Installing 30 amp service at home to hook up RV

[Bobn1957]

The best advice I can give being a retired electrician with 40 years of experience is never removing the panel cover without first turning the main breaker off!

[Bobn1957]

If it's a short distance 10 gauge wire will do for 30 amps, anything over 50 feet I would use 8 gauge wire, more than a hundred feet would use 6 gauge.

[brican]

As a former electrician and now an electrical engineer, I often get accused of over engineering everything, I really don't care if it means being safe. In this case I installed a 30 amp outlet with a 30 amp GFCI breaker. Even though we live in the desert it does rain and a ground is a ground. There is no reason to not do GFCI since code requires it for all outside outlets just like in the RV park. If you don't spend the extra money to do it you shouldn't do it at all. I looked all over Phoenix for a 30 amp GFCI breaker and finally found one in California. The installation I did is to code and safe. If your electrician/handy man says you don't need to do it, remind him/her who the customer is and insist on having a GFCI circuit. It is required in all bathrooms, utility rooms, garages, kitchens and outside for a good reason.

[bigb]

Originally Posted by brican

As a former electrician and now an electrical engineer, I often get accused of over engineering everything, I really don't care if it means being safe. In this case I installed a 30 amp outlet with a 30 amp GFCI breaker. Even though we live in the desert it does rain and a ground is a ground. There is no reason to not do GFCI since code requires it for all outside outlets just like in the RV park. If you don't spend the extra money to do it you shouldn't do it at all. I looked all over Phoenix for a 30 amp GFCI breaker and finally found one in California. The installation I did is to code and safe. If your electrician/handy man says you don't need to do it, remind him/her who the customer is and insist on having a GFCI circuit. It is required in all bathrooms, utility rooms, garages, kitchens and outside for a good reason.

Up until the 2020 NEC GFCI protection was not required on a 30 amp 120 volt circuit except for certain applications such as pool equipment, however the 2020 NEC has removed the "15 & 20 amp" language basically making the TT receptacle now required to be GFCI protected. The language still states "supplied by a single phase branch circuit rated at 150 volts or less" which will exclude 240 volt GFCI requirements unless otherwise required such as pool equipment and spas.-https://www.electricallicenserenewal.com/Electrical-Continuing-Education-Courses/NEC-Content.php?sectionID=808.0

Not to say it's not a good idea anyway, but as the 2020 code is adopted it is now a requirement.

PS I just bought my Winnebago in Fountain Hills.

[brican]

Glad you checked the latest. We still put GFCI outlets outside the house. Like you said it is still a good idea, just to be safe. Funny how the code said it was required last year but now it is not. Or, last year it was unsafe to not do it but this year it is safe to not do it. Anyway, if I had to do it again, it would be GFCI all the way.