Bargain transfer switch instead of double male ended cord farmer fix

[buickanddeere]

How is a welder plug worse than a dryer or range plug



And computer:laughing:

Either way though, it is never a good idea to back-feed power into the house. Either use a transfer switch and/or plug the appliances DIRECTLY into the generator. You should never use a double male plug and backfeed. And IF you do, kill your main breaker. I have heard numerous stories of fried generators from people who are backfeeding when either the linmen ground the line and/or power comes back on. And then those people call and complain to their power company like it is their fault the genny is fried:confused2:

No neutral on a welder plug and before some know nothing jackleg electrician says anything to the contrary. There is a difference. Ask your local electrical code inspector and read the NEC book.
Some people just take great pride in doing something with some jerry rigged cob job. Makes them think they are clever some how as if they are able to do something others can't or won't.

 

[aczlan]

No neutral on a welder plug and before some know nothing jackleg electrician says anything to the contrary. There is a difference. Ask your local electrical code inspector and read the NEC book.

What is the difference (electrically) between a 3 prong dryer plug and a 3 prong dryer plug of the same amperage? Nothing.
A 3 prong cord from a generator could be "legal" IF you have a 3 wire disconnect (to disconnect the both hots AND the neutral from the incoming power) AND your neutral/ground are separated at the main breaker box. Otherwise, it is not allowable.

Some people just take great pride in doing something with some jerry rigged cob job. Makes them think they are clever some how as if they are able to do something others can't or won't.

I agree. Makes sense to just do it right the first time (and a whole not cheaper than an ER visit (or worse) due to a loose connection causing a floating neutral.

Aaron Z

 

[LD1]

I suppose that depends on how it is wired. FWIW, my dryer and range do not have a neutral either. They are a 3-prong plug just like my welder. Infact, when I wired up the garage for my welder, I made sure to get the same type plug my range and dryer have. Even though it is unlikely I will ever do any welding in the house:confused2:

 

[thatguy]

Good idea but local electric utility refused to install it.

around here the Appalachian Power (AEP, parent is American Electric) actually endorsed/recommended its use.. They do charge $100 fee, but installation is 'free' - the $100 fee im sure is the cost of sending someone out to pull the meter and install it..

From what I have read its only take a few minutes..

brian

 

[SpringHollow]

There is one sold at Home Depot for less than $45.

PowerMark Gold Load Center/Generator Interlock Kit-THQLLX1 at The Home Depot

Ken

 

[Mace Canute]

and that's why linemen ground the line out befor sticking their touge's to it.. right?

safety and double- safety? no?

I don't expect people who are not in the trade to know this but the only truly safe way to work on a line is to eliminate any situation where you place yourself in parallel on the circuit, you have to eliminate any potential difference of potential across any part of your body to be safe. There's many instances where that is highly impractical or impossible to do so. If you think a ground is the be-all and end-all to safety concerns, think about this, many single ground rods have a high enough resistance to limit current flow such that if you hooked a conductor to it from an energized 15 amp breaker, the breaker would not trip.



Oh, and hooking a generator up to a house with a welder plug that has no neutral WILL cause damage to your 120V appliances. You have created what is known as an "open neutral situation". Google it.

 

[buickanddeere]

What is the difference (electrically) between a 3 prong dryer plug and a 3 prong dryer plug of the same amperage? Nothing.
A 3 prong cord from a generator could be "legal" IF you have a 3 wire disconnect (to disconnect the both hots AND the neutral from the incoming power) AND your neutral/ground are separated at the main breaker box. Otherwise, it is not allowable.

I agree. Makes sense to just do it right the first time (and a whole not cheaper than an ER visit (or worse) due to a loose connection causing a floating neutral.

Aaron Z

Have never personally seen a 3 prong dryer or stove plug since 1966. They were banned decades ago.

 

[daybreak1998]

Good idea is highly debatable and I fully understand why your local utility refused to allow it to be installed. Stuff like this has been designed and promoted by people who will never ever have to put their life or limb on the line (literally) if these devices happen to fail. As a Lineman with 35 years of service I can tell you that I would never have trusted anything like these units to guarantee that there was zero possibility of a back feed situation.

Howdy,
Wake up and come to the future.
And what exactly are automatic transfer switches? You might work lines, but there is more to it than that. A lot of things have changed from 35 years ago.

 

[Mace Canute]

Howdy,
Wake up and come to the future.
And what exactly are automatic transfer switches? You might work lines, but there is more to it than that. A lot of things have changed from 35 years ago.

Electricity behaves exactly the same as it did when electrification took place well over a hundred years ago since it's governed by the applicable laws of physics. Just because some company has decided using SCRs is the way to go for transfer switches does not mean that it's a good idea. SCRs do fail and there is no way of telling by a visual inspection, which you can easily do with the old style transfer switch.

 

[BobRip]

Electricity behaves exactly the same as it did when electrification took place well over a hundred years ago since it's governed by the applicable laws of physics. Just because some company has decided using SCRs is the way to go for transfer switches does not mean that it's a good idea. SCRs do fail and there is no way of telling by a visual inspection, which you can easily do with the old style transfer switch.

I could not find where they use SCRs. I agree that no solid state device should trusted, I don't see them mentioned. Also their ratings Of 100,000 surge amps sounds like a contact. Oh, maybe they use it in the control circuitry.