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Generator Help

2K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  PaulS 
#1 ·
Hello All!!!
I'm new to the forum and not sure if I'm in the right spot but I'll ask it anyway.

I have recently acquired a generator from my father-in-law. He bought it for Y2K, didn't need it and wanted to get rid of it so I chimed in and said, "I'll take it!" That being said the generator has 2 20amp 250v plugs on it. I just bought a transfer switch that has a single 20amp twist lock on it. How do I hook this up?
 
#3 · (Edited)
Just from the picture it look like you have a 220 volt single phase generator with a center tap (common). Without a test meter I can't be 100 sure but on the twist cable the large spade that locks is ground, the small spade is common and the the two larger spades opposite each other or hot.

The generator is probably wired that the two 110 volt outlets the top and bottom receptacle are wired to a different hot wire and you can check this by getting 220 volts between the two smaller slots of both receptacle. If so on your cable the locking lug hooks to the ground (bottom half round hole on the receptacle ) then the two large spades on the cable should be hooked on the small slots of the 110 receptacles (one spade to the top receptacle and one on the bottom). The small spade on the cable will hook to one of the larger slots of the 110 receptacle.

This will give you 220 volts between the two large slots on the cable and 110 volts between either large slots and the small slot . Also check the ground against large slots and should be 110 volts.
I hope I could put it into words so that it is understandable.


The main thing is you have to get the common from the 110 receptacles to the small spade on the cable. You could also get your two hot wires (large spades opposite each other) from either of the 220volt receptacles on the generator.
 
#4 ·
Rickkyw is correct on what he said, . . . but if I read the picture correctly, . . . the left two receptacles are 120 volt, . . . the right two receptacles are 240 volt.

You may be able to go to an electrical supply house and buy a simple converter plug that will plug into the right hand receptacle, . . . and feed the male plug on your cable.

If not, . . . take the cable, . . . and a picture of your generator to a supply house, . . . they should be able to sell you what you need, . . . and show you how to put it together.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
#5 · (Edited)
As a man who has worked with 12 to 480 Volts, please take my advice and don't play with hooking it up. Please! As a retired paramedic, please take my advice and don't play with hooking it up. Please! Too many installations by untrained people end up in electrocutions, house fires, major damage to electrical distribution box (fuse or circuit breaker box). Too many installations by knowledgeable handymen end up in electrocutions, house fires, major damage to electrical distribution box (fuse or circuit breaker box). You need to find someone who really knows what they're doing, like a licensed electrician. I installed the transfer switch and ran the conduit and wiring, etc. in the garage for my ambulance. Before I turned the main power back on or tested it, I still had an electrician double check my installation. My installation supplied the furnace, the radios, the shore lines to the ambulances for battery chargers, and 1/3 of the lighting, 30A 220 volt single phase. Got the ok and only then did I flip the switches. A few years later I installed a 480 volt 3 phase auto transfer switch at my work, was actually easier, except for running the conduit from the 100 KW diesel generator.
I've seen a transfer switch that should be easy for a knowledgeable handy person.
Generators: Portable, Standby + PTO Generators | Northern Tool + Equipment
 
#7 ·
The 240 single phase circuit uses the neutral wire and no ground unless the 240 outlet has four connections - in that case the fourth wire is the ground.
 
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