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02-17-2017, 04:42 AM
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#29
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Senior Member
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Thanks guys for all your help. I wired my detached garage 20 yrs ago when I had it built and did all the electrical when I remodeled the house, also 20 yrs ago. It passed inspection, but I am no electrician, so I tend to err on the safe side. That being said I installed a dual pole 40 amp breaker on my main electrical panel to feed a subpanel in the garage which has 4 20 amp single pole breakers. I have numerous woodworking tools in my garage, but obviously due to the single pole breakers, none are 240 volt. I can't remember why I used a dual pole breaker to feed the garage when I wired it 20 yrs ago, probably thinking I may need 240 volts someday- sure glad I did now.
So my thinking in using the dual pole 30 instead of a 40 amp breaker for the RV outlet is that I will probably be doing some woodwork upgrading to my coach while it's parked in my driveway and will use some of my woodworking tools. With lights, radial arm saw and vacuum system running at the same time and the coach hooked up to the RV plug with the air-cond on, I could well pull very close to the 40 amp limit on the cable. Limiting the coach to 30 amps gives me 10 amps for the garage equip, which is probably not enough anyway, so I may be popping that 40 amp breaker anyway. Anyway that's my thinking and again I'm no electrician.
Vicr: The cable running from the 40 amp house breaker to the garage subpane is AWG #8, about 50', now wishing I'd use a #6. I can't see enough of the sheathing so can't tell what type of direct burial cable it is, whatever home depot had that day.
__________________
Tim
Leesburg, FL '07 American Tradition 40Z Cummins 400 ISL
Towing a '14 Honda CRV Both sold
2021 Vanleigh Beacon 41LKB 5th wheel
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02-17-2017, 05:24 AM
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#30
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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I am amazed this thread is still active.
He has 40 amp breakers in the house feeding the garage sub panel.
So clearly the house main panel has the total capacity
And clearly the wires are the right size cause hooking 20 or 30 amp wires to a 40 amp breaker is against the code.
He then wants to go to 30 amp breakers feeding the RV outlet off the sub panel.. This should work. Most RV's the Generator is 30 amps per leg tops. If I were him I'd oversize the wires (use 50 amp wiring), but that is me, I like to oversize.
This also leaves 10 amps minimum for the Garage, which likely will never need it.. or if it does the R/V will only be using a small amount of power.
His plan is sound, most all posters have stated it's sound, most all agree it will work.. Several have done it, or a variation of it.. So why are we still talking about it?
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Home is where I park it!
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02-17-2017, 05:54 AM
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#31
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: "Murvul", TN
Posts: 1,653
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wa8yxm
I am amazed this thread is still active.
He has 40 amp breakers in the house feeding the garage sub panel.
So clearly the house main panel has the total capacity
And clearly the wires are the right size cause hooking 20 or 30 amp wires to a 40 amp breaker is against the code.
He then wants to go to 30 amp breakers feeding the RV outlet off the sub panel.. This should work. Most RV's the Generator is 30 amps per leg tops. If I were him I'd oversize the wires (use 50 amp wiring), but that is me, I like to oversize.
This also leaves 10 amps minimum for the Garage, which likely will never need it.. or if it does the R/V will only be using a small amount of power.
His plan is sound, most all posters have stated it's sound, most all agree it will work.. Several have done it, or a variation of it.. So why are we still talking about it?
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It's actually quite simple why it's still being discussed. The O.P. just posted what is actually being using for wire size feeding the sub panel in the garage, which obviously was an unknown until about an hour ago.
Then, you post:
"This also leaves 10 amps minimum for the Garage, which likely will never need it"
Did you not read that he has lots of woodworking tools in the garage and will MOST likely be using those to do some updating of the coach while it's parked in the driveway.....radial arm saw, lights, dust collection system, etc?
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02-18-2017, 12:17 PM
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#32
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 611
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I have been thinking of adding one also .
I have a 200 amp main and a 50 amp sub panel in the back of the garage . Curentlly not in use . Being new to diesel pushers . I have an 05 Winnebago Journey With basement air . A Dimensions 2000 inverter/charger/fast transfer
From what I know these are 110 units only . Please confirm for me and others . That they should not be used on a 220 circut
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02-18-2017, 01:57 PM
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#33
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Senior Member
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You do not want 240 volt in the coach. You want 2 120 volt legs.
Read this entire thread carefully.
__________________
Tim
Leesburg, FL '07 American Tradition 40Z Cummins 400 ISL
Towing a '14 Honda CRV Both sold
2021 Vanleigh Beacon 41LKB 5th wheel
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02-18-2017, 05:12 PM
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#34
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Fortuna Foothills, AZ
Posts: 189
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Tim, if your panel is 240 then using a two pole breaker gives you 240 volts. A phase is 120v, B phase is 120v so one pole of the breaker is A phase and the other pole of the breaker is 120v but they are opposing phases which gives you 120/240v, the coach uses 240 volts.
