BCM Community
Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: ccbmster on April 20, 2019, 10:35:42 AM
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Just need someone to go through and check out my electrical system....solar panels, inverter, monitors, and such. Also, I have a 50 amp plug but for some reason they didn't connect all the wires in the junction box, so I am only drawing 30 amps. The wiring and breaker box and everything appear to be more than sufficient to handle 50 amp, but need someone that knows their stuff to make sure before making that change.
If you are in the Jacksonville, FL or south GA area and would like to pick up some cash I would love to have someone check out my system.
Thanks
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...Also, I have a 50 amp plug but for some reason they didn't connect all the wires in the junction box, so I am only drawing 30 amps...
Can you post some photos of what you have? Something doesn't sound right here. When you say you have a 50-amp plug, I assume you mean that the physical plug has four prongs and can be plugged into the 50-amp outlet. When you say that you're only drawing 30 amps, what do you mean?
Properly wired, a 50-amp plug should have two hot conductors, one neutral conductor, and one ground. Each of the two hot conductors can carry 50 amps. A "50-amp" setup is in fact able to pull 100 amps from the pedestal if wired for two 120v legs.
So, even if only one side of your plug is connected to your junction box powering only one side of your breaker panel, you should have 50 amps available for use.
Please provide more details about how your system is wired, what type of breaker panel you have, etc. Again, photos would greatly help us help you.
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There is a junction box well before the breaker, and in that box they have only connected the wires to pull 30 amps even though the physical plug is a 50 amp plug. So 50 amps to the junction box and then 30 amps from there to the breaker panel.
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There is a junction box well before the breaker, and in that box they have only connected the wires to pull 30 amps even though the physical plug is a 50 amp plug. So 50 amps to the junction box and then 30 amps from there to the breaker panel.
Still not totally clear - when you say that they only connected wires to pull 30 amps, what do you mean? That the wire gauge is too small for the 50-amp current? Or, that they only connected to one side of the 50-amp plug?
Either way, if you're plugging that 50-amp plug into a normally-wired 50-amp RV outlet you're getting 50 amps to at least one wire, perhaps two if you have two.
In your breaker panel, how many "legs" do you have? What I'm asking is are your breakers all on the same hot wire or are there two hot wires inside your breaker panel? A 'normal' household breaker panel will have two vertical columns of breakers, and at the top of each there is a lug to connect one of the two hot conductors. Then there is another bus bar to connect the neutral conductor, and a ground bus to connect the ground. What does the inside of your breaker panel.
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Still not totally clear -
I agree, not clear.
A picture would be so helpful
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One more point of confusion here...
If you are plugging that 50-amp plug into a properly-wired 50-amp outlet, then the circuit protection is the two 50-amp breakers in the pedestal.
Anything between that point and your breaker panel should be rated to handle a full 50-amp current load, otherwise you have a built-in failure point and safety issue.
If as you say they brought the 50-amp setup as far as the junction box and then a 30-amp setup from there to the breaker panel, what is there left to protect the wiring between the junction box and the breaker panel?
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Ok, maybe this will make it more clear.
What I am referring to as a "junction box" is equivalent to a dogbone adapter that reduces 50 am to 30 amp.
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Do you know what gauge wiring was used between this "junction box" and your breaker panel? That will determine if you are properly setup for 50-amp service.
Also, do you know if they taped one leg of the 50-amp plug or both? An Ohm meter can tell you that (with power OFF/UNPLUGGED at the pedestal).
What type of breaker panel do you have installed for your 120v service? Brand/model would help.
Might be as simple as just running the proper 4-conductor wiring from breaker panel to the 50-amp plug, or you may not have inside wiring capable of running 50-amp service.
BTW, those dogbone adapters (or your facsimile) present a safety hazard to be aware of - you're plugging into an outlet protected by a 50-amp breaker. If your wiring is not up to 50-amp standards, then you're not protected in the case of a short.
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Pretty sure our busnut is asking for some paid help because he isn't sure about all these electrical matters?
Who is down in Florida that is good with this stuff and go take a gander?
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
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Do you know what gauge wiring was used between this "junction box" and your breaker panel? That will determine if you are properly setup for 50-amp service.
Also, do you know if they taped one leg of the 50-amp plug or both? An Ohm meter can tell you that (with power OFF/UNPLUGGED at the pedestal).
What type of breaker panel do you have installed for your 120v service? Brand/model would help.
Might be as simple as just running the proper 4-conductor wiring from breaker panel to the 50-amp plug, or you may not have inside wiring capable of running 50-amp service.
BTW, those dogbone adapters (or your facsimile) present a safety hazard to be aware of - you're plugging into an outlet protected by a 50-amp breaker. If your wiring is not up to 50-amp standards, then you're not protected in the case of a short.
Based on what he posted, he might have the smaller 30 amp cord...hence the dogbone. If that's the case, he'll change it before connecting to 50 amp.
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Pretty sure our busnut is asking for some paid help because he isn't sure about all these electrical matters?
Who is down in Florida that is good with this stuff and go take a gander?
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Yes, you are correct.