Just when I belief we fully covered Rv electrical systems I get someone else good query about something I failed to discuss in my old articles. I received one of these good questions the other day and belief there would be many other Rvers who would like to hear the answer.
Question: In one of your old articles you list the Rv converter as drawing 5 amps. Since, I believe, the converter is operating any time you plug into a 120 volt Ac system (30 Amp), does this mean that in reality you only have 25 amps to work with (30 minus 5 = 25, and not inspecting clock draws, etc.)? I am developing an electric amp chart to hang inside a cabinet and I need to rule this query as this would make a considerable difference.
ELECTRIC
First of all let's talk briefly about what your Rv converter does. When you plug your Rv into an electrical source, or when you use the onboard generator, the converters job is to cut 120 volts Ac down to 12 volt Dc to furnish power to all of the 12 volt appliances and accessories in the Rv. If you weren't plugged into an electrical source your Rv battery(s) would furnish the power to all of the 12 volt appliances and accessories in the Rv. The converter basically prevents your Rv battery(s) from draining when you're plugged in.
There are two types of amperage draw regarding your Rv. The Ac amps we are using and the Dc amps we are using. I'll try to explain. When you plug your Rv into an electrical source and use 120 volt appliances like the roof air conditioner, the microwave and a Tv you are drawing amps from the available furnish at the campground, usually 30 or 50 amps depending on your Rv electrical system and the electrical furnish you are plugged into. When you're plugged into an electrical source and you use Dc appliances and accessories like fans, lights, pumps or the Tv antenna booster you are drawing amps from the converter. Are you more confused now than when we started? Let's try wording this a itsybitsy different.
Let's say you plug your Rv into a 30 amp electrical furnish and you only use 120 volt appliances. You're using available amps from the 30 amp electrical furnish for anyone 120 volt appliances are running, but the converter is drawing approximately 0 amps because you're not using any Dc accessories. It will use a small estimate for items like the Lp gas leak detector, clocks or maybe an aisle light, but not sufficient to genuinely affect the amperage you are plugged into.
Your Rv converter is rated for a clear amperage i.e. 30 amps, 45 amps, 55 amps. In other words a 45 amp converter is capable of running 45 amps worth of 12 volt appliances in the Rv. When your Rv converter is working at its maximum capacity, which in this case is producing 45 amps for 12 volt appliances and accessories, it is drawing colse to 5 amps out of the 30 amps available from the campground electrical supply.
Let's say you're plugged in and you're using a join of 12 volt overhead lights (2 amps) and a ceiling fan (4 amps). In this case your converter is drawing very itsybitsy from the campgrounds 30 amp electrical supply. In someone else scenario let's say you're using a lot of 12 volt overhead lights (8 amps), you're running the furnace fan (11 amps), water pump (4 amps), 12-volt television (5 amps), range hood fan (2.5 amps), and the battery is being expensed by the converter charger (3 amps). Now, when the converter is running close to its full capacity it draws the full 5 amps from the campgrounds 30 amps, leaving you with 25 amps for other 120 volt appliances and accessories. As you can see it's unlikely that all of this would be happening at one time. The lowest line is the converter amperage draw will fluctuate depending on the 12 volt query settled on it.
Another query I was asked was; I know my converter is also a battery charger so why won't it bring my discharged batteries back to a full charge? Rv converters do furnish a charge to your Rv house batteries, but only a small measure of the converters amperage rating is used for this. usually 3 to 5 amps, which are not nearly sufficient to charge batteries that are discharged.
The converter battery charger is designed to keep the house batteries topped off with this trickle charge. someone else problem with older Rv converters is they charge at a fixed voltage in the range of 13.5 volts. If your batteries are fully expensed this can be too much for a float charge and over time it will deplete the water level in the batteries cells. This is why it's prominent to check the water level in your batteries on a quarterly basis, especially when you leave the Rv plugged in for extended periods of time. You need a three stage charger that can furnish a bulk charge then an absorption charge and finally a float charge. Newer Rv converters on the shop are capable of charging the batteries this way.
Now, to help you out with your amp chart I am together with some typical amperage draws for appliances and accessories ordinarily used in Rv's. Keep in mind I'm not an expert on electricity by any stretch of the imagination. This is just a basic guide to help you in how many amps you are using at any given time. If you need to know exact amperage ratings you can check the data plate on any motors, appliances or electronic equipment you are using. If you can't find a data plate with this facts check the appliance or electronic equipment owner's manual. This facts might furnish wattage requirements rather than amps. Here are a join of straightforward formulas to help you turn some coarse electrical terms.
Wattage % Volts = Amps
Amps X Volts = Wattage
One other thing to keep in mind is many Rv appliances want more amps to start the appliance than they do to run the appliance. A roof air conditioner can draw 16 amps to start, but may only use 13 amps once it is running.
120 Volt Ac Amp Ratings:
Appliance or Electronic equipment Estimated Amps
Air Conditioner (X estimate of A/C) 12-16 Amps
Blender 5-6 Amps
Coffee Maker 5-8 Amps
Compact Disc Player 1 Amp
Computer (Laptop) 2-3 Amps
Converter 1-5 Amps
Crock Pot 1-2 Amps
Curling Iron
Rv Converters ELECTRIC
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