5500 Watt Generator - mobile use. need to wire for 220v HOW?
Question:I've got a 5500 watt generator that I would like to be able to wire it with a 220v outlet for use in the field with 220 tools and such.
It has 2 A/C 110 v (total of 4 outlets on 2 circuits) and one NEMA L14-30 Plug.
How to I wire that NEMA plug into a small short 220v receptacle for running 220v appliances/tools?
Understand 2 hots to X and Y posts on plug, but where do the neutral and ground go, as the 220v plug only has a 3 prong connector? I've got an extra wire to do something with?
Any ideas?
Answers:
It should have a 220 volt outlet prob a 20 amp plug all ready on the gen but if it don't
you will have to ID the wires coming out of the gen it self there will be 3 black wires
1 A phase 120 volt
2 B phase 120 volt
3 neutral
if there is 2 over load reset switches connect a #12 wire from the 'load side' of the reset switch one on one phase and one on the other phase run these wires into a box that you will have to mount on the gen to the outlet that you will be using for the 220 volt load.
Run the neutral to all the other neutral wires
you can run a ground wire to the frame of the gen itself
connect wires on outlet as follows
L-1 line
L-2 line
N- neutral
G green screw - ground
Usually no neutral on a 240v circuit unless 120v needed too, as on most stoves. Each outlet is for accommodating specific appliances, it may be three or four prong, 20 to 50 amp, each takes different prongs on the plug. So, you must know what you want to plug in or at least what kind of plug and outlet to accommodate them, then wire the two hots, neutral and ground according to the box on the outlet or plug. Should also have red, black, white and green terminals, red and black are hots.
The NEMA L14-30 plug will have two hot wires and 1 ground, no neutral. This will only require the 3 wires, so you can cut the neutral wire off or put it on the same lug as the ground, it's up to you since it won't be used at all with this configuration. Another note, I'm not sure what you are going to connect, just be aware that you only have 22.9 max amps on a 5.5kW generator at 240 Volts . not the full 30 amps as the plug indicates(that's with nothing else attached... i.e. 120 volt plugs).
egads. this scares me... on most generators it cant be done...you should have bought a generator with both 240 v and 110 v outputs...
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