Manufactured home electrical basics. Mobile Home electrical systems are designed to HUD standards. Mobile home manufacturers use the cheapest parts that meet the HUD requirements. In general, site-built homes use better parts and have more reserve capacity. You may find this helpful in locating wires and troubleshooting problems because the fundamental strategy in finding and…
It is not normal for a breaker to trip regularly. If you have one that does, you have a problem that needs to be found and eliminated. Household circuits, except those going to heavy use appliances like a dryer, range or hot water heater, can handle a sustained total load of about 1,500 watts. If…
If a single outlet is dead and all the others on that same circuit are still working fine then the outlet itself is damaged or no longer connected properly. Go to the main panel and turn off the breaker to that circuit. (You do have the circuits identified right? ) Use a circuit tester, or…
Multiple outlets are run off of a single circuit. As you might expect, a single wire will come out of the main panel and be taken along the side of the house to the front end. This is really easy before the siding is put on. Outlets are then taken off this single circuit all…
Double and triple wide mobile homes have a single main panel from where electrical power is distributed. The electrical power to the section(s) without the main panel is concentrated in one or a few points at the marriage line where the parts of the home come together. When all the power to one section fails…
The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) is an electrical outlet that detects very small leakage of electricity and very quickly shuts off power. It does this so quickly and with such such small current flows that accidental death from electrical shock is prevented.Newer homes all have them in the kitchen and baths. They are easily…
If you connect a portable generator to a mobile home you must be sure that the house is not connected to the utility company line at the same time. In a mobile home where the power is normally supplied by plugging the house cord into the plug on the electrical pedestal this can be accomplished…
The last aluminum wire was used in mobile homes in 1971 so this problem is rapidly becoming of little concern. The problem arises because over time aluminum combines chemically with the oxygen in the air and forms a coating on the wire that is resistant to the flow of electricity. This resistance causes the wire…
Fish Tape is a reel of strong, flexible wire that is used to pull new or replacement electrical wire through the walls. If you are dealing with a mobile home with wood paneled walls it may be easier to carefully peal off the paneling, run the wire and then re-install the paneling. Three prong outlet…
