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11-20-2013, 11:37 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 17
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Keeping warm on a budget
We will be camping in the North Georgia Mountains Thanksgiving week we try not to use the furnace to save on propane. I use one electric radiant heater in the living room and when I need to one small electric space heater in the bedroom in the nose. It is a 50 amp site but we still trip the breaker when we turn them on. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening. Thanks,
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11-20-2013, 11:42 AM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: https://binged.it/1KdDqKO
Posts: 2,428
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11-20-2013, 11:42 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Pueblo, CO
Posts: 624
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Don't know if all the outlets are on the same breaker or not, but check your outlets and put the heaters on seperate breakers/outlets if you can.
__________________
2009 Berkshire 390 QS and toad
Retired and traveling
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11-20-2013, 11:52 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,328
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I'd have the camp ground check the post. It is possible the campground cannot supply sufficient voltage. In cases of brown out, low voltage, systems like heaters and motors will continue to try and use it's rated power. To make up for the lower voltage it draws more amperage until the circuit trips or it melts the wires. A good surge system like progressive will monitor that and shut down you power before anything bad can happen.
Also check to see if both heaters are on the same circuit, even then you should not be pulling 5500+ watts of electricity.
__________________
Paul, Kathy, and Tux the Mini Schnauzer
2014 Tiffin Phaeton 42 LH, 2013 Honda CRV
"When the time comes to look back, make sure you'll like what you see"
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11-20-2013, 12:25 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Solo Rvers Club
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 596
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Quote:
Originally Posted by homeless
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pretty neat to know, an emergency is just that and a good alternative...
I would put it in the bathtub and close the door, it would heat up pretty quickly and then open the door to allow some of the heat out....
other thought is to bed down in the tub, set candles in the sink, sleep
These things always occur at night don'tcha know...
__________________
Young at heart,
Older in other places !
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11-20-2013, 12:36 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Yuma Arizona USA
Posts: 2,996
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You don't say which breaker you are tripping. If it is one of the coach breakers then you most likely need to leave the breaker tripped while you find a another circuit that is live then plug one heater into each circuit. If it is the breaker at the pedestal then I would be looking at finding a good heavy extension cord and if the pedestal has a 20 amp plug hooking one of the heaters to that via the extension cord.
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Brian, Loretta & Lucy (Golden Retriever)
2008 HR Endeavor 40 PDQ , ISL 400
2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Toad
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11-20-2013, 12:50 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 605
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I always put the heaters on a lower setting if using more than one. Use electric blankets and kick on the furnace in the morning for a cycle or two.
__________________
Steve, Mary & Buddy our 2-year-old Chihuahua mix
1995 36' HR Endeavor, 460 w/Banks, 2005 PT Cruiser
Fulltimers originally from Michigan, hanging out in Oregon for a spell.
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11-20-2013, 12:53 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,692
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You aren't clear on which breaker you"re tripping. If it's a breaker in the 5er then as mentioned you must have both heaters on the same circuit. Other is no way the pedestal breaker should be tripping with just 2 space heaters running unless that breaker is weak. I would have the park check that breaker out if it is the pedestal breaker you are talking about. Good luck.
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Steve & Sally / Hudson Our Little Pom / Heidi, Houston & HiTee Forever in our Hearts
04 NEWMAR MACA 3778 W22 / 05 PT Vert
Michigan (Summer) Michigan (Winter For Now)
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11-20-2013, 01:32 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
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Not only check that the heaters aren't on the same circuit in the RV, but you might also check and see if they are on different 'legs' of the 50 amp service. Remember with 50 amp service, you have two legs of 50 amp, 120 v power. Try to plug in heaters on different legs. Using them on the low setting is also a good tip, it keeps things safer. If your furnace also has a duct in the wet bay to heat plumbing and tanks, not using the furnace might allow things to get too cold in the wet bay.
__________________
Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
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11-21-2013, 07:59 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Commercial Member
Appalachian Campers
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Bradenton, FL
Posts: 117
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Off topic a bit...not sure where you are staying...if north of Atlanta on I-75 corridor I HIGHLY recommend McKinney COE campground in Acworth!
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11-22-2013, 04:18 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Katy, TX
Posts: 667
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Selah
I In cases of brown out, low voltage, systems like heaters and motors will continue to try and use it's rated power. To make up for the lower voltage it draws more amperage until the circuit trips or it melts the wires.
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This is not a correct statement. Just the opposite is true for a purely resistive (i.e. heater) load.
Ohm's Law is: Amps = Volts/Resistance. In the case of a heater, Resistance is constant. Therefore, amperage will DECREASE as voltage DECREASES.
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Jimmy & Tre
Katy, TX
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11-22-2013, 04:23 PM
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#12
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Registered User
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 905
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1500 watt heaters draw 12.5 amps on high.
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11-22-2013, 04:57 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Katy, TX
Posts: 667
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Quote:
Originally Posted by milasman
1500 watt heaters draw 12.5 amps on high.
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Only at the rated voltage of 120v. Resistance of the 1500w heater is 9.6 ohms (R=V/I or 120/12.5). At 100v the current draw is I=V/R or 100/9.6 = 10.416 amps. Since power output = I*V, the output of a 1500w heater rated at 120v drops to 1041.6w when applied voltage drops to 100v.
In simple terms, the only constant is the resistance of the heater. The output in watts and the current draw in amps vary with the applied voltage.
Note: This relationship applies ONLY to pure resistive loads such as heating elements or incandescent light bulbs NOT motor or other impedance loads.
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Jimmy & Tre
Katy, TX
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11-22-2013, 05:07 PM
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#14
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Registered User
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 905
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No kidding, why the electrical lesson and where did 100v come from? Two 1500 watt heaters could trip a coaches 20 amp breaker, but should be fine on a 50 amp power pole.
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