Installing 110 outlet

I need to add an additional 110 outlet on our 2003 26S Trail Lite trailer
so I can connect my Lighting Rod water heater element. I have a few
questions...

Is it better to splice into an existing line or add a new circuit? I
understand there are "Twin Thin Breakers" that allow you to replace the
existing breaker with one that has two outputs. The problem is I don't know
where to find one.

The Trail Lite has an enclosed underbody so don't know if I can access to
run romex under the floor. Anyone have any experince doing this.

Jerry Atkiin wrote:
> I need to add an additional 110 outlet on our 2003 26S Trail Lite trailer
> so I can connect my Lighting Rod water heater element. I have a few
> questions...
>
> Is it better to splice into an existing line or add a new circuit? I
> understand there are "Twin Thin Breakers" that allow you to replace the
> existing breaker with one that has two outputs. The problem is I don't know
> where to find one.
>
> The Trail Lite has an enclosed underbody so don't know if I can access to
> run romex under the floor. Anyone have any experince doing this.
>

Unenclose the under body and run the wire under the floor. Run a new
circuit. If you check, I think you'll find that you have 8 or more
outlets on a circuit now.

When I installed our lightening rod on our last MH, I put a GFI outlet
in the cabinet behind the water heater. It was dedicated only to the
water heater. The circuit breaker was our on off switch for the
Lightening Rod.

Lon

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 12:15:50 -0000 Jerry Atkiin <tayana272m>
wrote:

>I need to add an additional 110 outlet on our 2003 26S Trail Lite trailer
>so I can connect my Lighting Rod water heater element. I have a few
>questions...
>
>Is it better to splice into an existing line or add a new circuit? I
>understand there are "Twin Thin Breakers" that allow you to replace the
>existing breaker with one that has two outputs. The problem is I don't know
>where to find one.

I'm no electrician but that won't likely stop anyone else from giving
advice. If I was putting in a hot water heating element I would want
it on a separate breaker. As far as finding the skinny breakers goes,
pull one of the existing breakers and head for Home Depot or whatever
building supply store is near you.

FWIW it sounds like maybe this project is beyond your current
capabilities. Either find someone who doesn't have to ask these
questions to help you or hire an electrician.


--
R.J.(Bob) Evans
(return address needs alteration to work)

"GBinNC" <GBinNC@XgmailX.com> wrote in message
news:k5ea03pelj1t3ffvbd6rm9676igcmk7017@...
> On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 07:51:13 -0600, "R.J.(Bob) Evans" <bob d0t evans at
> sasktel d0t net> wrote:
>
> >I'm no electrician but that won't likely stop anyone else from giving
> >advice. If I was putting in a hot water heating element I would want
> >it on a separate breaker.
>
> However -- if the Lightning Rod is like my Hott Rod (same idea,
> different brand), it pulls only about 450 watts. A separate breaker
> might not be needed. (I didn't use one for mine.)
>
> But I'm no electrician either....
>
> GB in NC

To find out the amount of amps a device will pull based on wattage just
divide the wattage by the voltage. In this case 450 watts / 110 volts
equals 4.1 amps. Most 110 breakers are at the 15 amp range. If you tap
into another line be aware of other items running at the same time and the
amps they draw.

Dave

I see where Jerry Atkiin <tayana272m> contributed:
>I need to add an additional 110 outlet on our 2003 26S Trail Lite trailer
>so I can connect my Lighting Rod water heater element. I have a few
>questions...

As others have said, if you have to ask, you should NOT be doing the
job yourself. Get help.

Will Sill
The Curmudgeon of Sill Hill

R.J.(Bob) Evans wrote:

> As far as finding the skinny breakers goes,
> pull one of the existing breakers and head for Home Depot or whatever
> building supply store is near you.

Better yet. Call the nearest electric supply house and sit in front of
your breaker box while doing so. Give them the name and numbers off one
of your existing breakers. If they have one, ask them to set it aside
for you and go there. Write down the numbers that finally revealed the
breaker you want, and take that with you.

Lon

GBinNC wrote:


>
> However -- if the Lightning Rod is like my Hott Rod (same idea,
> different brand), it pulls only about 450 watts. A separate breaker
> might not be needed. (I didn't use one for mine.)
>
> But I'm no electrician either....
>
> GB in NC

I hope you have the good sense to put it on a line that is protected by
GFI, and I hope you didn't add 450 watts to a line like the one I found
in our trailer.

Lon

-Gar wrote:
>
> Please Mr. Atkiin, tell these guys you are
> mature/smart enough to figure this job out
> yourself even if you had never heard of this
> awesome NG...

have you even considered it may be too late for him to tell us
anything? There hasn't been a single post on the internet from him
since he ask about installing that 110 outlet. I'm not saying anything
did happen, just the possibility, but as I said in an earlier post,
electrocuted people don't usually talk.
:-(

Tom J
who is out of here unless Jerry Atkiin shows up again

Thanks for all the input.

To answer a couple of questions. The LR draws 4 amps. There is no
additional space for another circuit breaker.

The manufacturer suggested that I splice into the line to the microwave.
But just not run the MW when the heater is on.

It's not that this project is brain surgery but gaining insight from others
seems like a reasonable thing to do.

Jerry

Jerry Atkiin wrote:
> Thanks for all the input.

Glad to see you haven't hurt yourself!! May I make 1 last suggestion.
Please go to the library or your local book store or big box store and
get a book on "do it yourself electrical wiring". 110 volt wiring is
the same whether in a home or in an RV & splicing things together in
most cases doesn't meet code. There are 2 things around an RV that are
the same around a home that are very dangerous when people who do not
know how to work with them get in over there heads & cause themselves
or others to get hurt - or worse. That's gas & electric. Internet
newsgroups is not the place to get good advice on how to handle
either, because people that don't know what they are doing, as you
indicated you don't, can't tell the difference in bad advice & good
advice. I can assure you the bad advice far out weighs the good advice
on these groups when it comes to either.

Tom J

Tom J