Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,902
Posts557,116
Members18,452
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,420
ewest 21,475
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,112
Who's Online Now
2 members (anthropic, esshup), 743 guests, and 302 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#102425 11/21/07 12:06 PM
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
Alrighty then...this question is for the voltage gurus in the crowd.
-
We have completed a little shed that will be our first and only enclosed human habitat structure at our LNP project. I have the heat under control and have now moved on to the electric.
Since we have no power on the property and likely won't pull it in for a couple of years, we use a gasoline powered generator for our electicity needs. Here is the short term plan:

  • Wire the entire shed and install a breaker box panel with a main lug.
  • Run one dedicated line from the breaker box to an exterior 15 amp protected GFCI outlet.
  • Take the wires that enter the breaker box from this dedicated line and install them into the power feed lugs...as if these wires were the incoming power source.
  • Set up the rest of the internal wiring as per normal within the breaker box
  • Fabricate a 25' long 12 or 10 gauge extension cord with a standard 120 V male fitting at both ends.
  • When we arrive at the project, we can wheel the generator outside, fire it up, and plug in the 25' long extension cord between the gen. output and the exterior GFCI outlet.

-
This should work...right? I can't see why not. Assuming the physics is reliable for this type of back-feed, will the 15 amp exterior GFCI still work in reverse? I mean, will it still pop at the 15 amp overload with the juice flowing thru it in the opposite direction? I hope so, because the outlet needs to be protected from overload and it would be a great first defense in limiting amperage...I am planning on 2 separate 15 amp circuits within the shed. I suppose that if I had to, I could put both of the HOT internal circuit wires into the same 15 amp breaker for the short term.

Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 123
B
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
B
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 123
That will work as described. That is how I have my hunting cabin wired except I used three breakers in the breaker box. It has worked for 5 years with no trouble.


Dreaming of the pond!
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,939
Likes: 268
Moderator
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,939
Likes: 268
As Mr. Shock indicates, this will work.

Generator only has 110 VAC output, Brettski? Ours is 220 VAC, and I backfeed through 220VAC welder outlets with an appropriately wired pigtail (your double-male extension cord), after opening the main switch to take us off the power company supply lines.

Remember that if the pigtail comes unplugged from the shed while the generator is running, you'll have live 110 VAC on those male plugs and whatever they touch. An over-engineering guy like you might want to use a twist-lock (hubble?) outlet and plug on the shed, and then switch to a conventional outlet when permanent electricity is hooked up. You can still get GFI protection by using a GFI circuit breaker.


"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
-S. M. Stirling
[Linked Image from i.pinimg.com]
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
 Quote:
An over-engineering guy like you might want to use a twist-lock (hubble?) outlet and plug on the shed

we used to call that one shore-power. hmmmm...

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
 Quote:
Generator only has 110 VAC output, Brettski? Ours is 220 VAC, and I backfeed through 220VAC welder outlets with an appropriately wired pigtail

It's actually a 5 kw 110/220 unit. I based all my wiring configurations so that if the inspector should ever visit and poke around, he would only see a normally wired structure that is awaiting the introduction of the local power feed. Of course, this all goes down the drain if I am hooked up to the gen set.
-
Do you s'pose I could get a female 220 socket that would readily fit and adapt to the standard exterior outlet box I already have installed? It's a thought, eh?

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,939
Likes: 268
Moderator
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,939
Likes: 268
There is a standard 220 VAC outlet/plug configuration that is the same size as the regular 110 VAC duplex outlets in your house. The 3 prongs look the same, except one of the flat blades is turned 90 degrees, like this:

- |
.
(assume the period ["ground"] is one space to the right, centered under the two flat blades ["hot" and "neutral"])

This config plug is used for the 220 VAC output on my generator.


"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
-S. M. Stirling
[Linked Image from i.pinimg.com]
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
I went by Menards tonite to gather supplies for the on-going shed project. I spent more quality time wandering the electrical aisle, examining plugs, outlets, wire, blah blah...and price tags. I like your 220 (aka: 210, 220, whatever it takes) idea, but the upgrade would require another considerable chunk of cash. Enough $ to remind me that the power upgrade is unnecessary. What does bother me is your first point about the potential of the hot plug popping out. I can come up with a cure for that, but I'm open to plug-security creativity.
-
Anyway...I wound up buying a 25 ft 12-3 contractor's extension cord ($14) and 2 separate male 110V plugs ($4). I figger that I can start with my original plan and see how it goes. If I create the M/M pigtail with 12" of wire I have in stock + the $4 worth of male 110V plugs, I can leave the new ext. cord intact with M/F (and still use it elsewhere for it's intended purpose).

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
** UPDATE ON THE BACKWARDS ELECTRIC SERVICE **
Well, a GFCI will not work in reverse...or, at least the GFCI outlets that I purchased don't. It was driving me nutz. I have an entire circuit wired thru the breaker box and into the interior and no juice. So, break out the wiggie and start eliminating variables. Blah, blah, blah...it was the exterior GFCI outlet. If I wire it to the normal inbound terminals, it pops when I plug in the reverse feed. If I wire it to the outbound terminals (the terminals that would normally carry GFCI protected juice further along in the the circuit), it works OK without popping, but I assume that the power is not GFCI protected. That's OK because the I am using 1 GFCI outlet as the first interior device on each circuit and feeding the balance of the devices in the circuit off the output terminals.
-
So there...it don't woik.

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,025
Likes: 1
B
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
B
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,025
Likes: 1
Just wondering why you think you need a GFCI outlet. Most houses dont have them, unless there is a swimming pool. Maybe new home regulations require them under certain situations?? Like if you or a little one tries to test the outlet with a coat hanger.


Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934
Likes: 2
Technically, this is a garage. That's the hitch. When we built our garage at our principal residence, I recall that code requires GFCI protected outlets on the walls. They weren't required for outlets in the ceiling (ie; outlets for garage door openers). Besides, it's not D-ski or me that I worry about. It's really more of a fear of the Dr Burger house calls when I feel myself slipping into Pointy Hat Syndrome. Your childhood photos still haunt you (and me).
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-



Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
cro, HC1968
Recent Posts
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by esshup - 03/29/24 01:06 AM
pond experience needed
by esshup - 03/29/24 12:45 AM
New pond middle TN: establishing food chain?
by Bill Cody - 03/28/24 07:57 PM
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by FireIsHot - 03/28/24 07:33 PM
Working on a .5acre disaster, I mean pond.
by PRCS - 03/28/24 06:39 PM
Fungus infection on fish
by nvcdl - 03/28/24 06:07 PM
Can anyone ID these minnows?
by Dylanfrely - 03/28/24 05:43 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/28/24 04:48 PM
Yellow Perch Spawn 2024
by H20fwler - 03/28/24 04:29 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by LANGSTER - 03/28/24 03:49 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by esshup - 03/28/24 10:39 AM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5