Can A/C run on house power

[RogerR]

If you get it to work please check your voltage. amazon and all the box stores sell ones you just plug into an outlet and it gives you the actual voltage. If it drops below normal while running you have a good chance of harming your compressor. Also, after it has run for awhile carefully touch the plug connections and the outlet box for heat. If they are hot you may have a poor connection or more current than the plug, wire or outlet is capable of carrying.

[hamerjk]

Originally Posted by baseballdad27

We plan to stay at a friends beach house and bring our camper. Can I run the AC off their house power? I don't know how many amps my standard a/c pulls.

I use mine Mach 15 on a home circuit with using a softstart unit. No problem. Cost a few pennies but worth it.

[racermike39]

I would not advise this for if you overheat the breaker it could burn out your Expensive AC unit. Try to use a 30 amp breaker to be sure of proper draw. I carry a 50 foot 30 Amp extension cord with several male receptacles and plug into the home dryer plug. No worries then. If your good with wiring you could wire it to panel but I do not advise this unless you know a thing or two about electricity.

[Choppered]

1 a/c no problem just has to be the only thing on the line. You will know quickly when the compressor kicks on if it can handle it. Just have to leave it on manual high.

[Screwby]

Originally Posted by racermike39

I would not advise this for if you overheat the breaker it could burn out your Expensive AC unit. Try to use a 30 amp breaker to be sure of proper draw. I carry a 50 foot 30 Amp extension cord with several male receptacles and plug into the home dryer plug. No worries then. If your good with wiring you could wire it to panel but I do not advise this unless you know a thing or two about electricity.

I’d hope you seriously aren’t plugging your camper into a dryer plug. That’s a 220v circuit, your camper is a 110v unit. Talk about burning up everything in your camper.
Why a 30 amp breaker? The AC isn’t using a 30 amp breaker inside the camper. Most likely a 15 amp breaker, maybe a 20 depending on the model. An AC will sometimes run on a household breaker since most are 15-20 amps per code but the issue comes with loss of voltage over the length of the cord, what else is on that household circuit, and what else might be drawing energy in the camper like the battery charger.
Installing a Micro-Air unit on the AC severely drops the amps the AC draws when the compressor kicks on and can run on a standard 15 amp house circuit all day long.

[JDug66]

Our AC (13.5 amp) runs just fine as does our fridge, lights TV at the same time while “dogboned” into our house on a 20 amp circuit. Haven’t tried adding the electric water heater.

[Texdan25]

Originally Posted by Colorado

Welcome to the Forum

Here’s an alternative to the micro air unit that sells for $299. The description explains what makes and models it works on...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/123293338386

This item appears to be only for a generator, says nothing about using home power?

[Dobbs]

Another little bit of advice would be to set the fan on low so it isn't starting up at the same. In other words don't have it set to 'auto'. Might not be a big deal but since you are kinda on the edge power-wise it might help.

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by racermike39

I would not advise this for if you overheat the breaker it could burn out your Expensive AC unit. Try to use a 30 amp breaker to be sure of proper draw. I carry a 50 foot 30 Amp extension cord with several male receptacles and plug into the home dryer plug. No worries then. If your good with wiring you could wire it to panel but I do not advise this unless you know a thing or two about electricity.

You better worry NEVER make a dog bone to plug into a residential dryer. If it is a 3 wire outlet that plug is 30 amp 240 Volts with no Neutral!!! If it's a 4 wire outlet your homemade dog bone better just pick one leg of the 240 volts. You better know what you are doing. Newbies get the wrong information from a statement like that!

[racermike39]

To be clear, I have 2 AC units 13,500 BTU's each in my 2019 Motor Home.. I have a 50 amp 4 prong male on Motor Home. I purchased a 4 prong 50 amp female and attached to a 30 amp heavy duty Generator extension cord. Purchased a 4 prong 30 amp male to plug into my 4 prong 30 amp house dryer receptacle. I still only run one AC in motor Home at a time. My motor home also has a sine wave inverter. If this is not acceptable please inform. Thanks. I know RV's and Home electric are different but Seems to be working OK for months. Please advise.

[Johnpark]

I had a similar situation at my Daughter's house. I needed a 30 amp service source and fortunately, she had an electric dryer receptacle (NEMA 10-30R – older home) available. I purchased a dryer adapter cord (NEMA 10-30P to 14-30R) and plugged this into the dryer receptacle. I then plugged a NEMA 14-30P to RV TT-30R adaptor into that and then the trailer’s shoreline. Electric dryer circuits are dedicated circuits and usually are 26-30 amps as well. If the dryer receptacle is a newer NEMA 14-30R (newer home), you can forgo the initial conversion adaptor. We used my Daughter’s power supply for a week running A/C, microwave, refrigerator and electric water heater without incident. My Son now uses this as a service connection when the trailer is at his house.

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by Johnpark

I had a similar situation at my Daughter's house. I needed a 30 amp service source and fortunately, she had an electric dryer receptacle (NEMA 10-30R – older home) available. I purchased a dryer adapter cord (NEMA 10-30P to 14-30R) and plugged this into the dryer receptacle. I then plugged a NEMA 14-30P to RV TT-30R adaptor into that and then the trailer’s shoreline. Electric dryer circuits are dedicated circuits and usually are 26-30 amps as well. If the dryer receptacle is a newer NEMA 14-30R (newer home), you can forgo the initial conversion adaptor. We used my Daughter’s power supply for a week running A/C, microwave, refrigerator and electric water heater without incident. My Son now uses this as a service connection when the trailer is at his house.

you are lucky you are not dead. That outlet was a 30 amp 240 Volt with ground no neutral outlet! I don't even want to know how you wired it.

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by Cavie

you are lucky you are not dead. That outlet was a 30 amp 240 Volt with ground no neutral outlet! I don't even want to know how you wired it.

The NEMA 10-30R (30A-125/250V) was very common in older homes. A connection across the L shaped neutral and one of the hot legs would result in 30A, 120V which would be just fine assuming the adapter(s) are doing what they are supposed to.

It should be noted however that this setup provides no grounding. It would be possible for a short between hot and ground to energize the trailer frame.

[Johnpark]

Parkworld 60011, Onetak and Cleyean all make appropriate adapters using STW 10-AWG to reduce 220V to 120V and adds a 5-15R ground in the process. End product is 120V, 30-amps with ground. Safe for RV. However, be careful, I did have one self proclaimed expert tell me a ground was not necessary. It is!

[Smoky]

Mine does the same thing!

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by Isaacs

The NEMA 10-30R (30A-125/250V) was very common in older homes. A connection across the L shaped neutral and one of the hot legs would result in 30A, 120V which would be just fine assuming the adapter(s) are doing what they are supposed to.

It should be noted however that this setup provides no grounding. It would be possible for a short between hot and ground to energize the trailer frame.

there in lies the problem!!!!

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by Cavie

there in lies the problem!!!!

A good way to solve this would be to replace the three wire dryer receptacle with a newer four wire one, being sure there is a proper ground. The necessary adapter would then carry the ground to the camper and all would be safe. A new pigtail would, of course, have to be installed on the dryer making everyone safer all the way around.