Running AC on low setting with a 20A circuit?

[yardsale]

After having to hassle with a campground to upgrade to 30a from 20a site I am wondering if it was really necessary to power our 9200w Polar Cub AC. The unit is more than adequate to cool our 17B on the lower setting. I am wondering if the 20 amp circuit would tolerate the start up amperage, and if that draw is any less if you are on the low cool setting? Site search here yielded no answers.
Thanks for your responses.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by yardsale

After having to hassle with a campground to upgrade to 30a from 20a site I am wondering if it was really necessary to power our 9200w Polar Cub AC. The unit is more than adequate to cool our 17B on the lower setting. I am wondering if the 20 amp circuit would tolerate the start up amperage, and if that draw is any less if you are on the low cool setting? Site search here yielded no answers.
Thanks for your responses.

You can add a capacitor to your air conditioner that stores power and releases it when your air conditioner compressor starts up and requires extra 'juice'. They are under $100 and easy to install.

SOFT START CAPACITOR- COLEMAN POLAR CUB AIR CONDITIONER

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by yardsale

After having to hassle with a campground to upgrade to 30a from 20a site I am wondering if it was really necessary to power our 9200w Polar Cub AC. The unit is more than adequate to cool our 17B on the lower setting. I am wondering if the 20 amp circuit would tolerate the start up amperage, and if that draw is any less if you are on the low cool setting? Site search here yielded no answers.
Thanks for your responses.

I had a Casita with the Polar Cub - great A/C! The Polar Cub will operate from a 20 amp circuit as long as the extension cord is at least 12 gauge and no longer than 50'.

If you are using a 30 to 20 amp adapter on your power cord to connect, no worries at all!

[gyuill]

The micro air easy start device is much better than the start capacitor for reducing start up issues. Running on low won’t make much difference as that is just the fan on lower speed. You need to limit other devices running if you are on a 20 amp circuit such as a microwave or hair dryer.

Graham

[gyuill]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

I had a Casita with the Polar Cub - great A/C! The Polar Cub will operate from a 20 amp circuit as long as the extension cord is at least 12 gauge and no longer than 50'.

If you are using a 30 to 20 amp adapter on your power cord to connect, no worries at all!

I am a bit puzzled by “no worries at all”

Graham

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

I had a Casita with the Polar Cub - great A/C! The Polar Cub will operate from a 20 amp circuit as long as the extension cord is at least 12 gauge and no longer than 50'.

If you are using a 30 to 20 amp adapter on your power cord to connect, no worries at all!

Originally Posted by gyuill

I am a bit puzzled by “no worries at all”

That relates to the previous paragraph talking about extension cord minimums. If you are using a 30 amp cord all the way to the outlet, there is no voltage drop caused by resistance from using too long or too small a wire gauge extension cord.

[gyuill]

The worry is that the power converter charging low batteries and the AC can exceed what you should put on a 20 amp circuit not to mention other devices using AC power. Yes, you can run the AC on a 20 amp circuit but that is not the end of the story.

Graham

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by gyuill

The worry is that the power converter charging low batteries and the AC can exceed what you should put on a 20 amp circuit not to mention other devices using AC power. Yes, you can run the AC on a 20 amp circuit but that is not the end of the story.

The Coleman Polar Cub 9200 BTU air conditioner uses about 14 amps at compressor start. Less than 12 amps while running.

The current WFCO WF-8955PEC converter charger that ETI installs is 55 amps 12 volt DC, or 5.5 amps 120 volt. I suspect the OPs older 17B may have had a lower amp converter, but, even if it didn't. tdf-texas is correct (as I expected).

There should be no worries running that AC on a 20 amp circuit.

[Perry Butler]

Most times we run a heavy duty, 110v, 20a cord to our camper. I know of others who've had their pretty yellow 30a cord stolen.

It runs our AC just fine. OTOH, don't try to run a hair dryer, microwave, toaster oven, etc. at the same time, or you may have problems.

Enjoy,

Perry

[padlin]

Yardsale, what do you have for a camper? I didn't know Escapes came with a Polar Cub.


I run my bigger Penguin II which I think is 11k on 20A at home, just can't start anything else, like the MW.

[yardsale]

Originally Posted by padlin

Yardsale, what do you have for a camper? I didn't know Escapes came with a Polar Cub.


I run my bigger Penguin II which I think is 11k on 20A at home, just can't start anything else, like the MW.

2015 17B. Reese had this unit lying around. We have the stock heavy duty cord to hook up to shore power. Sounds like we should be ok if we limit other draws when using the AC.

Thanks for your responses all.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by yardsale

After having to hassle with a campground to upgrade to 30a from 20a site I am wondering if it was really necessary to power our 9200w Polar Cub AC. The unit is more than adequate to cool our 17B on the lower setting. I am wondering if the 20 amp circuit would tolerate the start up amperage, and if that draw is any less if you are on the low cool setting? Site search here yielded no answers.
Thanks for your responses.

The current draw between high & low fan is very small. The compressor is the largest draw for the AC.

[padlin]

Found this.

Running Watts @ A.R.I. Standard: 1270
Running Watts @ Desert Condition: 1550
Running Watts - Electric Heat Strip: 1748


.5A difference between high and low fan

[yardsale]

Originally Posted by padlin

Found this.

Running Watts @ A.R.I. Standard: 1270
Running Watts @ Desert Condition: 1550
Running Watts - Electric Heat Strip: 1748


.5A difference between high and low fan

Just to be clear, I am talking about high and low cooling setting, not high and low fan.

[gyuill]

The compressor does not have high and low modes. High and low cooling is changing the fan speed during cooling

Graham