Split legs on one receptacle?

Dec 07, 2004 6 Replies

I am accessorizing my generator, see



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and I would like to add convenience 110V receptacles to it. What I would like is to have one dual receptacle provide power from both legs of the generator.



To that end, all I need to do is use some sort of a metal cutter and snip the little "bridge" in between two contacts, on both sides. Is that correct? That way, I would have hot1, hot2, neutral 1, and neutral 2. So I connect hot1 to leg1, hot2 to leg2, neutral1 to generator neutral, neutral2 to generator neutral. Plus ground. Is that right? I will make sure that there is a wide enough gap between two legs (1-2mm).



thanks



i

IIRC you can grab that tab with pliers and bend it a few times. It breaks right off. MikeH

In fact, they're made to break off just for that purpose. Note the little "score" lines on them. Go for it!

Pop

| >

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| >

| > and I would like to add convenience 110V receptacles to it. What I | > would like is to have one dual receptacle provide power from both legs | > of the generator. | >

| > To that end, all I need to do is use some sort of a metal cutter and | > snip the little "bridge" in between two contacts, on both sides. Is | > that correct? That way, I would have hot1, hot2, neutral 1, and | > neutral 2. So I connect hot1 to leg1, hot2 to leg2, neutral1 to | > generator neutral, neutral2 to generator neutral. Plus ground. Is that | > right? I will make sure that there is a wide enough gap between two | > legs (1-2mm). | >

| > thanks | >

| > i | |

Most are made with a slot in the "bridge" just so you can insert the tip of a screwdriver, twist a few times, and remove.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) snipped-for-privacy@7cox.net

"Ignoramus20242" wrote in message news:cp4m61$u9$ snipped-for-privacy@pita.alt.net...

And normally you needn't break the tab on the neutral side, since it is normally common to both legs.

If you're feeding the plugs from different legs, I believe they would normally share one neutral, and it isn't necessary to break the tab on the neutral side of the receptacle.

Now, if you're feeding each plug from the same leg, you'll need separate neutrals, since the currents add instead of cancelling.

In either case, in many places code requires that the breakers be linked so that both legs trip together.

Chip C Toronto

I will be feeding them from different legs. I will have one receptacle with two outlets on one leg, and another receptacle with two outlets on another leg.

This is a convenience electrical panel, it won't have its own breakers. If this is illegal, please tell me and I will change my plans. The generator has its own master breaker. See

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i

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