Use Stranded to Connect Breaker?

[rawen2]

You should ask yourself the same questions you asked me if you ever forget to unplug the adapter cord. The answers will be the same.

 

[Spacecoastz]

Ok...so I won't try to help or provide sound advice..thought that was the purpose of a forum...my bad. Just because something works doesn't mean its the right thing to do. My adapter cord is only used at the generator during an outage. I don't think I will ever forget to unplug it...a heck of a difference between that and a permanently bonded double-pole breaker inside the panel.

 

[rlitman]

In operation there is no electrical difference between your connection and mine. Your jumper is in the adapter cable. It bonds the X and Y terminals on the female end. Having the jumper hidden inside of a cord doesn't make it any safer. Both methods need to be interlocked so they can't be used while utility power is present.

There's a HUGE difference. Your jumper means that you need to manually remove the jumper if you ever decide to rent or borrow a 240V generator, whereas Spacecoastz's adapter allows for easy conversion over to a 240V generator without any in-panel modifications. As installed, your inlet has the capability to plug in a 240V generator into a dead short. Not suicide-cord uncool, but still not cool.

You should ask yourself the same questions you asked me if you ever forget to unplug the adapter cord. The answers will be the same.

No, it doesn't work that way. Your inlet is a 4-wire L14-30 inlet that is designed for 125/250V use. Your generator has a 3-wire L5-30 receptacle for 120V output, but 120/240V generators would have an L14-30 receptacle instead. Adapters to use a 120V generator with a 125/250V inlet (L5 to L14) are readily available, cheap and SAFE. Mixing and matching your own cord ends willy-nilly is not safe.

This is what you need:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RYX8T1L/?tag=atomicindus08-20

You could either plug it directly into your inlet and use it with a 3-wire cord to your generator (safe, but not my recommendation), or plug it into your generator and use it with a 4-wire cord. I'd recommend the 4-wire cord, only because that gives you the option of using that cord with a 120/240V generator down the road.

 

[mike93lx]

You should ask yourself the same questions you asked me if you ever forget to unplug the adapter cord. The answers will be the same.

Jumping it at the breaker vs at the cord is not a good idea. Make it easily changeable.

No one will expect a jumper in the panel but it's really easy to label an adapter

 

[rawen2]

There's a HUGE difference. Your jumper means that you need to manually remove the jumper if you ever decide to rent or borrow a 240V generator, whereas Spacecoastz's adapter allows for easy conversion over to a 240V generator without any in-panel modifications. As installed, your inlet has the capability to plug in a 240V generator into a dead short. Not suicide-cord uncool, but still not cool.

No, it actually doesn't. It's a three prong inlet. L1, N, G.

No, it doesn't work that way. Your inlet is a 4-wire L14-30 inlet that is designed for 125/250V use. Your generator has a 3-wire L5-30 receptacle for 120V output, but 120/240V generators would have an L14-30 receptacle instead. Adapters to use a 120V generator with a 125/250V inlet (L5 to L14) are readily available, cheap and SAFE. Mixing and matching your own cord ends willy-nilly is not safe.

Wrong. As stated above. Not that inlet connector.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

In operation there is no electrical difference between your connection and mine. Your jumper is in the adapter cable. It bonds the X and Y terminals on the female end. Having the jumper hidden inside of a cord doesn't make it any safer. Both methods need to be interlocked so they can't be used while utility power is present.

actually there is a huge difference. really bad idea to jumper a breaker like that. youve created the potential for a dead short.... not something you want.... jumpering at the generator is a much better idea...

 

[rlitman]

No, it actually doesn't. It's a three prong inlet. L1, N, G.

Oh, you found an L5-30 inlet? Ok, then yeah, that's not so terrible. FWIW, the adapter I posted would create the same short across the breaker as your jumper, so if someone were to open the panel and bypass the interlock, they'd have the same results.

Anyway, what's done is done, but you'd have been better served with the fully 4-wire L14 setup I described, so you could easily rent, borrow or buy a 120/240V generator without making changes, but as it stands you're just limited to connecting to 120V generators.

 

[pbilling13]

I want to move an existing 120V 30A breaker from near the bottom of my Square D Home panel to the top to allow it to be physically interlocked for use with a generator. This breaker goes to an RV outlet on the outside of my garage. I don't own an RV and don't expect to. The existing 10-2 with ground is too short. Checked Home Depot & Lowes trying to find 10ga solid wire by the foot with no luck. All they had was stranded. They didn't have 10-2 Romex by the foot either.

Does code allow me to extend the wire and attach to the breaker using 10ga stranded wire?

An electrical supply house will probably have 10ga THHN by the foot but stranded 10ga THHN is acceptable in the cabinet. Connect with wire nuts or Wago 221-612 Lever-Nuts (612 series go to 10ga).

 

[sparky 1971]

An electrical supply house will probably have 10ga THHN by the foot but stranded 10ga THHN is acceptable in the cabinet. Connect with wire nuts or Wago 221-612 Lever-Nuts (612 series go to 10ga).

I'm gonna go out on a limb and make a guess that since this thread is a little over two years old, it has been taken care of...

 

[PCustoms]

An electrical supply house will probably have 10ga THHN by the foot but stranded 10ga THHN is acceptable in the cabinet. Connect with wire nuts or Wago 221-612 Lever-Nuts (612 series go to 10ga).

Thread is 2 years old...