30 amp hook up to garage

[Natty Lite]

Can I hook up to my garage that runs six fluorescent fixtures?
It now has a 20 amp breaker which I will replace with a 30 amp breaker and add an outlet that has a 30 amp plug!

[lsbrodsky]

You need to look at the romex wiring and see if it is large enough for 30 amp.
Larry

[HowieE]

NO

You can not just change a breaker to 30 amps. Breakers are rated for the size of the wire that feed it. If you want 30 amps to the new outlet either run a new #10 line to it.

I have a 30 amp plug on the 20 line but know I will never use the AC in the trailer while plugged into it. It is just for battery charging and frig before we go out.

If you do put in a receptacle put a switch before it and use the switch to turn the receptacle off before connection and disconnecting. Failure to do this will cause an arc across the blades of the plug and receptacle and shorten the life of both.

[Panama Red]

Don't put in a 30 amp breaker unless you change the wiring. The reason it has a twenty amp breaker is to protect the wiring that is installed. A 30 amp outlet and breaker will require 10 gauge wiring to be run. A twenty amp circuit only uses twelve gauge wire, which is too small for 30 amps of current.

That's a very simplified explanation, but it will keep you from burning down your house...

Now, if you want to get an adapter and plug it into a twenty amp outlet, you'll be fine until you turn on enough appliances to draw more than twenty amps of current, at which point your breaker will trip. I plug mine into a regular old fifteen amp wall outlet all the time, which will run your refrigerator, or your a/c unit, but usually not both without tripping the breaker...

-Red, simplifying the electrical world since 1962...

[DKB_SATX]

An important question is "Why do you want to plug into this circuit in the garage?"

If your answer is "to charge the batteries, run the refrigerator and keep the lights on" or something along those lines, you'll be fine with using a 15A-to-30A adapter and plugging into the regular receptacle that's already there. If you want to run the trailer's AC, pay heed to the posts above.

If you call an electrician to put in an electrical circuit, make SURE the electrician understands you want a 30A 120V RV circuit (the receptacle is called a NEMA TT-30R). Get this agreement in a written form if possible, and check the voltage on the installed receptacle before you plug your Airstream in. Some electricians seem to think RVs are supposed to use a 240V dryer socket...

[msmcv51]

Originally Posted by Panama Red

Don't put in a 30 amp breaker unless you change the wiring. The reason it has a twenty amp breaker is to protect the wiring that is installed. A 30 amp outlet and breaker will require 10 gauge wiring to be run. A twenty amp circuit only uses twelve gauge wire, which is too small for 30 amps of current.

That's a very simplified explanation, but it will keep you from burning down your house...

Now, if you want to get an adapter and plug it into a twenty amp outlet, you'll be fine until you turn on enough appliances to draw more than twenty amps of current, at which point your breaker will trip. I plug mine into a regular old fifteen amp wall outlet all the time, which will run your refrigerator, or your a/c unit, but usually not both without tripping the breaker...

-Red, simplifying the electrical world since 1962...

You could achieve the same thing by changing just the plug and not the breaker to 30 amp 110 volt.

[Panama Red]

Yeah... Now you're just making it TOO easy... Wink wink, nudge nudge.

-Red, overlooking the obvious since 1962...


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[dznf0g]

Attached garage? I had space in my main breaker box for the house and ran a new 30A circuit to the garage from the basement. The run was only about 30 feet total from the basement and up through the garage/laundry room wall. $100 and 2 hours....done!

[rmkrum]

Installed RV plug and breaker in power box just inside son's garage door in Alabama. AS cable under the door, plug in, flip breaker, and we're in business.

Took longer to mount a 2x4 old work box in the wall under his panel than it did to wire it. Neat, tidy and kid proof.

Big box stores carry the parts. Be sure to wire with 10 gauge wire with ground and get it connected right.

Breaker is left off unless we are plugged in. YMMV.


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[Natty Lite]

Thanks guys,
I will run new wiring and make a new 30 amp breaker dedicated to the RV, so I can run AC!!

[m.hony]

I had an electrician put in a 50 amp rv plug and breaker.

[baldwin6601]

That's exactly how I did it. I was building a new shop just after we bought our AS so I did a 20 amp circuit for the lights and stuff and a 30 amp circuit for "Wally".

[katherynhart]

I bought a male 20 to female 30 adapter at Amazon. I have the fridge on gas, don't run A/C. It just flipped the house breaker one time, so now I watch it.

[m.hony]

I did that before I had the new breaker, wiring, and receptacle installed.

[robwok]

Just get a generator, bring it indoors, and plug into that. 50 gallon drum of gas next to it and a siphon hose, and you'll be fine. Plus the heat generated will keep the garage warm while you're gone, and the carbon monoxide will kill any rodents that want to move in!


(completely joking here - just get the plug. Walmart has them)

Rob

[dmocken]

I have run the AC on 15 and 20 amp service in Florida with out tripping the breaker but could not run the microwave and AC it would tripp the breaker. Also remember the 30 Amp plug and receptacle on an RV is 110 volts not 220 volts. So buy the correct receptacle.

[xrvr]

What size air cond on 22 sport?

[aquinob]

Originally Posted by Natty Lite

Thanks guys,
I will run new wiring and make a new 30 amp breaker dedicated to the RV, so I can run AC!!

I gotta ask, have you ever added breakers and new circuits before?

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by Natty Lite

Thanks guys,
I will run new wiring and make a new 30 amp breaker dedicated to the RV, so I can run AC!!

If you want to run the A/C and other stuff at the same time, then you will need 30amp, single phase (120v).

Your 20 amp circuit will not cut it unless you are careful about what else you run with the A/C. In this case just buy an adapter. Why not try this first? Worst that can happen is you trip the 20amp breaker

If 20amps are not enough for your purposes.....

If you have an attached garage and have a unused slot in your beaker box, simply add a 30amp breaker and run a new 10 gauge wire to an RV style outlet, for 30amp, 120v.

If you have a detached garage or if you have no open slots in your breaker box, have a new 220v sub panel installed in the garage, then you have lots of options.

[Bk Yd Safari]

I had a 20 amp exterior receptacle outside the door of our walkout basement. I hired an electrician to add a 30 amp breaker, pull #10 wire and replace the exterior receptacle from 20 amp to 30 amp for dedicated service to the AS.