Generator transfer switch question

shelby27604

shelby27604

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Location
Efland NC
I just bought a house, it came with a generator setup. The transfer switch at the panel has a 4-prong, 50amp female connection. The cord that was supplied is a 4-prong, 30amp male connection. My generator doesn't have this connection type. Do I get an adapter, or is there some importance to the existing connections I am overlooking.
IMG_20211109_065828948.jpg
IMG_20211109_065932887.jpg
IMG_20211109_065926163_HDR.jpg
 
You would need the proper 240v plug that mates up to your generator.
 
I think you answered my question. All the breakers in my transfer box are 120.....BUT the generator breaker is 240. I was thinking I only needed 120v power (as both plugs can serve as 120/240). BUT I suspect if I pull the panel I will see this is branched off into 2 legs of 120.......so my generator needs just changed. I was hoping I could gang up my two inverter generators and make this happen.
IMG_20211109_065838277_HDR.jpg
 
The Harbor freight parallel kit only supplies 120v, though it does supply 30a of 120v. I personally would buy a larger non inverter gen and leave it plugged in for emergencies but you can make your setup work. Just open the transfer switch subpanel and put all of the breakers on one bus, usually means you skip a space in a 240v panel and your new l5-30 3 prong twist lock male plug will only have one hot, a neutral and a ground. Just wont be able to use any 240v appliances--you actually wouldn't even want to have any two pole breakers in that panel.
 
6F6E778B-3554-469C-BF48-1EE31C674DBD.jpeg

Here’s my panel. My generator has the 50 and the 30 amp but the electrician only wired it to run from the 30 amp plug. I asked another electrician who also sells and services generators about any benefits of switching the plug for the 50 amp and he said the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.
 
shelby27604 said:
I think you answered my question. All the breakers in my transfer box are 120.....BUT the generator breaker is 240. I was thinking I only needed 120v power (as both plugs can serve as 120/240). BUT I suspect if I pull the panel I will see this is branched off into 2 legs of 120.......so my generator needs just changed. I was hoping I could gang up my two inverter generators and make this happen.View attachment 361048
Click to expand...
I would never recommend this. Dont do it. But...
At the outlet end, if you replaced the 4 prong plug with (2) 120V receptacles and plugged the 2 gens in separately.
All 120V loads would work flawless-ly.
Your 240V loads might work or they might trip the breaker first time it'll be a trial and error until the waves are close and then magnetism will make it work
 
thebrotherinlaw said:
View attachment 361168
Here’s my panel. My generator has the 50 and the 30 amp but the electrician only wired it to run from the 30 amp plug. I asked another electrician who also sells and services generators about any benefits of switching the plug for the 50 amp and he said the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.
Click to expand...
depends on the size of your gen.
Whomever wired that house is one cheap bastid or there is a inexplicable obstruction just out of view...check that its a Siemens panel hes a cheap bastid either way.

Ill just be nice and say several things I see I am not a fan of.
 
Back
Top