Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more! If you're wiring a 220v, 20-amp outlet to run power tools, you can use the same 12-gauge wire you would use for a 110-volt, 20-amp circuit. An important note to remember is that circuit breakers can only handle about 80% of their overall amperage. It's true that you have 50 amps on each leg for 100 amps total, but if you get up to around 45 amps continuous on one leg you will trip the breaker. That is why, when you look at a 50 amp plug, it has four prongs compared to three on a 30 amp plug. I complained to the campground owner. We were in a campground at a casino in OR, they advertised 50 amp service, when I went to plug in I found that they had a 30 amp on one leg and a 20 on the other!! An electrician would install a 30-amp 240-volt circuit to serve such a water heater. If you are pulling less than that and the breaker is tripping then you have a weak breaker. Even if this is true, this means the water heater uses 25 amps. Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free! Since I have never seen a 120v 100 amp breaker, I assume you are talking about a 240v, so: 240 volts x 100 amps = 24,000 watts. Remember that the cable must have an extra hot wire. They aren’t exactly 50 amps. If that's correct why does a 50 amp plug has a pair of ganged 50 amp breakers? Many users of RV sites will turn off the breaker before they disconnect their power cord. The breaker protects the wiring not the boiler. Do you need advice on what products to buy? You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Therefore N is sized for 50 amps. No! How many 50 amp RV sites can a 200 amp meter service handle? Timothy Thiele is an electrician who advises residential DIYers on how to make home installation projects safe and easy. And yes, that is per leg, But each leg is different so it's not 45+45 = 90 If you are drawing 49 on ONE leg, … That means 40 amps per line on a two pole 50 amp circut. 14-Gauge Cords: Any 14-gauge cord between 0 and 50 feet long will adequately handle loads between 10 and 15 amps. On a 40 amp breaker it would be 32A and with the right insulation you may be able to get away with it. I did the same before I started using a surge protector. I carry two different 50 amp breakers in case I run into this. Judging by his 25A per leg comment, there may be undersized protection on the line. A 15 amp circuit breaker should trip at 15 amps regardless of the load voltages or impedances. The breaker that i took out was a 60 amp, bottom of the panel, so only 1 breaker next to it with a small, non constant load. if you want more information regarding that breaker you can always refer to the datasheet and everything will be clearly mentioned inside it. This is the maximum amperage that the circuit can take before the circuit breaker trips. The standard for most household circuits are rated either 15 amps or 20 amps. 12,000 watts at 240 volts will require 50 amps. Is it 50 amps per leg or 25 amps per leg? 8 AWG may carry a maximum of 70 Amps in free air, or 50 Amps as part of a 3 conductor cable. This could happen a hundred or more times a year (possibly). The easiest method to determine the remaining capacity is to get the home under Full Load by turning ON all lights, TV's, dryer, dishwasher and any other large appliances, heating or central air, etc and take an amp measurement at each of the 2 hot phases at the 200 amp main breaker. You should be able to draw a constant 80% of the rated circut. 240, or A = 22.9. Is there any electrician on this site that can answer my question? And yet the unit only has a 30 amp breaker, does only 1 heating element work at a time? You'd normally use #10 on a 30 amp breaker running at 80% so 24amps would be the capacity in use. You are correct in that 50A per leg is what to expect. When used in home wiring a double pole breaker is used when a 240 volt service is needed (for a high draw appliance like a range or dryer). A water heater though, uses a 30 amp breaker. Of course, all of this requires adequate internal protection of the spa. Or maybe you can give others some advice? RVers Share Their Best Christmas Decoration Ideas, Get A Look Inside This $50,000 Houseboat For Sale, 15 RV Makeover Ideas That Are Cheap & Easy. You will have 60 amps of 240 volt power available. I know that the RV runs 120v off each leg (1/2 on one leg and 1/2 on the other leg). Protect Your RV Battery In Winter Storage. This allows the breaker to handle the temporary surge that happens when an appliance such as a … Definitely not, but yes, it can handle a lot more than 50 amps. This rating is labeled on the breaker itself. I've often heard that a breaker should pop at about 80% of the rated capacity so it looks like I should be able to pull about 40 amps per leg. If the outlet is rated for 50 amps, the conductors that supply power to the outlet are rated for 50 amps, and the cord and plug are all rated for 50 amps, then the 50-amp circuit breaker should safely handle the load. 30 ampere breaker defines the limit at 30 amperes strictly so you should not be using more than 24 to 25 amperes when using a 30 Amp breaker. In theory you only need to to use a supply wire that is adequate to handle the largest aticipated load even if you have dozens of 15A breakers. If the circut is overloaded (not just your pedestal) the voltage will drop causing the amperage draw to rise causing the breaker to overheat and trip. For example, if you have a fairly small 800-watt microwave oven, the electrician will normally install a 20-amp circuit even though a 15-amp circuit can easily handle this appliance. so the max Amps you can give it under extreme cases can be 25 amps (80% of the load factor). In a correctly wired 50 amp RV service, L1 is 180 degrees out of phase with L2. If the panel is almost full, and you have to move a breaker to make space for the double-pole one, don't forget to balance the load between the two hot buses for safety and efficiency. The idea my girl and I came up with is getting a gas oven and useing the 50 amp service that is on to make a new breaker for the tanks. In the United States, standard household circuits are rated for 15 or 20 amps. Since I have never seen a 120v 100 amp breaker, I assume you are talking about a 240v, so: 240 volts x 100 amps = 24,000 watts Depending on what you are trying to calculate you would have to measure exact voltage under load to determine your utility supply. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Why do I ask? First, the assumption is copper wire, second the imposed amperage limits derive from the wire’s insulation and any outer sheathing; third, ambient temperature makes a difference. You'd normally use #10 on a 30 amp breaker running at 80% so 24amps would be the capacity in use. Always check to see that pedestal breaker is OFF before you plug in and then turn breaker on. As to the use of single pole breakers for a multiwire branch circuit, that is a code violation unless the breakers are tied together with a handle tie from the manufacturer. Specific appliances may need dedicated, high-load circuits for 30 or 50 amps. Without a fuse to disrupt the flow of power when too many amps are pushed through a circuit, wires overheat, wire insulation melts and fires break out. If an appliance attached to a 120V energy source requires 1200 watts to run, it will automatically pull 10 amps of current through the line. A 1500-watt heater on a 120-volt circuit thus needs a breaker of 15.6 amps. The legal limitation is on the amps the supply wire can handle (which varies with wire size and length) and the maximum size breaker feeding that wire (which is dependent on the feed wire). This is done so that the circuit will be able to handle future appliances that may be larger than the ones you have now. My question is how many constant watts can 50 amps run ? I thought it is more than 50 amps. Of 15.6 amps on this site that can answer my question if is... Very hot the two panels should be able to handle future appliances that may be undersized on! 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