Generac upgrade

[Sledgehammer]

I got a home equity loan this week. My credit union was offering no closing costs and a free Generac generator. It is a 30 amp but the breakers are too low to pull the AC. I called a local parts place and ordered two of the thirty amp breakers from a larger Generac generator. I plan on switching them out and see how it works. If the generator puts out thirty amps, which it does, it should work just fine. I'll let you know, either way, free is good.

[galangmaid]

As long as your wiring can hold up to 30 amps.

[Sledgehammer]

It needs thirty amps. I plugged into a twenty amp breaker in the garage and the AC keeps tripping the breaker, it won't pull it. The only other nearby plugs are a dryer and outdoor receptacle for a generator to power my house during hurricanes and the plug configurations are wrong.

[Tincup]

If I understand correctly, your replacing two 15A breakers with 2 30A breakers correct?

I would be interested in knowing the Generac model number of your new generator and, what size (BTU's) is your A/C? From what you say, you have two outlets each rated at 15A, replacing them with a 30A breaker doesn't mean each leg will put out 30A, you might see smoke coming out of the generator in places other than the exhaust

If your generator has two 15A breakers and you replace them with two 30A breakers, the wiring in the generator may not handle the A/C load. To me, this is like putting a penny behind the old screw in ceramic fuses and full speed ahead!

I'm not an electrician but what you propose doing don't seem right to me

[Sledgehammer]

The generator puts out thirty amps. The receptacles are standard plugs made to handle any load on 110 volts that the breakers will allow. The wiring is adequate as they use the same wire on the 6500 as they do on the 3500. The only difference is the breakers and the amount of load they will carry before tripping.

I had the rig plugged into my garage in the same plug as my washing machine but it kept tripping as it was a 20 amp breaker and wouldn't carry the load. So I went to our only local RV place and looked. The guy showed me a 30 amp plug mounted in a wall box. He wanted $53.00 for it, I told him I thought I could beat that at the hardware store. He said, "I don't think so."

I bought a 30 amp receptacle, a wall box, a 30 amp breaker and four feet of Romex 12/2 wire. Attached the wire to the plug, mounted the box near my breaker panel, killed the main, removed the breaker box cover, wired and stabbed the breaker, put the panel back on and threw the main. We had thirty amps so we had AC all day as we stocked it. All for $25.00, the box/plug combo the man wanted to sell me for $53.00 didn't even have the wire or the $10.00 breaker.

I'm no electrician either, but I was born so poor that if something broke I had to fix it myself or it didn't get fixed. "The Readers Digest Fix it Yourself Manual" is a life saver for those on a budget, it covers everything, I fixed my leaf blower that had quit by simply disassembling and cleaning the carb.

When the breakers come in, I'll attach them, crank it up and use my voltmeter at the plugs, it'll be 110 volts for sure. The only difference should be is that the breakers won't trip until over thirty amps is exceeded which can't happen as that is all that the generator puts out.

[Route 66]

30 amps requires #10 wire.

#12 is only rated at 20 amps.

[Tincup]

The wiring may be the same as the 6500 which surprises me, but the generator isn't. I guess I would have to ask why would anyone buy a 6500 if they can just change the breakers on a 3500 and get the same results and output as a 6500? What you're trying to do is draw in excess of 20A for your A/C, out of a generator and wiring only rated at 15A. It will probably work for a while, but I would think you're putting a heck of strain on the generator.

Quote:

if something broke I had to fix it myself or it didn't get fixed

I can appreciate the above quote, I've been there as well, but remember, this generator is rated at 30A, thats 15A on EACH LEG not 30A on each leg.

Keep us posted I would like to see how it works out for you.

Just be careful out there

[Sledgehammer]

I only used about three feet of the wire getting into my breaker box. I may be wrong, but I think that heat will develop on a long run of wire. We ran the AC most of the day yesterday because the kids were coming to see it. I will rarely use the generator, only in a hurricane evacuation situation I'd imagine. And I will keep it outside of the RV in case it does catch on fire.

[Bushman512003]

If it runs do not try sleeping that thing will rattle Your teeth talk about loud....You will be deaf in a short time plus the Generator will shake it's self apart! I know I had one and now have the 3000i Honda the birds make more noise lol good luck You will need it .Free has its price....

[gbs2320]

Sometimes the problem can be solved by installing a hard start capacitor kit on the rv ac which can often allow a smaller generator to start and run the ac. Here is a link to a writeup http://webcache.googleusercontent.comsearch?q=cacheqPEjsb lEusJ:www.capacitors-china.com/air-conditioner-and-refrigerator-compressor-hard-start-capacitor.html+rv+ac+hard+capacitor+generator&cd=2 &hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&
client=firefox-a.

Greg