[medicineman4040]

Living in the south AC can be a life saver especially when going much further south than where I am now, e.g. hot and humid Florida.
So like many I can only run the air conditioner when on shore power.
So far the electrical is plug-n-play but how do I set it up so the air conditioner only runs when I'm plugged in to shore power?

The simplest way I can conjure, and since the air conditioner is of course on its own breaker, is to just have that breaker thrown until
I'm connected.

 

[KeepMeMoving]

I have a separate power strip that is only powered when I plug into shore power.

 

[keeponvaning]

Just put it on a switched receptacle.

 

[proeddie]

OR, you could connect a relay to the 120 shore power feed. It would turn on only when the shore power is connected, and switch the power to the AC only when it sees AC (if you know what I mean)

 

[medicineman4040]

No I don't Ed but am willing to learn and know someone who does
Now studying relays!

I was just googling what size Square-D breaker for my 9400 BTU Coleman
Mach 8 Cub.

 

[medicineman4040]

OK everyone I like the idea of a switch on the wall (or in my case on the outside of the cabinet).
When I plug into shore power the switch allows electricity to power up my roof-top airconditioner.
NOW there are lots of different switches out there strength wise eh. So unknowing I go to Lowes
and they ask me what kind. Of course I haven't a clue.
So I go back and google my Coleman Mach 8 Cub.
This is what I find-

Cool/Heat Capacity: 9,200
Electric Heat Element Capacity: 6,000
Electrical Rating: 115 VAC, 60HZ
Cooling Amps-High: 11.7
Running Watts Standard: 1270
Running Watts Desert: 1550
Running Watts Heat Strip: 1748
Locked Rotor Amps: 58.4
CFM: 300
Weight (Lbs.): 87

Then in the body of literature at Airxel I find a blurb that says to get peak amps at startup I multiply by 2.5
and that yields 11.7 x 2.5=29.25

So for a simply on/off switch for my air con when hooked to shore power I need a 30 amp switch?

 

[El Guapo]

Have you looked at the Micro-Air Easy Start

https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=o7B3EtTn1Zc

 

[medicineman4040]

El Guapo that product looks to be a charm for someone who might want to avoid the initial surge demand of the ac's motor, right? Thus maybe have a smaller gen-set to run the air conditioner.
I'm not that greedy. All I want to do it to turn on e.g. flip a switch to turn on my air conditioning when I'm with shore power, versus opening the distribution panel and turning the breaker back on.

 

[keeponvaning]

I would just go with a 30 amp sp wall switch (it is a 110 vac air or isn't it) but I wouldn't hesitate to just use a 20 amp one either.

 

[medicineman4040]

Yes, standard Coleman Mach 8 Cub.
Single pole 30 amp wall switch should be no different than throwing on or off
a 30 amp breaker.
OK,wheeeeeeeew, another decision made.

 

[keeponvaning]

In the real world, I would go out to my garage and take down the box full of electrical switches and recepticals and pick out the best one. Assuming you don't have a box like that out in your garage just go to HD and buy the highest rated one you can afford.

 

[medicineman4040]

I disappoint, no garage and no box of parts
I do have a few cameras though

 

[Melmike]

Are you planning on installing an inverter at any point?

Mike

 

[medicineman4040]

Mike, thanks and yes. This Thursday if the creek don't rise.
Here she is in the test fit stage-Samlex EVO 2212, remote not pictured-

 

[SteelerNation]

I initially had the shore power running directly to the inverter and all of the AC circuits, including the air conditioner, running from there. What I found, though, was that if the shore power was interrupted, there was a real risk of killing my batteries.

To solve the problem, I set up a small panel that I connected the shore power to that has two breakers: One to the inverter and one to the air conditioner. Now, when I'm plugged into shore power, I can run everything in the van, including the air conditioner, but cannot run the air conditioner at all when there is no power coming in.

My batteries are much happier now .

SN

 

[medicineman4040]

SN thanks!
Happen to have any links for the parts/pieces? I'll get them on hand for the sparky
so he can have at it.

 

[medicineman4040]

SN, I just thought of something! I hope I'm right. If some freaky voltage from a state park tries to come in won't the breaker in that panel save my inverter-charger from anything over 30 amp ??? That would be a bonus

 

[SteelerNation]

I'll look for the parts - I bought them on Amazon, and the breakers will certainly protect the inverter/charger. I also have a built-in surge suppressor inline between the shore power connection and the first breaker box.

SN

 

[SteelerNation]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002N7MM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's a two breaker box. I ran the hot from the surge suppressor into a 30-amp breaker that I had on one side. I ran the output from that breaker into a two-circuit 20 amp breaker on the other side and ran one of those to the air conditioner and one to the inverter. I used 20 amps because they were handy and my air conditioner ran just fine with it.

Hope that helps.

SN

 

[medicineman4040]

Just Primed it from Amazon. Thank you very much. A big help and a great solution I think.
Plus in the cabinet where the charger-inverter is going there is plenty of room. We were originally going to
put the batteries in their too but Poof needed a footrest and per MsNomer's build we're putting them behind
the driver's seat where Poof is mostly.