pulsar
Lewisville, NC
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Moved from Technology Corner to Tech Issues.
2002 Adventurer 32V - Workhorse chassis
1998 CRV toad - manual transmission
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jerryspoolman
Corning CA
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Joined: 11/25/2003
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be very careful, you could up connecting 2 phases together.
dead short across 220 volts.
a 30 amp breaker and outlet are not difficult to install and safer.
Just Jerry and Vangie
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raydf_1
Miami FL
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Thanks for the advice. I actually got the original idea from an RV publication, "RV View (The Official Publication of Camping World)", issue June 2009, p. 64, where the author ("Notes from the Shop") writes the following:
"...An adapter that draws power from two 15-amp outlets on separate circuits will also provide sufficient power for air conditioner operation."
I must have misinterpreted what I read but it's nice to have a resource such as this invaluable forum where things can get cleared up.
Ray
2009 Fleetwood Pulse 24A
Miami FL
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NORM WADDELL
PENSACOLA FL 32514
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I HOPE the submitter will think again
and NOT do this. IF he is able to
connect the extension cords to two
receptacles which will not give him
220 volts dead short 'hot to hot '
which I suspect he now has........
1. The two extension cords will NOT
share the load equally. There is
always some imbalance. If the larger
load is near 15 Amps, that breaker will
open, and the other, now carrying the
entire load, will immediately trip.
2. The breakers are rated to interrupt
a certain maximum short circuit,
say 10,000 Amperes, Paralleling two
breakers might allow a 'bolted short' to
exceed this value, and one (or both) might
fail to open, or open withOUT breaking the
current, causing a HUGE heat source.
If you do this, don't tell the Fire Marshall
or the insurance company, and don't do it at
MY house.
L NORMAN WADDELL
30 FOOT ALLEGRO
SATURN TOAD
WIFE AND 2 DOGS SUGAR BEAR & COCO BEAR
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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ploiselle wrote:I agree with Art D.
Paul
but if that was the case, the breaker wouldn't have tripped. I thought the purpose of those adapters was to increase the contact area at the plugin.
bumpy
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jerryspoolman
Corning CA
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Just looked at the adapter, Do not use 2 extension cords from different outlets.
The adapter will work fine if used as shown..Plugged into 1 duplex. You still only have 15 Amps
Worth $25? hardly!
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Bobbo
Memphis, TN
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To use 2 extension cords from 2 outlets to run the A/C at the same time as the other stuff, you run 1 extension cord directly to the A/C. The other extension cord runs the rest of the stuff. You may have to rewire the A/C so that it plugs into an outlet rather than running directly to the breaker so you can unplug it and plug it into the second extension cord.
E.G. take the wire from the A/C out of the breaker panel (hot, neutral and ground) and wire them to a plug. Get another wire (hot, neutral and ground) and wire it to the breaker panel then install a box with an outlet at its other end. Plug the A/C's plug into this outlet. Now you can unplug the A/C and plug it into an extension cord. Be sure to use a plug, wire and outlet rated as high as the breaker that runs the A/C. You may need 20 amp service.
Again, I think it is easier just to install a 30 amp outlet at the house.
Bobbo
Bobbo, Linda and the furry kids (German Shepherd and German Shepherd mix)
2007 Winnebago Outlook WF331C on a Ford E450 Super Duty Chassis
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ShapeShifter
Buffalo, NY
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raydf_1 wrote:Thanks for the advice. I actually got the original idea from an RV publication, "RV View (The Official Publication of Camping World)", issue June 2009, p. 64, where the author ("Notes from the Shop") writes the following:
"...An adapter that draws power from two 15-amp outlets on separate circuits will also provide sufficient power for air conditioner operation."
I must have misinterpreted what I read but it's nice to have a resource such as this invaluable forum where things can get cleared up.
I don't think you misinterpreted it at all, because that's exactly how I read it. When I saw that, my first thought was "What a stupid, dangerous, and irresponsible suggestion!" 
I think it's a very dangerous thing to do for all the reasons already posted by Norm, smkettner, and Bumpy, and proven by you and the tripped breakers.
But then again, maybe we are both interpreting it wrong, as the only way I see it being remotely safe is if the adapter was meant to be THIS ONE (which does what Bobbo suggested) or THIS ONE (which combines two circuits into a 50 amp service, but I still don't like it because it has other issues.)
I think that adapter was designed for one thing only -- to plug a 30 amp RV cord into a paralleled pair of Honda eu2000i generators. The pair can provide 30 amps, but the socket is only rated for 15 amps. This adapter appears to be a poor attempt to work around that by paralleling the two 15 amp halves of the duplex outlet into a 30 amp capacity.
I wouldn't use that adapter even for that pair of generators. A better solution is to use a "companion" generator for one part of the pair, as the companion version already has a 30 amp socket on it. Another good way is to use the version of the parallel cables that has the 30 amp socket in the middle of the cable set.
But you aren't trying to hook to a generator, you're trying to plug in at home. Your best bet is to scrap that adapter and put in a proper 30 amp receptacle with the proper wiring and 30 amp breaker.
* This post was
edited 06/17/09 02:28pm by ShapeShifter *
2007 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PDQ
400 ISL Cummins/Allison
2002 Chevy Avalanche toad
Inside: Him, Her, and a pack of little furballs...
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chi6488
florida
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Can you and I become really good friends so I can buy a 1 mil life policy on your life and me as beneficiary?? That thing is nothing but danger.
2009 Jayco Eagle 324BHDS
2008 F250 King Ranch 4wd
2005 GLacier Bay 2670 Cat
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Harvard
51.37N 114.42W
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Joined: 12/24/2005
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ploiselle wrote:I agree with Art D.
Paul
I agree with Paul and Art, besides, if you have to ask then you "for sure" should not be doing it! IMHO Next time you are in the electrical department of a hardware store have a close look at two things:
1. An empty breaker panel backplane paying particular attention to the 2 phases (how each adjacent breaker is 240VAC from its neighbour), and
2. a 15 AMP duplex outlet paying particular attention to a removeable bridge between the two HOT females and another removeable bridge between the two NEUTRAL females.
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