of a (garage/outside) gang, it may already be feeding things, which reduce available electricity on that gang. i.e. The fridge/freezer in the garage kicks in and puts you in a brown out or pops the breaker.

[AllegroD]

Another thought. I would not use the hockey puck style 20 - 30 amp adapter. I think they produce heat in too small of an area and burn up fast. I use only dog bone style adapters.

[valhalla360]

AllegroD wrote:
As to the answers saying you can run your AC, that is technically correct but a very incomplete answer. You could be causing damage to your AC. If the voltage drops below 104, the AC will start accumulating damage. You are not likely to see it but it will likely cause your AC to fail before it's life expectancy.

If you want to run the AC, put in an EMS that can shut off electricity below 104 volts. I have been to a park where my PI EMS saw the electricity drop to 97 and then the PI shut off my electricity. If you do not have an EMS, at least get a Kill-A-Watt to monitor electricity, when you turn on the AC.

Assuming you are fairly close to the outlet and you use your 30amp cord with an adapter at the 20 amp outlet, voltage drop is unlikely to be any more of an issue than if you plugged into a 30amp outlet at a campground.

That isn't to say, you shouldn't keep an eye on voltage (we have a meter always plugged in where we can see it plus an autofomrer to boost low voltage) but unlike at a campground, most houses don't have the same voltage drop issues. It's rare for a household system to be pushed to it's amperage limits. Particularly older campgrounds are often undersized systems based on 40-50yrs ago when many RV's didn't even have air/con. So when it's 90F on a holiday weekend, every site is pulling heavy loads and the voltage sags.

Now if you are stringing together 150ft of thin cheap extension cords, voltage drop may be a big issue.

[2oldman]

Some peeps can run a/c on 20a, some cannot. I can, for a while, then the plugs start overheating.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

My entire house is fed by one 12 gauge feeder pair. I allocate loads

Coffee making. THEN
Griddle THEN
Toaster

[ford_truck_guy]

AllegroD wrote:

jimcatinmi wrote:
If we are not going to run the A/C can we use20amp service safely? I o ly have 20 amp athome a dI use an adapter to run the fridge and lights but what if we need to use the furnace would that be safe?

Yes. You are safe running as you describe, including the furnace.

As to the answers saying you can run your AC, that is technically correct but a very incomplete answer. You could be causing damage to your AC. If the voltage drops below 104, the AC will start accumulating damage. You are not likely to see it but it will likely cause your AC to fail before it's life expectancy.

If you want to run the AC, put in an EMS that can shut off electricity below 104 volts. I have been to a park where my PI EMS saw the electricity drop to 97 and then the PI shut off my electricity. If you do not have an EMS, at least get a Kill-A-Watt to monitor electricity, when you turn on the AC.

agreed.. i forgot to mention that I used one of these - plug in volt meter

[wapiticountry]

Why would the voltage drop instead of the breaker tripping unless they are also using a dollar store extension cord? It probably isn't beneficial to the AC compressor for a circuit breaker to trip during startup, but it isn't likely to cause catastrophic failure.

[AllegroD]

jimcatinmi wrote:
If we are not going to run the A/C can we use20amp service safely? I o ly have 20 amp athome a dI use an adapter to run the fridge and lights but what if we need to use the furnace would that be safe?

Yes. You are safe running as you describe, including the furnace.

As to the answers saying you can run your AC, that is technically correct but a very incomplete answer. You could be causing damage to your AC. If the voltage drops below 104, the AC will start accumulating damage. You are not likely to see it but it will likely cause your AC to fail before it's life expectancy.

If you want to run the AC, put in an EMS that can shut off electricity below 104 volts. I have been to a park where my PI EMS saw the electricity drop to 97 and then the PI shut off my electricity. If you do not have an EMS, at least get a Kill-A-Watt to monitor electricity, when you turn on the AC.

[BB_TX]

I, too, have run my 15K A/C on 20 amp when working in the trailer. That is not camping, just working on something or getting ready for travel. And we have camped many times in the mountains on 20 amp service when there was no need for A/C.

[jdc1]

ReallY?
It really depends on the run of the wiring. If you are close to the electric panel, sure, you can run that 15,000btu AC on a dedicated 20amp outlet. If not, at some point it may burn the unit up if you aren't around to shut it off in time. A 13,500btu unit uses about 2700 watts at start up (22.5 amps). A 15000btu unit uses 3500 watts at start up (29 amps). Running, it's 11 amps and 12.5 amps.

[ford_truck_guy]

I too ran the 13.5 AC on 20 amp when driveway camping at a friends... turned everything else off...

[gbopp]

I run the A/C on a 20 amp circuit. No problems.