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How many AMPS will Aquahot electric pull?
The coach is in storage and it is going to get pretty cold the next few nights. It is plugged into 20 amp at the moment.
I am considering turning on Aquahot electric.
The only current load is the kitchen fridge and the bay fridge
Ken & Karen
2015 Newell (Coach #1517)
Posts: 5,431
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Joined: Jul 2012
Nope won’t work. The AH electric is 220 volt which requires a 50 amp RV plug. You only have 110 v on the 20 amp plug.
And the AH pulls about 20 amps more or less on each leg of the 220 volt service.
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home
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Others will chime in I am sure - but for my 2 cents worth - I think you will trip the breaker and come back to a cold coach with warm refrigerators and freezers. There may be some other 120 vac loads you have not considered like the battery charger/inverter and auxiliary air pump. The AH will pull about 12 amps, leaving only 8 for all the other loads. The AQ uses 12vdc fans and pumps and the batteries will have to be charged to carry those loads.
On the 20A circuit you have only half of the split phase, so the 240 volt heater is not in play. The 12.5 amps I mentioned is the 1300 watt heater that is also installed for trying to run on 30 amp, 120VAC only. But even then, as I suggested, I don't think 20A will do the job.
Russ White
2016 Winnebago Vista LX 30T
#530 ( Sold )
1999 45' Double Slide - Factory upgrade 2004
(This post was last modified: 02-04-2022, 05:26 PM by
RussWhite.)
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Okay, here's the deal.
The 4500 watt 240 vac element can run when there is a 50 amp two leg connection to the coach. The 1650 watt element runs on one of the two legs of this connection. Amp draw is near 37 amps.
When connected to 20 amp or 30 amp single leg connection, that leg is connected to both sides of the 240 element creating no potential difference across the element, so no current draw by that element. The 120 volt element is connected to the single leg and common or ground which has a potential difference and a current of about 13 or 14 amps will flow.
So if nothing else that has much of a current draw is ON, 20 amps will work. But, the burner and fans on the heating coils draw from the house batteries. The inverter charger has about 5 amps to use to keep the batteries up. So every thing that is 120 vac had better be unplugged or completely OFF so no standby loads to compete with the charger. If 120 vac air compressor comes on with the electric element, blown breaker. Good luck.
Plan B could be run the gen and keep fuel tank filled as needed till temp warms up or a 50 amp source is available.
Rudy Legett
2003 Foretravel U320 4010
ISM11 450 hp Allison 4000R
Factory Authorized Aqua Hot Repair Center
Southeast Texas Area
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Thanks everyone for the response. I did not think it would work but it shelfful to understand the specifics
Ken & Karen
2015 Newell (Coach #1517)