Where can you find the electrical diagram for a 1991 Redman mobile home?

Answer 1

It's going to be difficult; (if not impossible). First contact Redman at the related link to see if they still have schematics dating back that far.

Ultimately, you may have to make your own schematic. I have inspected literally thousands of mobile homes in the production phase, for dozens of manufacturers. The method I use to see what is on a particular circuit, is to turn off all of the circuit breakers, except one, and using a polarity checker (or by switching on various lights) identify which outlets are still on; thereby identifying which circuit its on.

For guidance, lights are normally on 15 amp, and there are normally 2-4 lighting circuits in a home. (Lighting circuits are any circuit which is not a small appliance, laundry or special circuit). Living rooms, bedrooms and utility rooms will normally be on a 15 amp circuit.

There will two (or more), 20 amp circuits run to the kitchen recepts. The recepts over the countertops are required to be on a minimum of two different circuits. The dinning room can be run off of one of the kitchen circuits, or it can be on it's own 20 amp circuit. Back in 91 the family room would have been on a 20 amp circuit from the kitchen.

Bathrooms require a GFCI protected outlet, and it usually is continued out to protect the exterior outlet.

Laundry area recept will be 20 amp, which will serve the washer and a gas dryer (electric dryer is on a separate circuit at 240 volt, 30 amp).

Of course the 240 volts circuits are obvious to their use, water heaters are normally 25 amp (possibly 30 but that would be oversizing), dryer- 30 amp, electric furnace- 70-90 amp, a/c- 30- 50 amp, etc. Circuit breakers which have two handles tied together are 240 volt appliances).

Determining "how" the wires are run, from which recept to the next, is much more difficult, especially after the home is built. A few basic rules are 'usually' followed.

Usually, a circuit runs to the closest outlet and to each in succession using the shortest run of wire. All recepts on exterior walls will run in dado's on the wall, interior cables may either drop from the ceiling, come up from below floor or run in dado's in the walls. Most commonly, a circuit is run on the exterior wall, and feeds recepts in the same room by continuing into the interior walls (from the sidewall).

If you are thinking of adding an outlet to an existing circuit, be very careful that you fully understand exactly what you are doing. I strongly recommend you get a building permit at your local building department and follow any instructions he may give.

Remember this, if you are work causes a fire, (even after you sell the home and move on), you will be held libel for the total loss. And, your insurance company may not be willing to pay based on the fact you did this without a permit (AKA it's against the law ever where in the US).

If you are having a problem in the wiring, isolating the various outlets will tell you if any are not working, and possibly lead you to conclude where the fault may lie. Just remember that the circuit starts at the panelbox and usually through up the outside wall.