will 20 amp home to motorhome run one 13.5 air

[srzak]

I want to know if I run shore power at 15 to 20 amp. Could I run one 13.5 air without any damage to air unit

[Luv2go]

srzak, with 15A the breaker usually blew on us, with 20A we are able to successfully run one A/C unit (in Atlanta at the in-laws it did OK until I found an excuse to put in a 50A outlet in their garage).

My advice would be to check the voltage at an outlet in the coach using a DMM and make sure it is above 108VAC or so when the compressor is running, that voltage is usually safe.

To help insure the voltage remains above that level, minimize use of extension cords and when they are used make sure they are 12AWG.

[fletch460]

10-4 on Stewarts recommendation. 20 amp on 12/3 wire.

[paulrtaylor]

I put in a 30 amp circiut for mine. I had a 20 amp and it never shut the breaker off but it did get warm when running the A/C. If you have to run a new circuit anyway there is no down side to running a 30 amp breaker.

[srzak]

Thanks for your input I think I will go 50amp in the garage and never worry.thanks Steve

[Wayne M]

I ran one roof top ac on 20 am and then 1 compressor of 2 on the basement ac. I finally got 50 amp put in the driveway and now I don't worry about it. When on the 20 amp it was one thing at a time. Trying to run an AC with a vacuum cleaner would throw the breaker every time. Turning on the ac and then the overhead fan in the RV would trip it also.

[Cat320]

Quote:

Originally Posted by srzak I want to know if I run shore power at 15 to 20 amp. Could I run one 13.5 air without any damage to air unit

I doubt it...mine won't.

[wa8yxm]

Done it, Did it at home,, Put in a 30 amp outlet but it was only fed by a 20 amp breaker.. Done it here too, though last night it was not Air Conditioning I needed and you can take one guess at what did NOT work. with temps in the 30's outside. Thankfully I have a back up plan.

(I fixed the furnace this noon)

[DAN L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by srzak I want to know if I run shore power at 15 to 20 amp. Could I run one 13.5 air without any damage to air unit

in addition to other comments: (wire size, voltage), i use a 20 amp adapter from home depot. my 15 amp adapter from wally world got hot and voltage dropped.

[alvinc]

This issue came up for a friend of mine that has some property. He wanted to run one AC in the trailer, hooked up via extension cords to the garage. In this case two 100 ft extension cords with 12/3 wire. He couldn't understand why it didn't work.

Yes, the general rule of thumb for a 15 amp circuit at 100 ft is 12/3 wire, where there will be a 5.2% voltage drop (109 volts). A 12/3 extension cord at 20 amps is only good for 75 ft.

So in reality to run a 20 amp circuit 100 ft you need 10/3 wire. For 200 ft you need at least 8/3. A 200 ft 8/3 extension cord will be roughly $600.

He decided to move the trailer closer to the Garage.

Remember distance is a key factor.

BTW I am always amazed when I see a 100 ft 16/3 extension cord. It is good for 6.5 amps (750 watts), nothing more.

[Shellback1]

Here are 2 links for wire size and voltage drop.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/wiresizecalc.html

http://www.csgnetwork.com/voltagedropcalc.html

[srzak]

Putting in a 50 amp service at home so I can run the air and refer while getting ready to take it out.
And the summers are hot here want to be cool when I bring it home

[hamdave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by srzak I want to know if I run shore power at 15 to 20 amp. Could I run one 13.5 air without any damage to air unit

Yes, mine does this just fine. A warning,however don't try to run another big wattage device at the same time. (eg microwave, coffee pot, etc).

cheers

[skigramp]

Yes I think you can run one airconditioner from a circuit with a 20 amp breaker ...

My hint is let it start ... then after the compressor is running turn the thermostat to lowest temperature possible and do not turn the AC off until you are done with it for the day ....

Restarting the compressor before it cools down will cause a big power draw.

You will not be able to run any other major 120V appliance ... microwave, coffee pot, vacuum, etc ...while the AC is running