Electical Loads on Line 1 and Line 2, Allegro RED

[Sweetbriar]

Originally Posted by JohnCZ

Thanks for the interest. Here is the info on electrical loads.
Line 1:
Microwave: 21 Amps
Front Heat Pump: 13 Amps
Fireplace (on High): 13 Amps
Engine Preheat: 7 Amps
Entertainment System (all 4 TV's on, DVD/SS playing): 4 Amps
Refrigerator: 2 Amps

Line 2:
Rear Heat Pump: 14 Amps
Mid-Coach A/C Unit: 10-11 Amps (not much load, cool outside)
That's it on Line 2.

Good start but I think you need to rework a few of the numbers again.

Is your water heater gas only and where is the battery charger/inverter? 1 amp for the house batteries is way to low even at the float change rate for what is probably a bank of four deep cycle 210Ah 6VDC batteries you probably have to support the residential fridge with an inverter.

For the microwave I would trip all the breakers except the main and the breaker for the microwave and retest. Even for a built in model the amps at full power should be less than 16 amps. At 21 amp your into needing a dedicated 30 amp circuit for the beast. You could also check the current load on the inverter if it is configured to supply the microwave when off shore power.

[JohnCZ]

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

Our microwave draws 14 amps. Just for comparison and reference, here's our load breakdown:

Leg 1
Front A.C. 12 amps
Water Heater 11 amps
Converter 2-10 amps
Rear Floor 6 amps
Fridge 2-3 amps
Block Heater 8 amps

Leg 2
Bedroom A.C. 12amps
Mid A.C. 12 amps
Clothes Dryer 11 amps
Washer 3 amps
Microwave 14 amps
Front Floor 11 amps
Fireplace 7a low 12a high

Thanks Dan. Some very close comparisons. And, you have a nicer coach with features we do not have (washer, dryer, floor heating), and our water heater is propane.
As expected, the numbers are very close for the items we do share.
Interesting that your fireplace and MW are on L2 while ours are on L1. But, not suprising as you have more features/loads to balance between the 2 feeds.

[Old-Biscuit]

50A RV....2 weeks of FTng figured out that Microwave and A/C at same time on 30A doesn't work unless water heater and fridge are on propane

[RonAz]

Just to make it clear to everyone:
30 amp outlet = 30 amp@120 volt
50 amp outlet = 100 amp@120 volt, or 50 amp@240 volt
A 50 amp outlet supplies 3.34 as many amps as a 30 amp outlet to the coach. Many people coming into the RV park I helped out in thought that a 50 amp was a little less than 2/30 amp outlets.
If you use a dogbone from 2 separate 30 amp outlets, each on a different leg of the service, you will have 60 amp at 120 volt, or 30 amp at 240 volt. If both 30 amp outlets are on the same leg you will have 60 amps at 120 volt, but no 240 volt.
I never put in 2 30 amp receptacles to avoid problems. Either 50/30/20, or 30/20. An RV park is the only place I have ever seen a melted neutral lug from previous mistakes.

[JohnCZ]

Originally Posted by Sweetbriar

Good start but I think you need to rework a few of the numbers again.

Is your water heater gas only and where is the battery charger/inverter? 1 amp for the house batteries is way to low even at the float change rate for what is probably a bank of four deep cycle 210Ah 6VDC batteries you probably have to support the residential fridge with an inverter.

For the microwave I would trip all the breakers except the main and the breaker for the microwave and retest. Even for a built in model the amps at full power should be less than 16 amps. At 21 amp your into needing a dedicated 30 amp circuit for the beast. You could also check the current load on the inverter if it is configured to supply the microwave when off shore power.

Thanks. As previously noted my water heater is gas only. During the testing of loads, the fridge was off completely, except when measuring the load from it.

And, yes, I will take your suggestion and retest the MW again with all other breakers off, including the 2 labelled as Inverter In and Inverter Out.

I did retest the MW load where I have the MH stored this afternoon. With everything else off, but breakers not off, the load was still bouncing between 19 and 20 amps.
Could this be because the inverter kicks in under this load with it being the only major load that is plugged into a receptacle, except for the central vacuum, which I did not load test. I'm not sure if the fireplace is hard wired or plugged in. It does have a dedicated breaker.
Somehow, I am thinking this high amps with the MW is related to the inverter.

In regards to the low amps from the inverter with everything else off, 1 to 2 amps didn't seem that odd with the batteries fully charged and on float. Lt Dan reported he sees 2 amps as a low, and 8 amps as a high. Though he mentioned "Converter" not Inverter. Are both functions in one device?

Learning is fun, and almost endless with a motorhome.

[96 Wideglide]

Originally Posted by JohnCZ

I did retest the MW load where I have the MH stored this afternoon. With everything else off, but breakers not off, the load was still bouncing between 19 and 20 amps.

Well thats a head scratcher! A microwave shouldn't draw that many amps.

[JohnCZ]

Originally Posted by 96 Wideglide

Well thats a head scratcher! A microwave shouldn't draw that many amps.

