Convenience Outlets Calling all Electrical Experts for Opinions - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

storeman · 11-17-2011, 10:41

All you electrical experts. I stumbled onto this surplus generator component and bought 3. I would like to see what you think of it as a convenience outlet or load center on a short cable or mounted on a MEP-002a or 003a. It could make a unit quite a lot more flexible.

With separate 20 amp 120 breakers and a 120/240 30 amp outlet it might also offer a connection to fairly easily load test an 002a gen. Green is ground and black appears to be neutral. Wiring to 30 amp confuses me as it appears to pass first through the 20 amp breaker. What effect, If any?

Molded connection plug accepts male spade connectors, but I'd rather find a matching plug to make a neater connection but don't know how to identify or specify one to look for it. If the opinions are positive, I'll post the source because the price is right.

BTW: I'm parting out a MEP-003a. Some items already listed in the classifieds and a couple unlisted items spoken for. Will keep building the classified list.

Jerry

Ken_86gt · 11-17-2011, 17:48

It could be the way the colors show on my screen- It looks to me that Red it the neutral. The neutral on your 120VAC outlets is the side with the extra horizontal slot.

The Blue and White appear to be the Hot wires.

They way they ran the hot wires through the breaker is telling me that they are protecting each phase for 20 Amps. The 30 amp outlet will trip the breaker if you see more than 20 amps on any of the two hot wires.

storeman · 11-17-2011, 17:53

I'm not sure I understand that. The white you see is actually gray but that is immaterial. I was considering the neutral to be any wire on the silver side of the 110 outlets.
Jerry

Ken_86gt · 11-17-2011, 17:54

The 30 amp plug is a NEMA L14-30R and the 120V outlets are NEMA 5-20R. Replace the R with a P to get the matching plug part number.

Ken_86gt · 11-17-2011, 18:00

The Silver screw is the NEMA standard for the Neutral wire. But take a look at this: http://images2.cableorganizer.com/le...sheet-7899.pdf

storeman · 11-17-2011, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken_86gt

The 30 amp plug is a NEMA L14-30R and the 120V outlets are NEMA 5-20R. Replace the R with a P to get the matching plug part number.

Thanks Ken, but the receptacle I'm interested in is one that would match the rear of the housing so I could rig a "plug in" from the gen feed.

Interesting diagram. Guess it shows neutral going to ground as I would think normal. But why label 125V? Guess because its a GFI.

Jerry

Keith_J · 11-17-2011, 18:55

Skip the spade terminals and cut that receptacle off. Use crimp butt connectors and a length of SJOOW, either 12 or 10 and the right conductor count for the application. SJOOW is cheaper as it is 250 VAC rated and perfectly fine. Get 4 conductor for the ground lead (red, black, white and green).

Also get a strain relief and either enlarge the hole or plug it and make another.

I cannot see getting 30 amperes for the L14-30R in that using spade terminals with any degree of safety.

storeman · 11-17-2011, 19:21

Keith,
I have that wire and can do. I also had concerns with 30 amps on a standard spade connector. Does the wiring sequence through the breakers/fuzes look right to you?
Thanks,
Jerry

quickfarms · 11-17-2011, 19:36

I posted the information on this box in this post a while ago

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/auxilla...utlet-box.html

Yes spade connectors will plug into the plug and I have used them to test a generator but I would not do that for long term. If my memory is correct they are using the redundant paths, conductors, to reduce the amperage in each connector. I would have to open mine up to check the wiring to be sure.

storeman · 11-17-2011, 19:41

Thanks Quickfarms, My search before posting did not reveal your post. Are you using it as a convenience outlet or in some other way?
Jerry