Questions Regarding Max Amp Usage

**Steve7** · 05-21-2019, 12:33 PM

Strange thing I noticed for first time today. We’re in a seasonal spot at a lake. Almost no one else hear at the moment, so low electrical use in park.

We have a 50 amp system on our trailer. We have a 30 amp plug available at the post. I have a 50 amp progressive portable EMS plugged into the post using a 30/50 adapter. We don’t generally use high amp appliances at the same time to avoid issues. I’ve never noticed the amps on both legs adding up to more than 30 amps. As a matter of fact, I figured the 30 amp circuit breaker on the post would trip if that occurred.

So this morning we were using the electrical fireplace, the electrical water heater, electrical fridge, and my wife had the hair dryer going. I was out dumping the tanks and looked at the EMS. The first leg showed 28 amps, and the second showed 15, for a total of 43 amps. I had to look at this a few times as it cycled through to believe it.

I went inside and shut a couple appliances down until the wife was done with the hair dryer, and the water heater caught up.

What do you think? Should this have been allowed by the parks electrical system? Big deal, or no big deal? Just wondering.

**xrated** · 05-21-2019, 12:48 PM

The 30 Amp breaker at the campground is faulty....unless this amount of current was for only a few seconds.

**Cate&Rob** · 05-21-2019, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by xrated

The 30 Amp breaker at the campground is faulty....unless this amount of current was for only a few seconds.

Hi Steve (@Steve7)

I agree with xrated, that should not have been possible unless the campground breaker is faulty or mis-labeled.

Rob

**Steve7** · 05-21-2019, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Cate&Rob

Hi Steve (@Steve7)

I agree with xrated, that should not have been possible unless the campground breaker is faulty or mis-labeled.

Rob

I heard that a worker put 50 amp to his site last year, which is two sites up the row f of us. I know that I only have the three wires for the 30 amp though as my plug in was replaced when I got here because it showed a code of “Reverse Polarity”. The person assigned to electrical here switched the plug and I haven’t got that code again. He said it appeared to have been wired correctly though prior.

I will mention to the worker again and see what he thinks. Thanks for the responses and if you think of anything else I’ll keep an eye out for it.

**Cate&Rob** · 05-21-2019, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Steve7

I know that I only have the three wires for the 30 amp . . .

Those three wires could feed any 120V breaker attached to the end of them. This might be a 30A or a single 40A or 50A. Not that the wires would necessarily be sized for the current that the breaker could allow. It sounds like your park has had some "questionable" electrical work. Is "30A" embossed the breaker lever? I would press the park to install a new 30A breaker based on your EMS observations.

Rob

**Steve7** · 05-21-2019, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by Cate&Rob

Those three wires could feed any 120V breaker attached to the end of them. This might be a 30A or a single 40A or 50A. Not that the wires would necessarily be sized for the current that the breaker could allow. It sounds like your park has had some "questionable" electrical work. Is "30A" embossed the breaker lever? I would press the park to install a new 30A breaker based on your EMS observations.

Rob

This is an old park with some wacky electrical, but I feel safe with the EMS. The circuit breaker does say 30 on it. The man in charge of this stuff is gonna check it when it stops raining and likely put in a new breaker. I’ll then see if I can get it to trip.

**Steve7** · 05-22-2019, 01:36 PM

Rob, Xrated, or whoever cares. The person assigned to electrical duties wasn’t much help. We did trouble shoot and found that we were able to get leg one up to 47 amps, while leg two was at 15 amps. That’s 62 total amps! That was also after he replaced the circuit breaker. He doesn’t know much and couldn’t figure a way to confirm with his multimeter if my EMS is reading properly. I tried it with mine at the plug, but also am not familiar with how to do this.

I spoke with Progressive Industries, who said that they believe the circuit should break whenever the two numbers of the legs add up to more than 30 in my case (with a couple point margin for error). They think the unit will protect the trailer but also wanted to confirm if it was agreeing with what the post says.

If anyone can explain an easy way to do this with a digital multimeter I will attempt it, otherwise I may have to let it go and make sure I don’t overload it.

**bigjaike** · 05-22-2019, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Steve7

Rob, Xrated, or whoever cares. The person assigned to electrical duties wasn’t much help. We did trouble shoot and found that we were able to get leg one up to 47 amps, while leg two was at 15 amps. That’s 62 total amps! That was also after he replaced the circuit breaker. He doesn’t know much and couldn’t figure a way to confirm with his multimeter if my EMS is reading properly. I tried it with mine at the plug, but also am not familiar with how to do this.

I spoke with Progressive Industries, who said that they believe the circuit should break whenever the two numbers of the legs add up to more than 30 in my case (with a couple point margin for error). They think the unit will protect the trailer but also wanted to confirm if it was agreeing with what the post says.

If anyone can explain an easy way to do this with a digital multimeter I will attempt it, otherwise I may have to let it go and make sure I don’t overload it.

Steve,

The only way I know to measure amps is to have an AC AMP clamp meter. You could put it around the red wire and then the black wire in your breaker panel and get and the measurement there. Add the two measurements together and that would give you total AMPs going thru the breaker.

**Steve7** · 05-22-2019, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by bigjaike

Steve,

The only way I know to measure amps is to have an AC AMP clamp meter. You could put it around the red wire and then the black wire in your breaker panel and get and the measurement there. Add the two measurements together and that would give you total AMPs going thru the breaker.

Okay, the guy here at the park had that ability on his meter, but was trying to do it around the one big EMS connector. I’ll see if I can get him to open the box up and see if that will do the trick to compare. Thanks.

I can reach each prong with the plug pulled slightly. If anyone knows a way by touching the prongs with the multimeter, I would be interested also.

**Cate&Rob** · 05-22-2019, 04:51 PM

Hi Steve (@Steve7)

I think you should invest in a “clamp ammeter”. These are available many places, but if you are going to make this investment, look for a meter that can measure both AC and DC current. The commonly available meters measure AC only and this will accomplish what you need right now, but for a few more dollars, you will have a meter that you can use to diagnose the 12V circuits as well. Once you have this tool, you will wonder how you ever figured things out without it

.

Rob