Hello,

I have a generator that has a 4 prong, 30 amp receptacle like this.....

So here's the question.......
Just wondering if there's a "safe" way to connect the 4 output wires of this 4 prong 30 Amp male plug (below)......
(Assuming that the 4 terminals shown in brass are plugged into the 30 amp source (above) and the other side has the 4 wires....2 hot, 1 neutral and one ground)

TO........

This outlet and if so...how would the wiring be connected?

The final appliance needs 20 amps

So basically a pigtail to connect the 30 amp 4 prong male plug to the 20 amp receptacle using 12 gauge Romex

Thanks

 

That is a 15amp receptacle usually and also only has the capacity for 3 conductors!
If you have L1, L2, Earth and Neutral.
Buy the 4 pin mating socket?
Max.

 

That is a 15amp receptacle usually and also only has the capacity for 3 conductors!
If you have L1, L2, Earth and Neutral.
Buy the 4 pin mating socket?
Max.

The device I need to power is 15 or 20 amps. I assumed the way I would connect it would be the same.
So I'm trying to find a way to power the 15 or 20Amp device with my Genny.

How would I use the 4 pin mating socket to plug in the 20 amp device I need to power?

 

It's not clear how you physically want to do this.

If you want just a 3-prong socket on the end of a cord such as this:


then wire one of the hot leads to the hot pin (narrow slot) of the 3-prong socket, the neutral to the wide slot, and the ground to the round pin from a 4-prong generator plug (below).



If you want to use a 3 prong dual wall outlet as you show, many have a small metal bridge in the hot connection between the two outlets that can be broken.
You can thus connect the ground and neutral to both outlets, with the hot wires going to each separate outlet.
That will help balance the load between the two hot leads if both outlets are being used.

 

It's not clear how you physically want to do this.

If you want just a 3-prong socket on the end of a cord such as this:
View attachment 134236

.

The way I read it the OP has four conductor supply.?
Max.

 

The way I read it the OP has four conductor supply.?
Max.

Yes, as he shows from the 4-prong monkey-face socket and plug.

It just wasn't clear to me exactly what type of 3-prong physical connector he wanted to end up with (one at the end of a cable, or one in an outlet box).

 

That is a 15amp receptacle usually and also only has the capacity for 3 conductors!
If you have L1, L2, Earth and Neutral.
Buy the 4 pin mating socket?
Max.

Isn't that a 20 A receptacle? I thought 15 A receptacles didn't have the short cross slot on the neutral and that the plug for a device that needs more than 15 A but less than 20 A has the neutral prong turned sideways so that it won't go into a 15 A receptacle.

Sounds like the TS has a 110 V / 220 V split phase generator that only has a single split phase outlet and he wants to power a single phase outlet from it. That shouldn't be a problem, should it? Just pick on the hot lines to use and leave the other unconnected. If he has multiple 220 V receptacles he wants to power, then use one hot wire on half of them and the other hot wire on the other half.

I lived in a sleeping room that had one phase on the top receptacle and the other phase on the bottom one. I don't know if that violates code or not (sure seemed to me like it was an accident waiting to happen), but it allowed me to power a small 220 V appliance with a simple harness that had one 220 V socket and two 110 V plugs.

 

I lived in a sleeping room that had one phase on the top receptacle and the other phase on the bottom one. I don't know if that violates code or not (sure seemed to me like it was an accident waiting to happen), but it allowed me to power a small 220 V appliance with a simple harness that had one 220 V socket and two 110 V plugs.

Not really another phase, but that was the code at one time in Kitchens so that one did not overload one side of the supply.
Max.

 

Ok, I don't think I need to worry about the 15 amp plug because the generator already HAS those correct?
Maybe this will make it clearer?

Here is the layout of the outlets on the Generator......

So, unless I'm mistaken, I CAN directly plug a 15amp plug right into one of the 4 outlets.


But I also need to plug in this 20 amp plug.....(below)
or make a pig tail so that I can have a Male 4 prong 30amp plug on one end (to go into the generator) and a 20 Amp FEMALE receptacle on the other end to receive the plug from the appliance I want to power, as pictured below

 

That is a 240v and earth outlet plug, it all depends on the Nature/demands/requirements of what your load intention is?
Sounds like you need to implement another style panel!
Max.

 

That is a 240v and earth outlet plug, it all depends on the Nature/demands/requirements of what your load intention is?
Sounds like you need to implement another style panel!
Max.