For sure a head scratcher. Next I will try testing as suggested by Sweetbriar.

Coincidently, when I mentioned this to my wife, she said someone had just posted something in one of the FB Tiffin Groups about their MW being plugged into a "wrong" receptacle, and something got very hot and could have caused a fire. Not sure what that was all about, but my 20 amp draw has to be pushing the coach MW breaker, if all those amps are coming through it.

I'm not much into FB. Maybe she can find that post she spoke of when she gets back home.

[96 Wideglide]

I'd keep a close eye on the plug and outlet as well.

RV manufacturers tend to use cheap outlets.

[Ken k]

Originally Posted by RonAz

Just to make it clear to everyone:
30 amp outlet = 30 amp@120 volt
50 amp outlet = 100 amp@120 volt, or 50 amp@240 volt
A 50 amp outlet supplies 3.34 as many amps as a 30 amp outlet to the coach. Many people coming into the RV park I helped out in thought that a 50 amp was a little less than 2/30 amp outlets.
If you use a dogbone from 2 separate 30 amp outlets, each on a different leg of the service, you will have 60 amp at 120 volt, or 30 amp at 240 volt. If both 30 amp outlets are on the same leg you will have 60 amps at 120 volt, but no 240 volt.
I never put in 2 30 amp receptacles to avoid problems. Either 50/30/20, or 30/20. An RV park is the only place I have ever seen a melted neutral lug from previous mistakes.

50 amp outlet provides 50 amps; 25 each leg. 6000watts total.

[Lt Dan]

Originally Posted by Ken k

50 amp outlet provides 50 amps; 25 each leg. 6000watts total.

A 50 amp hookup is 50 amps per leg, 12,000 watts. That's why there are 50 amp breakers on each leg.

[JohnCZ]

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

A 50 amp hookup is 50 amps per leg, 12,000 watts. That's why there are 50 amp breakers on each leg.

I'm still learning a lot about electricity. But, I do know Lt. Dan is right on here.

[JohnCZ]

Originally Posted by 96 Wideglide

I'd keep a close eye on the plug and outlet as well.

RV manufacturers tend to use cheap outlets.

I did see in the Magnum Inverter/Charger manual that they tested and only recommended three 120v GFCI receptacles. Not sure that has any relevance, but will check the outlet my MW is plugged in to.

[wolfe10]

Originally Posted by Ken k

50 amp outlet provides 50 amps; 25 each leg. 6000watts total.

GOOD GRIEF.


I sure hate to see factually incorrect information posted here.


50 amp RV service is TWO, repeat TWO 50 amp hots. Just look at the CG breaker-- it is TWO 50 amp breakers pinned together.


RV math:


30 amps service provides 30 amps @ 120 VAC


50 amp service provides TWO 50 amps @ 120 VAC= 100 amps @ 120 VAC (OR 50 amps @ 240 VAC).

[High Road Travelers]

Originally Posted by JohnCZ

I also agree. That did seem high when I did it. I should have double checked for something else on Line 1 adding load. It seemed high to me as well. Even if 1-2 amps was from the battery charging. Even 19 amps is much too high for the microwave.

I may be going to where the coach is stored today. If so, I will recheck this and post back on results.

With all the other readings I took, I made certain these were isolated loads, other than the 1-2 amps from charging, and maybe 1 or 2 lights on.

I must have screwed up on the MW. The first reading I took heating up my coffee (maybe the Kuerig warmer still on?).

I have a similar setup, but a different MH. OP's is a Tiffin RED and mine is a Tiffin Open Road 32SA "gas". While at home I keep my 50 amp MH plugged into a 30 amp outlet, so it maintains the batteries, runs the residential fridge (on the inverter), and run any other appliances I wish while parked at home (limiting my total draw to 30 amps of course). I have the PI EMS-HW50C, so that's how I checked amp usage.
My inverter is only a 1,500 watt and only runs the fridge, TV's and certain receptacles. MW is not on my inverter.
Out of curiosity I checked my Microwave this afternoon, and it draws 17 amps in MW mode and 12 amps in Convection mode. It is a model Sharp R-1881LSY rated at 850 watts. The owners manual states it uses 13 amps (but does not say on Microwave or Convection mode). I called Sharp and the rep really did not know, but said that running at 17 amps is not a problem. It has been used for three years now without any issues and is on it's own 20 amp circuit, which has never tripped.
I'm not saying that my MW "should" use 17 amps, only that is "does" use 17 amps. If anyone has any clues, since it is a combo mode MW possibly, please advise. OP, is this the MW that you have in your RED?
Just for info Line 1 has the front AC, Hot Water Heater (electric mode), all receptacles except the 6 inverter outlets and Fireplace.
Line 2 has the rear AC, Inverter/Charger, Microwave and the inverter receptacles.
Line 2 with the inverter/charger (with no other appliances on, except fridge) normally uses 0, 1 or 2 amps.
This is all just for info, or hopefully it will give someone some clues as to why the OP and I use so many MW amps.
Thanks,