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Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
#8629605
06/27/22 04:19 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,539
BayouGuy
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I have a 12,000 Wat generator with a four wire 6 GA cable to hook the generator from the 50-amp outlet on the generator to a 50-amp power inlet box on my service panel. The generator end of the cable has a 4-prong male connector (ground, neutral and two hots). But the end of the cable for the power inlet box has a 3-slot female connector (ground, neutral and one hot). So, the two hot lines of the cable are connected to two prongs at the generator. But both hot lines are connected to one slot at the inlet box. Why is that?
If you can't laugh at yourself, give me a call. I'll gladly laugh at you. "I keep trying to see Nancy Pelosi's and Chuck Schumer's point of view, but I can't seem to get my head that far up my [censored]." Senator John Kennedy, Louisiana
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8629624
06/27/22 04:54 PM
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Joined: Jun 2009
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Tru_texan36
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Your generator is only producing a single phase, the house has two phases.
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8629628
06/27/22 04:58 PM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,776
nak
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Take pictures of both ends. Sounds like the standard 30 AMP RV Plug, shown below That plug is for connected a 30 AMP 120 RV cord to a 50 amp RV outlet. Of of the hot wires from the 50 side is not connected Is there a manual transfer switch or something inside the house, by the breaker box?
Last edited by nak; 06/27/22 05:01 PM.
We all need to practice Whoa more.
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: Tru_texan36]
#8629710
06/27/22 07:06 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 12,761
Paluxy
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Your generator is only producing a single phase, the house has two phases. I get what you're thinking on the 2 phases (I think) but the house is likely single phase 220v, very few residences have 3 phase service. The cable in the OP sounds like it was made to run a RV with 30amp service.
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: Paluxy]
#8629715
06/27/22 07:17 PM
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,794
ILUVBIGBUCKS
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Your generator is only producing a single phase, the house has two phases. I get what you're thinking on the 2 phases (I think) but the house is likely single phase 220v, very few residences have 3 phase service. The cable in the OP sounds like it was made to run a RV with 30amp service. Single phase 240v is what pretty much all houses have and likely what your gen set is producing. The post above showing the RB cord is the most likely correct answer. You will have to purchase a cord that is 4-wire (2 hots, neutral, ground) that will work from the gen set to your panel or disconnect/transfer switch (however you are wiring it in).
High fence, low fence, no fence, it really doesn't matter as long as you're hunting!
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8629789
06/27/22 09:25 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,294
oldoak2000
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I have a 12,000 Wat generator with a four wire 6 GA cable to hook the generator from the 50-amp outlet on the generator to a 50-amp power inlet box on my service panel. The generator end of the cable has a 4-prong male connector (ground, neutral and two hots). But the end of the cable for the power inlet box has a 3-slot female connector (ground, neutral and one hot). So, the two hot lines of the cable are connected to two prongs at the generator. But both hot lines are connected to one slot at the inlet box. Why is that? What's the model# of the Generator? Perhaps you have it wrong on the 3-prong plug, and there are 2 hots and a neutral. Technically a generator is supposed to be grounded at the generator location, and so a 'ground' line would not need to be ran back to a service-panel inlet box as those should already be grounded itself.
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8629852
06/27/22 11:03 PM
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Joined: Dec 2011
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Lazyjack
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Can you post a picture of the panel on your generator?
If the 2nd amendment was written just to include guns for hunting, why is there not an amendment to protect fishing poles?
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: Tru_texan36]
#8629878
06/27/22 11:29 PM
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Joined: Feb 2019
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Poppa
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Your generator is only producing a single phase, the house has two phases. wrong answer. two legs same phase
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8629892
06/27/22 11:51 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 12,761
Paluxy
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Your generator is only producing a single phase, the house has two phases. wrong answer. two legs same phase Single phase refers to the transformer primary, the transformer secondary is what gives you two 120v legs that are out of phase.
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: Lazyjack]
#8629979
06/28/22 01:31 AM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,539
BayouGuy
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Can you post a picture of the panel on your generator?
If you can't laugh at yourself, give me a call. I'll gladly laugh at you. "I keep trying to see Nancy Pelosi's and Chuck Schumer's point of view, but I can't seem to get my head that far up my [censored]." Senator John Kennedy, Louisiana
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8630067
06/28/22 03:04 AM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,294
oldoak2000
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based on that pic looks like a variant of a Westinghouse 12,000 generator - WGEN12000 - https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Westinghouse-WGEN12000-Portable-Generator/p95392.htmland the cable is 50A 240V, as I suggested earlier - so it has 2 hots and a neutral, so that you can get full 12000 watts into your home, 2 legs of 120v with a common neutral. The 4th prong, the ground, is not used at the 3-prong twistlock plug - which is why you have a grounding lug on the panel lower right side, to ground the generator right at it's location!
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: oldoak2000]
#8630078
06/28/22 03:34 AM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,539
BayouGuy
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based on that pic looks like a variant of a Westinghouse 12,000 generator - WGEN12000 - https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Westinghouse-WGEN12000-Portable-Generator/p95392.htmland the cable is 50A 240V, as I suggested earlier - so it has 2 hots and a neutral, so that you can get full 12000 watts into your home, 2 legs of 120v with a common neutral. The 4th prong, the ground, is not used at the 3-prong twistlock plug - which is why you have a grounding lug on the panel lower right side, to ground the generator right at it's location! OK, I can see that. And my generator is grounded to an in-ground rod. But why four wires and four prongs at the generator end if only three wires are used at the service panel end?
