Question about the Air Conditioning

[SSMyers]

I have a 1975 Silver Streak we are restoring. I am having a problem with the air. When I turn on the fan everything is fine but when the compressor kicks on it will run for about 15 seconds and the breaker kicks. Either the breaker in the trailer kicks or the breaker in the house. I know the capacitors are good. I have had them checked and one of them I replaced. The breaker in the house is a 15amp and a 20amp on the trailer. I have a 50' cord running from the house to the trailer. I think maybe it pulls to many amps. Any ideas?

[dayle1]

The long power cord is probably too small gauge resulting in too much voltage drop over the distance. This causes the amperage to increase beyond the breaker rating. Also, trip point for a breaker can decrease with age and there are cases of the A/C breaker in the RV being in the spot right next to the main breaker and with the same current going thru both, heat from the main will cause the 20 amp A/C breaker to trip at a lower current level. I suggest shorter power cord and/or larger gauge cord and maybe replace the breakers with new breakers, but the same amperage. Finally, relocate the 20 amp breaker in the RV into another slot by swapping with another less critical circuit.

[topdownman]

Indeed, it is pulling too many amps. You generally can't run the AC on a 15 amp breaker and introducing a long cord into the equation exacerbates the problem.

[whem2fish]

Agree 15 amp didn't work for my I used the plug for the washing machine before I ran power to the Rv what gauge cord are you running

[wa8yxm]

Well. My air conditioners (Both the 13.5 KBTU and the 1500KBTU) draw 13.5 amps normally.. HOWEVER if the condenser coils get a bit gunked up that can increase.. to like 21 amps on the 13,500 BTU one about a month ago.. I cleaned it and circuit breakers stopped tripping.

Also as others have said a 50' standard extension cord is not going to cut it.. You have two choices here

ONE: Both Sears and K-mart sell a very nice 12ga cord with a push button on the outlet end,, You must push to insert/remove a plug.. Other stores (Lowes, Home Depot, Mennards, And even Ollies Bargains) sell (Sometimes in the case of Ollies) 12ga cords with standard outlets. This might work

Better, use your 30 amp extension cords to the greatest extent possible and the shortest 12ga you can use.

I have multiple 12ga cords here, One is a 40 footer cut into 1/3 2/3 lengths, This I normally use for ONE air conditioner where I need it.

The other is 100' (Sears/K-mart with push button)

The short one from Ollies (The 1/3 part) has 20 amp plug and 15/20 outelt, the longer section 15 plug and combo outlet. (I used the 15 amp outlet to make an adapter I use here in the inside)

[rideandslide]

On our 2000 Keystone we have it plugged into my shop which has a 20 amp line to a 15 amp breaker, runs fine, with ac alone. the main 30 amp cord is plugged into the outlet in the shop with the 30 to 15 amp adapter.

Jim