A/C unit keeps popping the breaker on the house

[MandT]

Bear with me here...having a motorhome is so new to me that my head is spinning from trying to figure it all out. We have an 2007 Astoria 3776 for what it's worth (haven't used it on the road yet).

I'm trying to run the A/C off of an electrical source (AKA, plugged into our house). It will run for maybe a couple of minutes before it pops the breaker on the house.

Am I doing something wrong? Talk to me in basic terms because when it comes down to it, I have no clue what I'm doing.

[MandT]

Bear with me here...having a motorhome is so new to me that my head is spinning from trying to figure it all out. We have an 2007 Astoria 3776 for what it's worth (haven't used it on the road yet).

I'm trying to run the A/C off of an electrical source (AKA, plugged into our house). It will run for maybe a couple of minutes before it pops the breaker on the house.

Am I doing something wrong? Talk to me in basic terms because when it comes down to it, I have no clue what I'm doing.

[UFO Pilot]

What amp circuit are you plugged into? My AC won't run on 20 amps.

[MandT]

I have no idea. It's the plug in our garage. How can I tell how many amps it is?

[Route 66]

The RV is drawing too many amps and the breaker is doing it's job.

Make sure everything else is off.

It may be the battery charger, water heater, fridge, lights, etc.

[Route 66]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It's the plug in our garage. How can I tell how many amps it is? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The breaker is labeled with the amperage rating.

[MandT]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
The RV is drawing too many amps and the breaker is doing it's job.

Make sure everything else is off.

It may be the battery charger, water heater, fridge, lights, etc. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Everything else is off except the microwave(comes on when I plug the unit in).

[MandT]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It's the plug in our garage. How can I tell how many amps it is? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The breaker is labeled with the amperage rating. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thank you. It's 15 amps. So that means I can't use the A/C plugged into the house? What if we were to take the motorhome to a family member's house for vacation, it wouldn't work there either?

(btw, I'm the wife of MandT. So although I really don't know a whole lot when it comes to these things, I sure am learning! And I appreciate you all having the patience for me)

[TXiceman]

If you have access to a 20 amp circuit, you can usually run one A/C unit as long as there is nothing else on the circuit and all you run in the RV is the A/C.

Ken

[Route 66]

If the AC draws more than 15 amps, then you won't be able to use it.

However, some folks have posted that they can run the AC on 15 amps.

Some other possibilities;

Old breaker that is weak and will not hold at 15 amps.

The RV has something else running that you are not aware of. Some inverters, if you have one, have a battery charger you cannot turn off.

Extension cord that is too small may contribute to the problem.

The only way to really know what is going on is to check it with an amp meter.

[iRV4FUN]

Use of my single AC is extension cord dependent. Size of wire and length matter. (I use 15 amp)

Try a different cord.

[MandT]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TXiceman:
If you have access to a 20 amp circuit, you can usually run one A/C unit as long as there is nothing else on the circuit and all you run in the RV is the A/C.

Ken </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

So far this is working!

[KC1BUD]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MandT:
Bear with me here...having a motorhome is so new to me that my head is spinning from trying to figure it all out. We have an 2007 Astoria 3776 for what it's worth (haven't used it on the road yet).

I'm trying to run the A/C off of an electrical source (AKA, plugged into our house). It will run for maybe a couple of minutes before it pops the breaker on the house.

Am I doing something wrong? Talk to me in basic terms because when it comes down to it, I have no clue what I'm doing. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by iRV4FUN:
Use of my single AC is extension cord dependent. Size of wire and length matter. (I use 15 amp)

Try a different cord. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This is something I see so often when I am camping at a horseshow. Someone will run 300 foot extention cords to a 15 amp curcuit and won why they can't run their air. If you ran an extension cord rated for 30 amps or 50 amps right up to the outlet, and of course used the proper converter plug that allows you to conect the two together, then you probably could run an air conditioner on 15 amps. What happens is the longer the run the greater the voltage drop at the business end of the extention cord(at the MH).

I have actually had a lady come up to me and ask why she couldn't get things to work in her unit and why all the lights were dim. I looked at her cord and told her she had 300 ft of cord and that is why. she said she was right next to the box and the electricity didn't have to go 300 ft.

One of the tools I own to check on the condition of the power I am about to plug into is a volt meter similiar to this;volt meter

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