Cheater adapters

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dbuckley

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Canterbury, New Zealand
I have a question relating to NEC compliance of a particular type of "cheater tap". I have searched this forum and found reference to a type of cheater tap which is basically an 30A/50A adapter, but this breed is more complex.

Referring to sketch A below, basically two 20A plugs (on left) are wired to a 4 pin socket (on right), providing two hots, a neutral and a ground. This is used in situations where a four wire supply is not available, but 15A or 20A sockets on separate circuits are.

As an opening question, are there any NEC violations with this thing? Do you consider this thing to be safe?

Thanks.
cheater.jpg


This thing from Progressive Industries, the ADT230 Cheater Box may be something similar available commercially.

ADT230.jpg
 
Re: Cheater adapters

These are usually found in RV centers. Used primarily for Class A motorhomes having 50Amp service. RV pedestal at campsite only has a 30Amp and 20Amp receptacles. Instrtuctions say to plug 20Amp into outlet on different power leg then 30Amp outlet.
How is an RVer going to know the difference?
 
Re: Cheater adapters

Safe? Only if the both of the 20 amp recps. are wired correctly and no one increases the breaker sizes!

But how often do you find 2 seperate 20 amp circuits that close together and that are on two different circuits and two different phases and both of the breakers are installed side by side along with a breaker tie ?

NEC Violation?

How about 210.4(B)

(B) Devices or Equipment Where a multiwire branch circuit supplies more than one device or equipment on the same yoke, a means shall be provided to disconnect simultaneously all ungrounded conductors supplying those devices or equipment at the point where the branch circuit originates.


*If the two circuits are not from different phases, sharing the nuetral is another violation.


Is this thing UL listed?

I don't like it one little bit...where can I buy one?!!
:)
 
Re: Cheater adapters

Thank your for your responses so far.

The specific usage I'm interested in is in the rock and roll industry, where amplifier racks are often fitted with a four pole input socket, but sometimes are then used at a venue with only standard three pole sockets, and thus a "cheater tap" is used to enable the rack to be powered from a couple of standard circuits.

I am of the opinion that this thing is fundamentally unsafe, and have been arguing so for some years. However those I argue with say "show me the code violations", which is where I come unstuck, and am asking for help. It may be a bit cheeky, but my original question was deliberately a bit vague :)

I think the thing is unsafe on at least the following counts:

a) It is effectively paralleling the installation's neutral conductors in a way never intended by the installer. This will affect the way return current will flow, see the diagrams below. In some circumstances (example: two premises knocked into one but still two independent installations) you not only parallel the neutral but parallel the otherwise independent grounds, and thus provide a circulating path through neutral and ground.

This is at the root of my complaint, even if the cheater itself isn't unsafe, the impacts it can have on an installation are unknown and will vary from insallation to installation.

b) The neutral pin is common to both plugs, so you effectively have a pin to pin cable. Under UK regs (where I used to live) there was a general principal that all conductors were to be assumed as (and thus treated as) live, and therefore having a "pin to pin" cable would be illegal.

I think this thing is so obviously wrong that it shouldn't be allowed, but every time I look there seem to be more examples of these devices... So I'm looking for code violations that will help me make my case.

Thanks again.
neutral_bad.jpg



Infinity: That thing is a Hubbell, a respected manufacturer as opposed to some back room junket, which surprises me greatly.

[ November 12, 2005, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: dbuckley ]
 
Re: Cheater adapters

Actually,the reason I questioned the usage was because,If it was to be used for an rv .Every person that has gone without power has a drawer full of adapters to power up no matter what the situation.125/250 50A R.V.`s have nothing in them that requires 250 volts.Roof top units 125v,W/H (12v dc,LPG,125v.)Even the new combo washer/dryers are 125v.
I thought that some braniac would create something like that(no offense intended)Just because it works doesn`t mean it can`t kill.Look at that girl at a concert not to long ago standing on a metal platform never made it home that night.Probably from some creative wiring such as what you came to the table with ;)
 
Re: Cheater adapters

I didn't know rock and roll was an industry.