If you can't laugh at yourself, give me a call. I'll gladly laugh at you. "I keep trying to see Nancy Pelosi's and Chuck Schumer's point of view, but I can't seem to get my head that far up my [censored]." Senator John Kennedy, Louisiana
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8630079
06/28/22 03:43 AM
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oldoak2000
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. But why four wires and four prongs at the generator end if only three wires are used at the service panel end?
The generator has a 4-wire socket in case you have an application that needs a ground separated from the neutral. The manual (online) shows how to separate the neutral from bonded (to ground) to unbonded. If loads are remote, you do not want to have both a ground wire and a neutral wire running the distance with both bonded on both ends as then half of any neutral current WILL FLOW across the ground wire too! - no bueno!
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: oldoak2000]
#8630189
06/28/22 12:31 PM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 5,831
Lazyjack
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. But why four wires and four prongs at the generator end if only three wires are used at the service panel end?
The generator has a 4-wire socket in case you have an application that needs a ground separated from the neutral. The manual (online) shows how to separate the neutral from bonded (to ground) to unbonded. If loads are remote, you do not want to have both a ground wire and a neutral wire running the distance with both bonded on both ends as then half of any neutral current WILL FLOW across the ground wire too! - no bueno! I am not an electrician so take my opinion as such. But this i my understanding as well. Let me add... Your home only has 3 wires fed from utility company. 2 "hot" conductors to provide 120/240 volts and a neutral. House panel is grounded and transomer from utility company is grounded for safety. The genny hook up will replace utility hook up. So genny hook up will mimic drop from utility company.
If the 2nd amendment was written just to include guns for hunting, why is there not an amendment to protect fishing poles?
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8630243
06/28/22 01:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 12,761
Paluxy
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I have a 12,000 Wat generator with a four wire 6 GA cable to hook the generator from the 50-amp outlet on the generator to a 50-amp power inlet box on my service panel. The generator end of the cable has a 4-prong male connector (ground, neutral and two hots). But the end of the cable for the power inlet box has a 3-slot female connector (ground, neutral and one hot). So, the two hot lines of the cable are connected to two prongs at the generator. But both hot lines are connected to one slot at the inlet box. Why is that? You need to get a multimeter and verify the cable wiring if you think both hot lines are connected together at the 3 prong inlet box end. That would be bad, if it is actually wired that way you would trip breakers at the generator as it is a direct short between hots.
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: Paluxy]
#8630274
06/28/22 02:11 PM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 5,831
Lazyjack
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I have a 12,000 Wat generator with a four wire 6 GA cable to hook the generator from the 50-amp outlet on the generator to a 50-amp power inlet box on my service panel. The generator end of the cable has a 4-prong male connector (ground, neutral and two hots). But the end of the cable for the power inlet box has a 3-slot female connector (ground, neutral and one hot). So, the two hot lines of the cable are connected to two prongs at the generator. But both hot lines are connected to one slot at the inlet box. Why is that? You need to get a multimeter and verify the cable wiring if you think both hot lines are connected together at the 3 prong inlet box end. That would be bad, if it is actually wired that way you would trip breakers at the generator as it is a direct short between hots. Yeah. After looking at gen panel, I cant see any reason for any double lug. Who hooked this up?
If the 2nd amendment was written just to include guns for hunting, why is there not an amendment to protect fishing poles?
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: Paluxy]
#8630311
06/28/22 02:58 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,539
BayouGuy
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I have a 12,000 Wat generator with a four wire 6 GA cable to hook the generator from the 50-amp outlet on the generator to a 50-amp power inlet box on my service panel. The generator end of the cable has a 4-prong male connector (ground, neutral and two hots). But the end of the cable for the power inlet box has a 3-slot female connector (ground, neutral and one hot). So, the two hot lines of the cable are connected to two prongs at the generator. But both hot lines are connected to one slot at the inlet box. Why is that? You need to get a multimeter and verify the cable wiring if you think both hot lines are connected together at the 3 prong inlet box end. That would be bad, if it is actually wired that way you would trip breakers at the generator as it is a direct short between hots. My bad. The wiring at the inlet box is hot/hot/neutral. The ground wire from the cable is not used. It seems I paid for a 4-wire 6 GA cable when a 3-wire cable would have done the job.
If you can't laugh at yourself, give me a call. I'll gladly laugh at you. "I keep trying to see Nancy Pelosi's and Chuck Schumer's point of view, but I can't seem to get my head that far up my [censored]." Senator John Kennedy, Louisiana
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Re: Will Some Electrician Explain this to Me?
[Re: BayouGuy]
#8630761
06/29/22 02:52 AM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11,904
Simple Searcher
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I have seen 4 wire connections that were three prong, with the ground being the casing/shell of the connector. Is it possible that this is what you have at the inlet box?
"Man is still a hunter, still a simple searcher after meat..." Robert C. Ruark
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