Well this actually happened tonight

[Stuart W]

Here we are in a KOA campground in Little Rock Arkansas and we were having a problem with the pedestal popping the 50 Amp double breaker. Two 50 amp breakers connected together. So one camp guy comes out and resets the breaker and says he will have his boss come out, he’s an electrician. The boss comes out and explains to me that the two legs are only 25 amps each and that makes 50 amp service. I asked why the breakers are marked 50 each and he said that’s because it’s a 50 amp service. Lucky it’s just over night

 

[Neemer]

That’s no electrician

 

[GTS225]

Hmmmmm. Sounds like he believes in the principle of "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshirt."

Roger

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Ignorance is bliss

 

[Wemustrv]

So here we go. A 50 amp single pole breaker can handle 50 amps total. A 50 amp two pole breaker can handle 50 amps total. While each pole of a two pole can see 50 amps the total combined amps between poles cannot exceed 50 amps. The RV has a 50 amp service that is two separate feeder bus line 1 and line 2(L1 and L2) in the panel coming from the power pole, L1 and L2 each fed by separate poles of the 50 amp 2 pole circuit breaker with a common neutral. So from a functional standpoint a 2 pole 50 amp breaker is 2 single poles in one case. The weak point of using two single pole breakers is that unlike a two pole breaker there is no common trip bar which causes both poles to trip under any fault exceeding the max capacity of the breaker. In a typical Residential panel a two pole breaker is utilizes bothL1 and L2 to provide 220 to a 2 pole breaker. RV panels are 110 per line and do not have the capability of using 2 pole breakers to provide 220 volts with the exception of the main breaker. All equipment protected by the RVs panel are 110 amp devices. So while the application of two single pole breakers at the power pole does work and will provide protection it is not without issue. If a fault occurs in either L1 or L2 the opposite single pole breaker will not trip. There could also be nuisance tripping of the ground fault circuit protector (GFCI) protectors. This would be a code violation even if it does work. The power pole does fall under the NEC code requirements.

One additional point to make. Manufacturers do make a device called a handle tie. Do not be fooled by this device. The purpose of this device it connect the handle of two single pole circuit breakers together so they can be turned on and off at the same time. This device does NOT provide common trip of both breakers.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

I'm shocked by some people's knowledge of electricity.

 

[sheridany]

I have seen worse and I am no electrician. Just saying.

 

[flyboy013]

I recently stayed at a COE campground in South Dakota. When I went to plug in I was presented with these a red label showing that I was plugging into a 220V outlet. While I realize that that a RV 50A outlet is technically a 240V outlet, I hesitated for a moment before plugging in. While I’m not an electrician, I’d like to think of myself as competent on the subject. If I’m hesitating before plugging in, I’m sure it would worry (or not) someone who isn’t as competent when it comes to electricity. Also, shouldn’t the outlets be labeled 240V and 120V? 110/220 is a bit old school.

 

[Stuart W]

So here we go. A 50 amp single pole breaker can handle 50 amps total. A 50 amp two pole breaker can handle 50 amps total. While each pole of a two pole can see 50 amps the total combined amps between poles cannot exceed 50 amps. The RV has a 50 amp service that is two separate feeder bus line 1 and line 2(L1 and L2) in the panel coming from the power pole, L1 and L2 each fed by separate poles of the 50 amp 2 pole circuit breaker with a common neutral. So from a functional standpoint a 2 pole 50 amp breaker is 2 single poles in one case. The weak point of using two single pole breakers is that unlike a two pole breaker there is no common trip bar which causes both poles to trip under any fault exceeding the max capacity of the breaker. In a typical Residential panel a two pole breaker is utilizes bothL1 and L2 to provide 220 to a 2 pole breaker. RV panels are 110 per line and do not have the capability of using 2 pole breakers to provide 220 volts with the exception of the main breaker. All equipment protected by the RVs panel are 110 amp devices. So while the application of two single pole breakers at the power pole does work and will provide protection it is not without issue. If a fault occurs in either L1 or L2 the opposite single pole breaker will not trip. There could also be nuisance tripping of the ground fault circuit protector (GFCI) protectors. This would be a code violation even if it does work. The power pole does fall under the NEC code requirements.

One additional point to make. Manufacturers do make a device called a handle tie. Do not be fooled by this device. The purpose of this device it connect the handle of two single pole circuit breakers together so they can be turned on and off at the same time. This device does NOT provide common trip of both breakers.

So to be clear your saying that a double 50amp breaker does not mean that each breaker has a separate 50 amp capacity?

 

[GTS225]

So to be clear your saying that a double 50amp breaker does not mean that each breaker has a separate 50 amp capacity?

Correct. Each breaker, (by itself), has a 50 amp capacity. If the capacity is exceeded, at least one of the breakers will trip. Therein lies the problem.......only one will trip, leaving half of your 220V hookup still live. It SHOULD have a breaker that causes BOTH sides to trip, should either leg exceed the amperage rating.
I suppose the NEC allows for the setup being discussed as a TEMPORARY measure. (Somehow, I suspect this temporary measure has been in service for a lot more than a week.)

Roger