OT: Electrical stuff for 3 phase

[bole2cant]

I normally don't do off-topic posts but I have been to my electrical wholesaler and didn't get much help and I know there are a couple of guys here who know their NEMAs.

I want to buy some receptacles for 3-phase wall outlets. What they sold me was this:

20A, 3PH Y 120/208VAC 4P 4W Not Grdg. Non-NEMA

The receptacle has a tag which says: CAUTION:This device is not for grounding use.Connect only to non-grounding circuits.

I'm ready to return this stuff but I don't know what to ask for!

I have a 30 amp (10 gauge wire-red/black/white w/ground) 3-phase 208 V. wall outlet that needs a receptacle. Also a 20 amp wall outlet.

Can someone tell me the technical terms/names for these devices? And their matching plugs?

As an aside what do X, Y, Z, W stand for? X, Y, and Z seem obvious but what about W. (It's screw is silver, not green.) How about 4P and 4W?

Thanks for technical assistance.

--

-Doug in Utah

**This IS for my woodshop**

[Gfretwell]

Silver indicates the neutral which is the white wire in a properly connected circuit. (W?) It is clear that you don't follow this convention if you are using white for a phase. Reidentify it with blue tape. As long as you know what you are doing in your own shop and you will never take your equipment anywhere else you could use the connectors you have if you don't need the neutral. Just connect the ground to the silver screw on both ends. If you need the neutral you should find 5 prong plug/receptacle combos. A setup like you have (without a neutral) is/was very common in the computer room environment. They didn't even bring a neutral into a real 3p computer room panel. 120v loads were handled from the general lighting panels and all computer hardware was 208/240v. Now days computers just plug into the wall.

[Gfretwell]

I did a little more looking. Check out this site and see what you have.

site had moved and I couldn't find it earlier

[ELAhrens]

Doug, I'm sorry but I have to ask this - are you sure you have 3phase. I have never seen 3Ph in any residential locations. Does the breaker occupy 3 adjacent slots? I dont mean to be a smart butt - Just making sure we're all on the same page.

ELAhrens

[bole2cant]

Absolutely, positively 208 volt 3-phase. Black, red and *Blue*. (Sorry for dumbing it down Gfretwell.)

[Gfretwell]

I believed you since normal 10/3 romex (or any other cable you would find at the borg) would be red, black and white.

Did you see the web site? It sounds like you have an 18-20r and you need a

15-20r.