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Voltage drop

Yahoo Message Number: 86935
Why do i have a voltage drop when i plug in a electric heater. I am on a 50 amp service. Drops to 105 volts. Starts out at 122 volts.

Gary Strickland #11542 intrigue

Re: Voltage drop

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86936
Gary,

You didn't give us much to go on. What is the rating of the heater? Where in the coach are you plugging it in. Are you seeing the same drop throught the coach? What happens to the voltage at the 50 amp supply? Do you see the same drop if you are running on the generator. That kind of a voltage drop indicates inadequate wiring for the load somewhere. Taking some m ore measurements can help narrow things down a bit.
Most small portable heater are 1500 to 1600 watt units and that is close to the rating of a 15 amp circuit.

Don Seager
Ex-CC owner

Re: Voltage drop

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86937
Quote from: superstrick56"

> Why do i have a voltage drop when i plug in a electric heater. I am on a 50 amp service. Drops to 105 volts. Starts out at 122 volts.

Gary Strickland #11542 intrigue
To cut to the chase it's the size of the wiring in the rv park and your mh. I can explain more if needed.

Re: Voltage drop

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86939
I unplug my microwave and plug in the elctric heater there.

Re: Voltage drop

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86945
It could be bad park power, bad (failing breaker) or bad connection at the plug. If the park wiring looks modern then I would have them replace the breaker. I've found that is the most likely if the wiring is up to date.

Dave

aka Billy Byte (trusty hound)
2000 Allure #30443

Re: Voltage drop

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86947
Where are you measuring the 105 VAC? My voltage at the inside outlet drops some but it doesn't drop at the "pole". If it drops at the pole it's a park problem, if it only drops at the outlet it's a MH problem.

Judy n Joe

98 Intrigue 10578

Voltage drop

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86951
Wait a minute! If the microwave is not being used, then is its only current draw is the LED readout panel? That can't be much power at all. So why plug it out?
In my coach, the microwave has a separate circuit breaker. I have had problems using TWO electric heaters when both were plugged into the coach 110v outlets, since that circuit is protected at either 15 or 20 amps,. I have tripped that circuit breaker on occasion.
Seems to me that if you plugged one heater into the microwave outlet (assuming there are two outlets there) and another into the house outlet string, you would have no trouble.

Re: Voltage drop

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86962
I=P/E or 1500 watts/120 volts=12.5 amps current draw. Sounds like either a bad breaker or poor wiring either in coach or at power source. Likely at power source.

Jim Hughes

2000 Allure #30511
 

Voltage drop

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86969
My coach only has one receptacle at the electrical box for the microwave (12 gauge wire to a breaker on the inverter/charger). All my other receptacles are on 14 gauge wiring and the only receptacle where a heater will work reasonbly well is on the one closest to the breaker box (but I don't trust an electric heater on even a short 14 gauge run). I have thought of adding a box to my washer/dryer circuit which is 12 gauge wired to a 20 amp breaker in the breaker box but I will likley only do that if I have to pull the washer dryer for some other reason.