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Old 05-12-2018, 09:48 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by CoCanCarv View Post
You do not have a combined current of a 100amps on a 50 amp breaker. Each phase of that breaker will not exceed 50 amps for more then six seconds overload and .01 seconds of over current.
That's not what I said.

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Each of these [two] phases are capable of supplying 50 amps of current (6k watts) at 120 volts AC, for a combined total current of 100 amps (or 12k watts) at 120 volts AC. That's why there are two 50 amp breakers (one for each phase or leg) on an RV 50 amp power panel and/or pedestal.

In other words, you have access to a combined total current of 100 amps inside an RV with 50 amp service---with one caveat---no one, single load can exceed 50 amps. Yes, I could have stated this, but I thought it was understood by deduction. But, maybe not.

Hope this clarifies it for you.
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Old 05-12-2018, 09:57 AM   #22
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[QUOTE=CampNow;638455]That's not what I said.

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Each of these [two] phases are capable of supplying 50 amps of current (6k watts) at 120 volts AC, for a combined total current of 100 amps (or 12k watts) at 120 volts AC. That's why there are two 50 amp breakers (one for each phase or leg) on an RV 50 amp power panel and/or pedestal.

Two 50amp breakers would be a code violation. There is a 50 amp 2pole breaker. As long as people want to try and be exact let's do that. Yes, I'm an electrician. Only for the last 35 years though.
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Old 05-12-2018, 10:05 AM   #23
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[QUOTE=Vicr;638461]
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Originally Posted by CampNow View Post
That's not what I said.

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Each of these [two] phases are capable of supplying 50 amps of current (6k watts) at 120 volts AC, for a combined total current of 100 amps (or 12k watts) at 120 volts AC. That's why there are two 50 amp breakers (one for each phase or leg) on an RV 50 amp power panel and/or pedestal.

Two 50amp breakers would be a code violation. There is a 50 amp 2pole breaker. As long as people want to try and be exact let's do that. Yes, I'm an electrician. Only for the last 35 years though.
I think what he was saying, once inside the RV the power is typically utilized as 2 50 amp 120 volt circuits. Which is true. Were all saying the same thing just terminology. You know in fact, a double pole breaker is no different than two single pole breakers of the same amperage, they are merely connected together so if 1 trips they both trip. It also ensures correct phasing.

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Old 05-12-2018, 11:13 AM   #24
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I went back and reviewed the last sentence of post#3.
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Old 05-12-2018, 01:14 PM   #25
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Two 50amp breakers would be a code violation. There is a 50 amp 2pole breaker. As long as people want to try and be exact let's do that. Yes, I'm an electrician. Only for the last 35 years though.
Yes, I agree code compliance is important. However, the fact remains, a "50 amp 2-pole breaker" is comprised of two, electrically discrete, 50 amp breakers, mechanically ganged together. This mechanical linkage forces both breakers to trip/open together at the same time when an over-current condition arises on either circuit.

The fact they are mechanically ganged together has no bearing on how they operate, electrically, under normal conditions---it only becomes an issue when an over-current situation occurs. As far as I know we're not discussing over-current scenarios---just normal operation.

However, if you feel the need to address an over-current scenario, please feel free to elaborate further.
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Old 05-12-2018, 07:11 PM   #26
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I know virtually nothing about electricity because for some reason I can't grasp the whole concept of the ''neutral'' thing. The biggest thing I've ever done was wire in a dimmer switch that controlled 2 lights and didn't kill myself. I like these threads because I can actually learn something but they usually get the ax. Thx for education so far.
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Old 05-12-2018, 07:26 PM   #27
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I went to High Voltage school a couple of weeks ago...just don't touch a neutral & a hot at the same time and all will be good!
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Old 05-12-2018, 08:11 PM   #28
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I went to High Voltage school a couple of weeks ago...just don't touch a neutral & a hot at the same time and all will be good!
Thanks Dan! So a neutral is the same thing as a ground, right? Or not. I'll figure it out someday, or not.
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Old 05-12-2018, 08:47 PM   #29
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Thanks Dan! So a neutral is the same thing as a ground, right? Or not. I'll figure it out someday, or not.
Sort of...not necessarily the same thing, but the ground "typically" can tie into the neutral...but not always??? I know it makes NO sense. The videos I attached are what they used at the school I attended...It's about 9 minutes each, but let me warn you they're OLD, but very basic! It basically explains A/C power (power from plugging into the grid) & D/C power (power from a battery). Below are the 2 videos that I thought gave the best/basic information and I think might be applicable to you.



Hope they help you out.
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Old 05-13-2018, 05:41 AM   #30
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My 5er is a 50 amp, is it 120 or 240? My plug has 2 blue led sometimes only one is on and other both are on. Am curious as to if the leds are showing one or two legs.
We have the same plug on our Bungalow. According to the cord, no LEDs on means no power, one LED on means one leg is powered. Both LEDs on means both legs are powered.

