Generator inlet used in reverse direction

[JoeNorm]

Is it legal to use a generator inlet in the reverse direction to supply power out instead of bring power in?

In this case the exposed prongs are hot and I am not sure if this is prohibited or not?

thanks

 

[LarryFine]

Absolutely do not. Same as using a receptacle as an inlet. Exposed energized blades is never okay.

 

[infinity]

Why would you need an inlet when you could just use a receptacle?

 

[ptonsparky]

Why would you need an inlet when you could just use a receptacle?

Because he has one?
Bad, bad idea.

 

[LarryFine]

My guess is to avoid having to add a new separate receptacle.

There is no compliant way to even use the same conductors.

 

[JoeNorm]

Why would you need an inlet when you could just use a receptacle?

Contractor has the cord for a spider box that has two twist lock ends, no receptacle end

I am not trying to avoid anything, just asking a question.

 

[LarryFine]

Contractor has the cord for a spider box that has two twist lock ends, no receptacle end

It should be physically impossible to have energized male plug blades.

 

[drcampbell]

Contractor has the cord for a spider box that has two twist lock ends, no receptacle end

I am not trying to avoid anything, just asking a question.

Two male ends?

Whenever you see a male-male cord in the wild, steal it and disassemble it when you get home. You might save a life.

 

[roger]

Two male ends?

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[roger]

If there is no receptacle end on the cord an inlet wouldn't work anyways.

 

[electrofelon]

I believe the code section would be 406.7(D)

 

[hillbilly1]

Two male ends?

Whenever you see a male-male cord in the wild, steal it and disassemble it when you get home. You might save a life.

From the sounds of it, it would be two female ends if the op is wanting to use an inlet?

 

[roger]

From the sounds of it, it would be two female ends if the op is wanting to use an inlet?

He said "no receptacle end" in post #6

 

[ruxton.stanislaw Spammer]

If you must ever make or use cables like this (please do not), please at least take the time to put some form of protection relays or contactors on both sides if possible (this is what UPS schematics or Quick220 do, in order to make the exposed prongs of the plugs safe enough).

 

[hillbilly1]

I have a customer that’s called the past couple of weeks wanting me to check out his suicide cord to see if he wired it right. I’ve been ignoring him (not a big customer anyway)

 

[JoeNorm]

I think I can guess now what happened here.

Perhaps the customer had used the cord to back-feed the receptacle on the spider box. He was then left with the wrong end. I only briefly saw the setup and am not super familiar with them so did not catch it. I cannot confirm this but it is my current theory.

Thanks for all the help and code references. The answer seems to be a resounding "never do that"

 

[LarryFine]

When using inlets and outlets, everything should be wired like extension cords, one male and one female.

A generator cord is an extension cord so you don't have to pick up your house and twist it into the genny.

 

[GoldDigger]

Not the OP's situation, but I can see two reasons for two separate male cord ends both attached to a spider box:
1. The two cords are not connected but each one feeds a different set of receptacles on the spider box.
2. The two cords are intended to connect to two opposite phase 120V receptacles to allow some spider box receptacles to supply 240V.
The first can be fully code compliant.
The second would only be save if internal relaying prevents any power from being delivered unless it detects two live input circuits of opposite polarity.

 

[Fred B]

Besides being extremely dangerous, it should be technically impossible if the Generator inlet is correctly wired with an interlock device on the breaker panel. If not, He's got another safety issue that could potentially kill a lineman.