Changing the breaker in a 69 Hi lo

[guitarman023]

I was just curious if any of you have tried to upgrade the breakers in your campers? I bought a small portable a/c and it pops the 15amp breaker after about 20 mins of running. Just wondering if it would be safe or possible to upgrade to a 20amp breaker? The wiring is romex, so it's definitely capable of running 20amps no problem.

 

[JIM L-HILO]

The fact that it is romex has nothing to do with what current it can safely carry. It is the size of the wire that matters. If the wire size is #14 then a 15amp breaker is required. If the wire size is #12 then you can go to a 20 amp breaker. Look closely at the romex cable and the wire size is usually printed on the outsize. If the 15 amp breaker is the correct size then check the wire connections from the breaker to the AC to make sure they are clean and tight. Circuit breakers do get weak over time so you may need to just replace it with a new one. If you have the wiring diagram for your HiLo it should show the size wire and size breaker that was used. Hope this helps.

 

[JackandJanet]

I'd be reluctant to increase the breaker tolerance too. I'm actually puzzled that it pops after a long period of use. The biggest draw is at startup, and I'd expect it to pop then, rather than after running for a period.

I'd try replacing the current breaker with a new one rated at 15A. As Jim said, breakers CAN get weak over time. The cost of a new breaker is minimal.

You could also invest in an inexpensive, clamp-type ammeter to see what current is actually flowing in that circuit.

- Jack

 

[C317414]

The AC unit should have a sticker or tag that lists the amps it draws. This should be below 15A. If its close to 15A, the issue is that the AC draws more than the circuit was designed for. As was mentioned, changing to a 20A breaker without ensuring that the wire is 12ga, is not a good practice.

If the AC draw is within the limits of the breaker, I agree that checking all the connections and replacing the breaker with a new 15A breaker may work.

 

[guitarman023]

ok, yeah that makes more sense. I have a hard time believing it's pulling over 15 amps, especially at 110v. I'll check the a/c and see, then look for a breaker.

 

[slider-HILO]

I=E/R
Translated. The higher the voltage the lower the amperage. Put a meter on the line and let us know what the voltave is.
My RV buddy was fighting a popping breaker and it ended up being a high resistance connection in his 30 to 20 amp adapter he used to plug into his shop outlet.
Later that week when dry camping he was fighting a problem more exactly like you when on his generator and when I put my 2 parallel Honda 2000i generators on it his voltage went from 113 to 122 and the amps went from 17 down to 13.
Problem solved.

Rick

 

[guitarman023]

Yeah I checked the A/c unit itself, it should run on a 15 amp no problem. I'm guessing my extension cord running from the garage is too small, or the breaker is worn out. I should probably go through the wiring anyways, there's only about 6ft of it

 

[JIM L-HILO]

You may very well have told us what the problem is, the extension cord. Most extension cords people buy, 50ft or 100ft are #14 or #16 wire so you may have a large voltage drop due to the cord length and wire size. You need a cord with at least #12 wire. I use an extension cord with #10 wire due to the distance from the house to the HiLo.

 

[guitarman023]

Thanks Jim, I figured that may cause a problem. I'll look into a better extension cord for shore line power. It would be pretty simple to upgrade the wiring in the camper as well. There's only two outlets and they're less than 3 ft away from the circuit breaker box. There's probably some voltage drop in the plug on the outside of the camper as well now that I think about it. The prongs were pretty rusted looking if I remember right. Probably wouldn't cost much more to re-run the wiring with the proper wiring for 20amp service.

 

[RCREYES]

When you throw the extension cord into the mix, it makes perfect sense. I had the same issue. The heavier the gauge and the shorter the length of the extension cord, the better. My 12AWG, 50' extension cord still isn't adequate to power the AC.

 

[misfit429-HILO]

With the price of copper (and everything else) going up, the larger gauge extension cords are getting pretty expensive. You may want to look into the price of larger gauge wire at the hardware store and just make your own cord. You can probably get a larger wire gauge in the off the roll wire for the price of a smaller gauge pre made cord. Wiring the plugs on is very simple and you can also make the cord any length you want. You can buy 3 wire insulated cord by the foot at any Lowe's or HD.