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Old 05-13-2018, 06:43 AM   #31
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Everyone should have a EMS. Especially with a 50 amp RV. You can have major damage if you lose a neutral. The cost of potential damage is way more than the cost of a EMS.
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Old 05-13-2018, 06:44 AM   #32
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One of my favorite memories from Basic electronics school at Biloxi AFB was touching the terminals of a charged capacitor.

That's a lesson you never forget!
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Old 05-13-2018, 07:29 AM   #33
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One of my favorite memories from Basic electronics school at Biloxi AFB was touching the terminals of a charged capacitor.

That's a lesson you never forget!
DeVry Institute electronics technician program in the mid-80s first day of lab learning how make a solder ladder.
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Old 05-13-2018, 09:23 AM   #34
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One of my favorite memories from Basic electronics school at Biloxi AFB was touching the terminals of a charged capacitor.

That's a lesson you never forget!
You, too?! I was at Biloxi (many, many years ago--lol!) for the same school. I remember a few folks (myself included) inadvertently discharging a few caps with a probe, or a hand. The big power supply caps are the ones that really get your attention!
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Old 05-30-2018, 01:20 PM   #35
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50 amp power

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Duh. Yes you only see a 240 volt line in 3 phase.. where you have two 120 volt lines and one 240 volt lines.. used commercially only.

If your powering your dryer with 240 line it does mean you have 2 120 volt PHASED lines coming to it. That IS the definition of a 240 volt system. If you check across the two 120 volt lines you will get 240 volts because it's phased. Even commercial dryers are wired exactly the same. Some industrial equipment, like the sander and edgebanders I had uses 3 phase and yes one of the lines IS 240 volt.
240 AC is not 3 phase power. 3 phase power normally reads 208 volts on each leg if I remember correctly. However, most comments were correct about 240 at the pedestal. Inside the RV, there are no 240 circuits. One comment was that with 2 AC's, each is on a separate leg, receiving 120 volts. This is correct. When you plug a 50 amp RV into a 30 amp circuit, both RV legs are shorted together to provide 120 volts to each side of the fuse box in the RV. The RV site at my brothers house is just a single 50 amp line running to a 50 amp receptacle, with the two hot terminals shorted together. Works fine. Technically speaking, a properly wired 50 amp pedestal is actually providing 100 amps; 50 amps to each 120 volt leg.
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Old 05-30-2018, 01:28 PM   #36
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I remember when I was in High School, attending an Electronics Tech program. We would toss a charged capacitor to a new student. It did get there attention. My electronics training came from the US Navy. One year in ET A school at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and later, a second year of ET B school at the Treasure Island Naval Training Center located in the San Fransisco Bay, CA. Loved it.
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Old 05-30-2018, 01:53 PM   #37
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You, too?! I was at Biloxi (many, many years ago--lol!) for the same school. I remember a few folks (myself included) inadvertently discharging a few caps with a probe, or a hand. The big power supply caps are the ones that really get your attention!
Yep, I spent a year there in 1961, ATC Radar Repair.
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Old 05-30-2018, 06:52 PM   #38
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2 120 legs 2 30 amp breakers = 50 amp 240. Measure it at your transfer switche
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Old 05-30-2018, 06:57 PM   #39
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2 120 legs 2 30 amp breakers = 50 amp 240. Measure it at your transfer switche
No that would get you 30 amp 240 volts... 2 50 amp breakers will give you 50 amps at 240 volts. But RV 30 amp power is a single leg 30 amps at 120 volts. RV 50 amp service is 2 50 amps at 120 volts or 100 amps total. Better way to tell how much power you have available is 30 amp service gives you 3600 watts of power at 120 volts... (Less amps as voltage drops). While 50 amp service gives you 12,000 watts of power at 120 volts.
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Old 05-30-2018, 10:05 PM   #40
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50 Amp question

An RV can have 240 volts at the plug. That means you have two wires which have 120V on each wire. If you measure across both wires you will read 240 volts. If you read one wire to your ground wire you will read 120 Volts. The power (hot) wires are normally located at the top or bottom of your RV electrical panel. Very few RV's have a 240V appliance. However like mentioned earlier the RV could have a 240 V dryer, but most are 120V.

Regarding power spikes these are extremely rare as they would come from the service that comes from the power company. What you will see more commonly is a power sag. That could be from a bad neutral. If the service is Underground and a gopher has eaten into it the neutral could be gone and that would cause a voltage sag when you turned on an electrical appliance such as an AC unit.

talking about 3 phase is irrelevant as no RV's that I have ever seen have 3 phase.

Not a genius electrician just a 40 year veteran in the electrical trade.
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