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02-18-2017, 05:51 PM
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#35
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timjet
You do not want 240 volt in the coach. You want 2 120 volt legs.
Read this entire thread carefully.
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If you look at your 50 amp plug, you will see that it's marked 125/250 volt, 50 amp. It matches the outlet, you plug it into.
It carries 240 volts into your MH, where the breaker panel divides it into 2, 50 amp, 120 volt circuits.
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02-18-2017, 05:53 PM
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#36
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 2,706
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timjet
You do not want 240 volt in the coach. You want 2 120 volt legs.
Read this entire thread carefully.
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I'm sorry Tim, but this is BAD information.
The correct way to wire a 50A/240V RV service (and in the case of the OP, he wants to limit the amperage to 30A/240V service which is perfectly fine as the OP has described) is to wire it as a 240V service. Each leg is 120V x 2 which is technically a 240V service, no different than your house.
The reason this is important is that wiring a NEMA 15-50R receptacle, which the OP's coach plugs into, is a 4-wire service. 2 hot legs, 1 neutral, 1 ground. To make this service work, it must be hooked into the panel via a double pole breaker, which guarantees the power comes from opposite legs of the panel.
This is important because the opposite legs/phases cancel out on the neutral. If it's wired via 2-single pole breakers, it could inadvertently pull current from the same leg/phase in the breaker panel, which will overload the neutral and cause overheating, and a potential fire risk. NEC requires a double pole breaker on these type of services, which guarantees you will not overload the neutral wire.
Technically this is a 240V service. When it gets to the coach, the panel in the coach distributes everything to 120V. Note: some high end coaches do have 240V dryers, but most do not. Everything else runs on 120V in the coach.
The OP is on the right path. Nothing wrong with limiting the amperage down to 30A 240V. It will work fine. It will still produce 7200 watts of power, which should be plenty to do what the OP wants to do. Note: an AC will pull about 1450 watts of power each. Do the math.
To the OP: Your approach is spot on, and you will be fine.
__________________
Don
'07 Winnebago Journey 34H - CAT C7, Koni's, MCU's, SS Bell Crank, Safe-T-Plus
'07 HHR Toad, SMI AFO, Blue OX
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02-18-2017, 06:14 PM
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#37
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Journey cat
I have been thinking of adding one also .
I have a 200 amp main and a 50 amp sub panel in the back of the garage . Curentlly not in use . Being new to diesel pushers . I have an 05 Winnebago Journey With basement air . A Dimensions 2000 inverter/charger/fast transfer
From what I know these are 110 units only . Please confirm for me and others . That they should not be used on a 220 circut
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If you have been following this post, you will see that you do use 240 volts in your 50 amp MH.
The split to 120 volts is taken care of in the MHs circuit breaker panel.
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02-18-2017, 06:30 PM
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#38
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,317
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02-18-2017, 06:38 PM
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#39
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 611
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twinboat
If you have been following this post, you will see that you do use 240 volts in your 50 amp MH.
The split to 120 volts is taken care of in the MHs circuit breaker panel.
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Oh but I have ! Its just talk as we have here on this tread that had me on the fence . I come from a family with electricans unfortunatlly I cant ask them any longer . But knowing how a 50 amp is wired I could not figure how other it would work . I myself upgraded the main from 150 in my own home . And yes the inverter in my Winne and my clothes dryer at home states 120/240
So next time I go north to my x uncles place I can use the 240 outlet in the detached garage ?
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02-18-2017, 06:47 PM
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#40
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 611
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On another note I remember checking out that circut at my uncles place . Which he wired back in the 50,s When all wires were in conduit . And there was no neutral wire in the circuit
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02-18-2017, 06:53 PM
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#41
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Journey cat
On another note I remember checking out that circut at my uncles place . Which he wired back in the 50,s When all wires were in conduit . And there was no neutral wire in the circuit
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Without a neutral wire, you can't get 120 volts from that outlet. That is strictly 240 volt outlet.
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02-18-2017, 07:00 PM
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#42
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 611
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twinboat
Without a neutral wire, you can't get 120 volts from that outlet. That is strictly 240 volt outlet.
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Not being a pro at this . Should I not use that ? I ask because id like to know what is meant here "The split to 120 volts is taken care of in the MHs circuit breaker panel. " That circuit i mention has a twist outlet which I recentlly purchased a twist plug that accepts a 30 amp plug .
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