30 AMP OPS

[Wilhelmus Schreurs]

Hi all:

The wiring that we have in our homes and also in our BB is all single phase
wiring. Very rarly would one find 3 phase wiring other than in either a
commercial or industrial application.
We use single phase power, with two legs.


“with your 30amp 220 volt breaker at the house you have 30 amp available on
each leg (red,black) but not at the same time, you can draw 30 amps through that
breaker total. Ie: 30 on one leg and zero on the other, or 15 and 15, or run a
total of 30*110 =- 3300 watts. By design the breaker will trip if you draw more
than 30 amps in any combination.

This is false. In a 220 volt circuit, in which you have 2 legs, it is
possible to draw a total of 30 amps * 220 volts for a total of 6600 watts.
HOWEVER, each LEG is only designed to carry a total of 30 amps * 110 volts or
3300 watts., so if one leg is overloaded it will trip both breakers.

Pete: you mention about a cheater cable, well there are all sorts of types of
cheater cables, you need to know the type that you require.
Ie: if you have a cheater cable that you can connect into two 30 amp circuits
at a trailer park, it is possible to get 30 amps with 220 volts, or in other
words, if your stove is 220 volts you can use it. The problem here is, it might
be possible to have both 30 amps on the same leg, and this would give you 60
amps * 110 volts, but no 220 volts.
: Even if you can hook both legs of the coach up to a pedestal at a park, the
park receptacles must be on different legs for you to get 220 volt in the coach
for ac and such. Cheaters tie both sides of the coach panel together into a
common leg. You end up with twice the risk of tripping a breaker. 220 volt
applieances that get turned on may act like a cheater as current may flow around
the windings and or rheostants

As I mentioned above, cheaters can tie both sides of the coach panel together,
but it might not as well, this depends on the park receptacle if they are on
separate legs or not. I cannot understand the statement about “you end up with
twice the risk of tripping a breaker” as you have more power available to use.
Also maybe Greg can shed some light on where the current can flow around the
windings in some cases.

: to trip a 50 amp breaker you can draw 51 amps off one leg etc etc”.
The circuit breakers we have in our homes, and what we use in our BB, are
called “thermal breakers”. They trip with a function of heat, which is produced
by amperage. Different types of breakers can have a different curve
characteristic to them, ie: for a 50 amp breaker it might take 52 amps at 3 or
4 minutes to trip, 60 amps – 30 seconds, 75 amps instant. Other breaker could
be slower or faster.

: Typically, the 110 volt light over the table use a “dimmer” switch. In the
“maximum dim” position, the light will not illuminate. Yet, should one come in
contact with the hot wire of the light fixture, a nasty/possibility fatal
surprise awaits. 110v is present. The dimmer has simply temporarily reduced
the amperage below the amount required for illumination, but the 110 volt
“electrical potential” is fully available, just like a duplex (plug in) wall
socket.
John has a very good point here, and did you know that being unknowledgable
can really get you, or someone else killed

One main difference between our homes and our BB coaches is the ground/neutral
connection. In our homes, the ground and neutral are bonded together, and in
our coaches they are not. When you are tied into the power system, the bonding
will take place at the park receptacle. So when you are changing any of your
light switches or receptacles, pay particular attention that the ground and
neutral does not touch or get mixed up, if it does, the body/chassis of your
coach could become live.

Good point John: even as an accomplished and certified electrician, I would
not want to mix and match power sources either.

Pete: If you have 30 amps 110 volts coming into your coach, and you only want
to use one burner of your stove, assuming your stove burner is 110 volts, go for
it. You might have to reduce other loads on in the coach for the time you are
using the burner.

Gosh I love this electrical stuff.

Bill
84FC35SB
Terrace, BC




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