portable generator

Status
Not open for further replies.

pridelion

Member
Why does a portable generator cord have a three prong male end to connect to the generator but a four slot female end to connect to the transfer switch? Also, this generator has a 20 amp 240v L6-20 socket and a 30a 125V L5-30 socket. Which one does the cord plug into and why? Thank you for your patience and help, this is my first portable gen. install.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
At the genny, the neutral and ground are bonded together. Once those two are outside of the genny, they must be kept seperated.

Just like your electrical service.... they're the same up to the service panel, then they are seperated.

As for which one the cord plugs in to, one recep is 240v only, and the other is stricly 120v.
 

suemarkp

Senior Member
Location
Kent, WA
Occupation
Retired Engineer
Um, I don't think this generator is suitable for powering a house with the receptacles provided. A 6-20 doesn't have a neutral and a 5-30 is missing a phase. If you can access the wires internally, then you could probably make it work.

Most residential transfer switches don't transfer the neutral. So you need a 4 pole plug to connect to the house and the generator must not bond the neutral to ground. The main bonding will be done by the house service panel main bonding jumper.

Even if the generator was a separately derived system (neutral is switched in transfer switch), you'd need a power plug that has three current carrying poles (like the old style dryer receptacles). You shouldn't use a grounding pin in a plug/receptacle as a neutral unless it is one of those older types with a dual purpose ground/neutral.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top