If they can`t do it properly then send the band home

Where's that thread about the pastor being electrocuted?

This is what I have been arguing all along. People who have just enough knowledge to be dangerious have no business touching anything electrical or the equipment.

As for your venues that do not have the necessary power, either have suitable equipment or don't play there.

-Hal
 
Re: Cheater adapters

I'm on your side here, the side of righteousness.

Rock and roll is a fairly sizable industry, by the time you add in all the companies that support it theres probably tens if not hundreds of thousands of people in the USA whose livelihoods rely on live music.

There is a saying in show biz, you've heard it, "the show must go on".

Lots of folks use amp racks with Motion Laboratories RackPac distribution panels, which is decent quality kit, but when they dont have the right power available in a venue resort to using a cheater tap to get power from a couple of nearby wall circuits. And its no me, honest, I dont live in the USA :)

As to the Pastor, we still dont know why he suffered his fate, to the best of my knowledge, so speculation about it being ground lifts are at this time just that, speculation.

For a decent introduction to audio and grounding have a look at AES An Overview of Shielding and Grounding (PDF 2.1mb).
 
Re: Cheater adapters

I just got back from a Damn Rock n Roll service call!!! :eek:

I get there in like 15 minutes!... everyone's freaking out...the band is pissed, the sound guy is asking me what's wrong?, is it gonna work?, how much longer?, can you fix it? Blah, blah, BLAH... Not to mention the couple hundred drunk people saying stupid stuff like "Come On Sparky!!!"
(Nothing like working under pressure!)

The problem: I had installed 2 separate 20 amp GFCI circuits with "In-Use" covers. (Outdoor stage) well, I get there and the In-Use covers were no where to be found! The GFCI's were exposed to weather for however long and just corroded and destroyed. Replaced them in 20 minutes, band started playing. :D

WooooHoooo...Rock N Roll!!! :D

ok, I feel better now that I vented!
Thanks for listening! :p

Dave
 
Re: Cheater adapters

Rock and roll is a fairly sizable industry, by the time you add in all the companies that support it theres probably tens if not hundreds of thousands of people in the USA whose livelihoods rely on live music.

I was being facetious. I consider rock and roll to be only a segment of the entire music genre same as rock, hip-hop, Latin, jazz, classical, country, etc. Certainly all of these are performed live.

I don't think rock and roll is anymore an industry by itself than country or any of the others. I think what you are refering to is the live entertainment industry.

-Hal
 
Re: Cheater adapters

I have broke a few while installing them.They are nothing more than a get rich quick scam.Pure junk that will last at tops a year or two.Now exsplain how they got required before anyone could even build a good one.All part of this free volunteer help for nec.I will work free too if someone sends me a pay check if i get there junk required by code.
 
Re: Cheater adapters

Quote from Progressive industries:

The Cheater box plugs into and 30A and a 20A source on separate circuits to give user a 50A output. Will not operate on a GFCI circuit.
Click to expand...
A 50A output :eek: I can only imagine they are just tying the 20A and 30A lines together. How do they know 30A won't be flowing on the 20A circuit? And at 30A, a 20 amp breaker will never trip.

When a building is designed, we have to size the service and the feeders for the building loads. When a band comes in and plugs 10KW of equipment into whatever they can find, it kind of makes the load calc. pointless. And at the worst time: when the place is jam packed, the HVAC is running full blast, and every cooler fridge is running full blast trying to keep the beer cold.

Steve
 
Re: Cheater adapters

The yellow - Hubbell YQ-230 Smart Y Adapters has protection agains reverse polarity. I would trust the hubble product.
the black one appears to be a garage product.
don't the RV power pedistals have one 120 volt circuit that is spilt into a 20 and 30 with two breakers? Whats the rating of the branch circuit at the sevice?
 
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