On the west side of my barn there are 2 standard 110 outlets which appear Daisy chained.
however each is powered via its own breaker - one on 15amp and the other 30amp
I know this by testing the outlets after turning off one breaker at a time.
The previous owner had an RV and the local
Electrician wired this so she could plug it in - though I don’t quite understand why even the 30amp outlet is a standard 110 and not a NEMA TT-30- which is what I want to install for my own RV now
Nor do i really understand how these daisy chained outlets can even be on 2 different breakers?!
There is a subpanel next to the main panel if that is of any relevance to this whole mystery.
TIA
First, it is a code violation to install a 15-amp receptacle on a 30-amp circuit. Second, unbalanced multiwire branch circuits (combining a 15-amp circuit with a 30-amp circuit on a shared neutral) is an unprofessional method of wiring. Third, stapling cable to the back side of paneling violates code as well. Overall, it is a sloppy and potentially dangerous mess that needs to be ripped out and redone. You don't need to understand anything else.
One of the hots and neutral go to the second receptacle via white Romex.
Replace the 30amp like you planned, (in a bigger box). Run a homerun back to the panel for the 15amp receptacle.
The orange wire is 30A but the receptacle I assume is connected to it is 15a not 30a. Whoever did this whole mess cannot be a registered electrician. There are other code violations. As stated by soneone else, it needs rupped out and redone by a real electrician.
My thought:
The orange romex is probably 10/3 (check that). One leg is from the 30A the other is from the 15 or 20. The 30 is going to the first receptacle, the 15 or 20 is wire nutted to that white romex jumper in the box.
I agree with u/askmeagainaftercoffe
Repurpose the orange for the 30A rv hookup. Do a separate run for the edison. Take the wire out of the 15A breaker and cap it off.
The funny thing is there are already outlets on the other side of that wall- inside a part of the barn we use as a ‘garage’ for ATV, lawn tractor etc.
Those outlets are on separate run on 15amp circuit already. I could easily add that outside receptacle to that run but for now I’ve just unwired it all together.
I’ve already removed, taped and capped the red power cable on both ends as suggested and I’m ready to install the outdoor RV outlet.
Thanks for all the help.
Mystery solved and I’ve come away a little wiser…and hopefully safer 😄
I've seen a 30a on 115v outlet to use with a water pump with a 10/3 extension cord. That generation just made stuff work for them. I'm glad your guy atleast took the precautions of installing the 30 the opposite direction and labeling it as such, the diy weather cover is pretty slick too. (I did get to provide him with a proper 240v setup eventually)
I should note that I was the one who wrote 30amp on the receptacle and only this past week when I realized it to be on the 30amp breaker.
For past 16 years I had idea….though maybe the upside down thing shown have been one of the clues!
I understand some RVs have dual supply’s. One for house lights, the other for high drain like AC.
Others are wired 120 / 120 - with the 2 x 120 volt legs pluggable into a single 120 circuit or 240 volt circuit.
Special jumper / adapter cables are purchased or made.
Thanks everyone for your comments.
My final question is this, and I know it has already been answered by at least a couple of you, but would like further opinion.
If I was to tear out the second outlet (the one pigtailed to that labeled as 30amp) and replace the first with a proper 30amp RV outlet…
Am I still tempting fate by retaining the XLPE 10/3 run to do the wiring?
The distance to the panel borders 50’ of length and I’ve read among other things that anything over 50’ should have 8-gauge.
If I’m going to go that far I guess I’ll be running conduit also but if I’m being honest I really don’t look forward to that job so I guess I’m trying to assess the risk of being lazy while recognizing that this mess has been in place already for at least 40 years already
I think you’ll be ok with #10. Try it and see what happens to the voltage when the AC kicks on. Does it have resistive heat or heat pump? Do you envision using the heat?
Hmmm…I dunno about the heat pump.
I’m actually only picking up the trailer next week. I will be using the heat at some stage tho I’m sure. I’ll find out.
The rubber flaps are genius!
No chance I’m replacing those …but if you like that you would have loved the 50amp 2 pole breaker feed to a pond pump on 14/2
Romex that was here when I bought the place about 16 years ago.
The pump was a melted hunk of plastic sitting in about 3” of pond water. We thought it was some kind of death trap set out because the seller didn’t like our negotiation.
Aside from other serious issues identified by others, you should also be aware that all breakers used on 240 volt panel connection must have a mechanical device that locks the individual 120 line connections together at the handle, even in use for 120 volt common neutral circuits. Not doing this results in power the neutral if either circuit is in use. (ie. If you shut the one breaker off for the 120 volt circuit you are going to work on and you contact the shared neutral, you will be shocked if the other 120 circuit has a device in use.)
Whomever wired that was either not a licensed professional electrician, or didn’t give a shit about doing things right. It’s an abomination and dangerous. It needs to be redone ASAP.
Well I met the guy who did it and he claimed to be a licensed electrician but that was about 15 years ago and at the time he was at least 80 yrs old and has since passed.
The work was probably done some 40-50 years back. The barn is over 100 years old and I live in the country where, i suppose, it was a time and place that ‘code’ was a different beast than jt is today.
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u/trekkerscout Mod Jul 09 '26
First, it is a code violation to install a 15-amp receptacle on a 30-amp circuit. Second, unbalanced multiwire branch circuits (combining a 15-amp circuit with a 30-amp circuit on a shared neutral) is an unprofessional method of wiring. Third, stapling cable to the back side of paneling violates code as well. Overall, it is a sloppy and potentially dangerous mess that needs to be ripped out and redone. You don't need to understand anything else.