Ace Hardware

Double ended male adapters are not in any way "illegal", nor are they in any way a "fire hazard". They can be used in ways that would violate electrical codes, but that does not make them illegal, and not everyone lives in areas with codes either.

AND...... It by far is the eaisest way to plug a generator into a house outlet in an emergency in the dark.

I understand that they are commonly known as "widow makers."

Perce

And I hope they happen to know enough to disconnect themselves from the grid before doing that.

Yeah, but what about the "immoral" claim?

well any male to male connection is immoral, but i dont' really think it's applicable in electrical cords.

For safety, you need one of those special "safety" main breakers. This breaker senses when you start a generator, and trips 5 seconds in advance. Precognitive breakers like this are available at electrical supply houses (not Home Depot) at high prices.

A bit of a stretch (unless you are a lawyer) if you put one in a cord and later someone gets hurt, are you morally responsible for their injury or death?

yes you are, and likely criminally liable too

Uhh, there is no such thing as an area without codes in the US. NEC reigns supreme. If the code says they can't be used, they are illegal to use. Insurance companies have other terms for such stupidity. They are considered a "fire hazard" unless they have passed UL/CSA/CE or some other responsible agency tests, and no agency will authorize such a device. Etc.

And not allowed in North America or Canada and most parts of Europe. Also, it's nowhere near as easy as flipping a switch on a Transfer Swith. Make a misake with a live plug in the dark and you may be done plugging; forever. Using a house outlet for more than its rated current, such as a generator would place on it, is also a serious fire hazard just waiting for an oppourunity. And since gensets have two 110 outputs, have fun if ou even plug them into outlets on the same breaker - you'll lose your genset and probably some wiring with it, if you're lucky.

From the sound of this arm of the thread; I doubt it. Stumbling around in the dark with a male plug in hand?

It trips 5 seconds BEFORE you start the generator? Now, that's REALLY precognition cktry!

On 1/5/2009 12:28 PM HeyBub spake thus:

I do that more often than is probably wise.

If the place I need to plug it would just moan or something, but no, here I am, wandering from room to room, plug in hand...

Patent Applied For

"A double male electrical connector is provided to connect the female end of a string of Christmas lights with the female end of an extension cord suitable for plugging into a wall outlet. The inventive connector is particularly useful when Christmas lights are wrapped from the wrong direction so that after wrapping the lights the female end is loose. The connector includes a conventional conductive cord with a first end and a second end. The first end has a first male plug and the second end has a second male plug. Each male plug has a first lead and a second lead for plugging into a two-prong receptacle. In accordance with the invention there is no third grounding lead. In an alternative embodiment the connector has a safety cap on at least one of the male plugs for safety, i.e., when the connector is not in use. In the preferred embodiment the apparatus includes a jacket receiving the connector for axially slidable use so that both male plugs cannot both be simultaneously exposed."

About a dozen years ago when I was working at Radio Shack (I was a bored retiree looking for something that would get me out of the house) a woman came in looking for something like that. She assured me that the guy at Home Depot said we had them.

It makes me nostalgic. We should have kept some in stock. Next to the boxes of spots for the spot welder.

We also did not have buckets of steam, ac batteries or left handed monkey wrenches.

Charlie

That is *not* true. The NEC has no force of law unless and until it is adopted by some jurisdiction as the electrical code for that jurisdiction -- and there are many rural areas which have not done so.

Again, not true. The NEC is far from universal adoption.

On 1/5/2009 6:55 PM HeyBub spake thus: