electric hot water tank

[CasaDelSol]

We looked at a 120 volt, 2000 watt, 10 gallon GE electric hot water heater. By DH's calculation a 20 amp circuit breaker would be more than sufficient, but has anyone tried to run an electric hot water tank on a 30 amp service...or would it be restricted to a 50 amp?

[jimcol]

The water heater alone will pull about 17 amps. Will run fine on 30 amp service unless you are trying to run other things that exceed the remaining 13 amps. Our experience on 30 amp service has been learning to feather the load. In other words you will learn what appliances can be running at the same time. Jim

[camper4]

I agree with jimcol. Also remember in addition to the 17 amps, the fridge, tv, 12v charger, etc., all use up some of the 30 amp total. So if you want AC or microwave you will just want to manage what's on and what's off.

[ols1932]

We have run our water heater on 20 amps but with nothing else on. Usually, what we do then is to only turn the water heater on at night when we go to bed and there's nothing else drawing current.

Orv

[The Old Fogies]

If we're on a 50 amp service we use the electric mode. On a 30 amp service it's LP. I don't want to have to jugle the loads.

[RCN.Stoker]

A 30 amp service is just that 30 amps @ 120 volts or 3600 watts (all calculations are ignoring line loss). A 50 amp service is 50 amps @ 240 volts or 12,000 watts. The two sides of the service are split into 50 amps @120 volts. In other words you are actually getting 100 amps @ 120 volts in total or more than three times that of the 30 amp service.

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by The Old Fogies

If we're on a 50 amp service we use the electric mode. On a 30 amp service it's LP. I don't want to have to jugle the loads.

We always run our water heater and refrigerator on electric when connected to 30 amps and never have to juggle. The only time we have to be careful is when one of us takes a shower and we have an electric heater on and the water heater kicks in and my wife wants to use the hair dryer at the same time. Then we have a problem. How do we correct it? We turn off the little electric heater.

Orv

[pbahlin]

Are you sure about the 50 amp service being 50 amps for both phases? I would think that would be a 100 amp service. I thought the 50 amp service was two phases at 25 amps each. If my thinking is correct you get 240 at 25 amps or 120 at 50.

I don't think anything in the Monty is a 240 appliance anyway so not a big deal. I know my 30 amp pigtail just splits the 50 amp feed into two hot leads of the same phase and sends it on to the Monty and everything works (at 120).

Of course there's always the distinct possibility that my thinker is malfunctioning.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Per CountryGuy, the retired electrician

The 50 AMP in our Tana is in reality, 100 AMP service.

Yepper.

[BB_TX]

You can read all about 50 amp service here. Just click on 50 amp service. It truly is 50 amps per leg.

[ols1932]

You really do have 50 amps per leg!

Orv

[JimF]

And I have 220 Volt requirement in my Monty, the Clothes Dryer is 220V single phase, yep, 50 amp per leg, 100 amp total.

[blarkman]

I guess the question I have is why are you changing the heater, you are not going to gain that much more capicity. We run ours on electric all the time except when dry camping. We both can take a shower in the am, just wait a few minutes for the water to heat. One problem I see is how many parks have 50 amp service. A lots of parks keep the 50amp for the big rigs

[pbahlin]

So I was right! My thinker was malfunctioning.

This is equivalent to a 100 amp service on a house then. Is that correct?

My next question for all you electricians then is why is it called a 50 amp service? Is this just a wierd RV thing?

[JimF]

nope it's 100 amp total but 50 amp per leg, i.e., 50 amp service. in a house it would be 50 amp also. it is a leg measurement. my house is 200 amp service, that is 200 amp per leg, at least that is what the main breakers are marked.