I can't Max. The generator is what it is

 

Working from NEMA plug and receptacle configurations. You are saying your generator only has a 14-30R connection. If you have a 240 Volt Split Phase generator it should be about a 7500 VA (7.5 KVA) unit. Your output connector should be wired as Crutschow posted in Post #4. You may want to check that pinout using a AC voltmeter just to make sure. If you want other receptacles I would consider making a break out box with the other receptacles you want. Since your generator has 30 Amp service it should have a 30 Amp circuit breaker for the output. The key is in post #4, This is what you should have:
NEMA Connector L14-30 120/240V

You may want to consider using some 4 Conductor AWG 10 with good flexibility to your breakout box. You can also buy ready to go power distribution boxes with a wide range of generator connectors. The key is how the generator output is wired and it should be standard as in the link.

Ron

 

That is a 240v and earth outlet plug, it all depends on the Nature/demands/requirements of what your load intention is?
Sounds like you need to implement another style panel!
Max.

Max.

 

Ok, I guess it's not possible what I want to do with out drastically changing the generator, which I don't want to do since this is not a permanently needed configuration.

Was "hoping" to do it all externally via custom connections, but that seems out.

I can't yet understand why it's not possible. But I'll mull it over.

Thanks for the replies

 

Was "hoping" to do it all externally via custom connections, but that seems out.

Why? You have 240 VAC service as well as 120 VAC service available. The 240 VAC is split phase 120 VAC service. This should be just as Crutschow illustrated in post #4 which is what my link shows. You can buy everything you need at a local home improvement store like Lowes or Home Depot. Additionally there are break out boxes made to get you where you want to be. The 20 Amp plug you show in your post #9 is a standard 6-15P NEMA plug for up to 250 VAC. You have the 240 VAC service off the generator as well as 120 VAC based on your post #9 showing the generator outputs. So you would go from the generator using a NEMA 14-30P (Plug) and add an inline 6-15R on the opposite end. Just use some AWG 12 3 Conductor.

Ron

 

Why? You have 240 VAC service as well as 120 VAC service available. The 240 VAC is split phase 120 VAC service. This should be just as Crutschow illustrated in post #4 which is what my link shows. You can buy everything you need at a local home improvement store like Lowes or Home Depot. Additionally there are break out boxes made to get you where you want to be. The 20 Amp plug you show in your post #9 is a standard 6-15P NEMA plug for up to 250 VAC. You have the 240 VAC service off the generator as well as 120 VAC based on your post #9 showing the generator outputs. So you would go from the generator using a NEMA 14-30P (Plug) and add an inline 6-15R on the opposite end. Just use some AWG 12 3 Conductor.

Ron

Thanks Ron,
Maybe I misunderstood your post the first time.
I'll go over it again with a bit more attention.

Thanks again

 

As others said. Its pretty easy.

You would use the same common and ground lines for the 15 amp duplex socket as the 4 prong plug has then either just use one of the two hot lines from the 4 prong plug for power or send each hot line to one of the sockets hot connection points. If you do it as a dual feed make sure you remove the jumper tab that is between the two socket hot connection screws on the duplex socket so that each end of the socket is fed from a separate hot lead.

Personally I have made many of those adapter pigtails and break out boxes for people and by far splitting the 30 amp 4 prong 120/240 feeder into two lines that feed two duplex sockets so that up to 4 devices can be plugged in is the most popular given the added current capacity. Granted it's running 15 or 20 amp sockets on 30 amp lines but if you are using the generator for construction work where there is a lot of higher powered devices to work with the added circuit capacity is well worth it.

 

As others said. Its pretty easy.

You would use the same common and ground lines for the 15 amp duplex socket as the 4 prong plug has then either just use one of the two hot lines from the 4 prong plug for power or send each hot line to one of the sockets hot connection points. If you do it as a dual feed make sure you remove the jumper tab that is between the two socket hot connection screws on the duplex socket so that each end of the socket is fed from a separate hot lead.

Personally I have made many of those adapter pigtails and break out boxes for people and by far splitting the 30 amp 4 prong 120/240 feeder into two lines that feed two duplex sockets so that up to 4 devices can be plugged in is the most popular given the added current capacity. Granted it's running 15 or 20 amp sockets on 30 amp lines but if you are using the generator for construction work where there is a lot of higher powered devices to work with the added circuit capacity is well worth it.

Thanks for this information. Very helpful.

I may be misunderstanding the way the 30amp socket works.
My understanding is there are 4 lines....L1 (hot#1), L2 (hot#2), Neutral and ground.

I was under the impression that the L1 and L2 (Hot lines) are 15 amps EACH and only combined could they deliver 30 amps?

Is that where I'm going wrong?

If I only use ONE of the L1 lines, I thought I would only have 15 amps?

 

A device that runs from the 240 Vac may not have any neutral current at all -- it might be straight from one hot wire to the other. So to get 30 A, it would be 30 A in each of the hot lines.

 

Ok...from what I gathered....Is THIS appropriate?