30 amp or 50 amp?

[Gardnpondr]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

The A/C compressor is damaged by voltage drop across the circuit conductors during startup /run mode not by the size of the circuit breaker. Often #12 or #10 AWG wire is used for a 15 amp circuit to compensate for voltage drop . Parking lot lights often use #6 or #4 AWG wire for home runs but the circuit is still fused at 20 amps and considered a 20 circuit. A circuits ampacity is determined by the size of the overcurrent device not by the size of the conductors

It DOES NOT have a AC.

[Gardnpondr]

Only the fridge was left running that is it. We just tested everything while the electrician was here, he turned the pump on and turned it right back off just to see IF it worked.
We DO NOT have a AC on it yet. No lights or anything was on, just the fridge. The fridge is old and came with the camper. Hasn't been used in many years and I don't know how many years. It's a Dometic and I'll have to get the number off the door later since this book that came with it has two different model numbers on it.
Thank you guys for your help! I was going to unplug the fridge and see if it still goes off.

[Carol H]

If you turn the setting for the fridge to off it should make no difference wether it is plug in or not plugged in.

If its your main breaker that is going off I am wondering if it has something to do with the plug that you are plugged into.... might want to try plugging it into a different outlet in the house just to rule that out as the cause..... or perhaps the adapter you have purchased is faulty. Or it could be your converter that is causing the trip - you may want to check if its fan is working - perhaps over heating- fan not working? .. also check to see if the correct sized fuses are in it.

Have no idea if any of the above could actually be the cause but those are some of what I would be looking at for a starter.

[steve dunham]

[QUOTE=Carol H;531940]If you turn the setting for the fridge to off it should make no difference wether it is plug in or not plugged in.

Not necessarily true. If the insulation in the cord feeding the refrigerator or in the wires on the line side of the control have deteriorated due to age you may be getting an intermittent short or arcing between bare spots in the wiring.
1) Turn off all of the branch circuit breakers
2) Unplug the refrigerator from the outlet
3)Turn the breaker to the refrigerator back on and see if the breaker holds with no load
4) Turn the breaker for the refrigerator back off
5) Plug a load such as a small electric heater into the refrigerator outlet (heater in off position)
6)Turn the breaker for the refrigerator outlet on.
7) Turn the heater to the on position
Does the heater run?
8) Let the heater run for 30 minutes
Does the breaker trip ? If the breaker trips the problem is probably in the branch circuit wiring ( Bad wires or breaker or receptacle)
9) If the heater runs for the full 30 minutes ( under load) then the branch circuit wiring ,breaker and receptacle are in working order.
10) Unplug the heater from the refrigerator outlet and plug in the refrigerator.
11) Turn on the refrigerator and see if the breaker trips.
12) If the breaker holds then the problem is probably not in the refrigerator
If the breaker trips immediately or after a period of time then the problem is probably in the refrigerator.
** The above is assuming that there is no other loads connected to the circuit . Only the refrigerator is supplied by that circuit**

[Gardnpondr]

Thank you guys! Going to cut and paste this so I can print it out. Thank you!!!!

[Bob Miller]

Not being used for years may have reduced the trip point for your circuit breaker. You need an electrician to measure the actual current flow that's causing the breaker to trip, or you might just replace it with a new one and see if it still trips.

[Darral T.]

I have followed this thread since the beginning. I have only ONE suggestion:

Gardnpondr if what was just typed to you doesnt work or you cant figure it out, *WHY* dont you take this to a professional RV shop before you get yourself hurt??

I do NOT mean to sound belligerent but this can be very dangerous..not only to you but anyone else with you should something happen while you're asleep for instance.

Over and out....

[steve dunham]

When I was in trade school ,one often repeated phrase was " Just because it works does not mean it is wired correctly or is safe" Darral is correct,
knowing what you don't know is very important.