This is in the 2002 NEC:406.6(B)Attachment plugs shall be installed so that their prongs, blades, or pins are not energized unless inserted into an energized receptacle.
Look for Receptacles,Cord Connectors,and Attachment Plugs. In the 1999 code it is listed as 410-56.(G)

 

Thank you for finding that.


On the 2002 NEC CD it says:

"(B) Attachment plugs shall be installed so that their prongs, blades, or
pins are not energized unless inserted into an energized receptacle. No
receptacle shall be installed so as to require an energized attachment plug
as it's source of supply."


As I told Eric it looks like it is time for me to take a refresher course.


Michael

Can we not edit old posts? I wanted to edit out my bad advice.

 

Well, this is what I do. I have a garage split from the house. The garage has it's own breaker panel. I have a rather large breaker in the main panel in the house feeding the garage. In the garage I installed a breaker going to an outlet like a dryer outlet. I then wired my generator with the mating plug. I also have a main input disconnect on the outside of the house between the meter and the house panel. Could be before the meter even, I don't recall. It is a fire department requirement. So here in good old FL home of the hurricanes here's what I do. When the big blow comes through and takes my power out, I walk outside switch the main input disconnect to off "open", go in the garage, start up the generator, plug it into the wall mounted dryer receptacle, and I'm back in business. I have neighbors close enough I can see their lights come on when power is restored. They usually call me though. The first time I did this I had several call and say, "hey how is your power still on and ours off"? The last was three days with no power.

Another funny thing is, count on them to not trim trees of clean ditches until the storm has hit. Limbs fall, ditches get plugged up and the power company and town say, hey a tree fell, or the town says, too much wind and rain for the drainage, NOT. They set on the their lazy bums until it is too late and then complain it not their fault.

 

You're welcome jad1097

 

I told Jad1097 that according to my web search with the google term "nec 406.6" it looks like the regulators are struggling with this very question. As I said before they seem to be getting rid of that second sentence because it effectively outlaws power strips and extension cords of any type.

I also found it interesting that many other cord related changes are being considered. The power strip that you have your computer plugged in to is illegal under the current code if you use it for over 90 days.

They also recognize that code just does not specify any other way to hook up an emergency generator without a transfer switch and apparently they find that is ridiculous for most household applications.

It is difficult to codify all of the possible uses of electrical equipment.

With all of us working together we might be able to keep a watch on this subject and let the group know of any finalized rules that provide a good method to make this connection.

 

OK, I went and looked at my panel. The brand is Reliance, and it has a 4 prong male 'socket' in the front of it that I plug my generator into when I need it. The cord for my gen is normal with male and female ends on it. The male end obviously goes to the generator, and the female end I plug into the panel. Now I had an electrician put it in, because the meter had to be pulled for him to work, but I think the panel only cost me around $80.00, and 6 million dollars for the electrician to put it in. (I later did the A/C in his house, so I evened the score real nice.) The point here, my panel was put in and inspected by one of the friendly inspectors we have around here, and it passed ok with those exposed prongs. So what's the deal with NEC? They just don't want to see any cords with a male on each end? They must be worried about your kids plugging in one end and chasing each other around the house with the other end.

 

They don't like those male prongs either. Check out a google search. Something to do with interlocks etc... I didn't read all of that part.

 

I had a gen hook up kit that had those male prongs in the weatherproof box as you describe. The thing is that IF the system is hooked up properly with the proper equipment, the exposed male prongs cannot be engergized. No matter how you throw the transfer switch in the house the male prongs are cold. Now if a homeowner didn't hook it up properly or tried to cobble together his own system it could kill someone.

Purplewg, I'd like to do somenthing similar to your setup but my garage is about 60 feet from the house and I can't think of a failsafe way to hook up the transfer switch. I'd also like to run the gen in the garage with the exhaust piped outside so I don't have to operate the gen in the rain.

 

76supercab2, where do you get your power from for the garage? Does it have its own meter? If so you are sort stuck short of pulling the meter and having an main shut off installed. If the garage is being fed by the house, you can just turn off the fed from the house while you install a shut off switch. This won't help you run things in house but you can at least power the garage from the generator.

 

I'm in the process of wiring the garage this week. (Wooohooooo!!!!!!!!!!) It will be fed with an underground line from the house. I had to have the house panel upgraded (full panel AND !!!!50 AMP!!!!! service) Had it upgraded to 200Amps and running 100amps to the garage. As far as powering the garage, there's nothing there I want hot in an outage. I would however, like to have the generator under a roof for use in inclement weather to power the well pump, furnace, lights and fridge. I know I could back-feed the house from the garage panel but that isn't safe. I would have to remember to throw the main in the basement then go out and start the generator. Not a fail-safe system. I want it idiot proof to prevent liability issues. I'll probably just end up having a plug in on the side of the house for the gen and deal with the rain.

 

Sounds like you need to get that main house panel rewired for a transfer switch.

 

Hi 76supercab2,

I'm in a similar situation with my garage/shop, beginning construction this week...I will also be running 100amps to the garage from my main panel, but I'm also running a 'second' line in my burial...that line will be back to the house and my transfer switch, when we loose power and have to have the generator keep the house going...in other words, the second line will only have power 'from' the garage and not to it...

I'm using 85' of 60amp wire for that feed, should be plenty to handle my furnace, pump and a few lights for those bad times and still keep my generator dry...might be something to look into on your end

 

I've been looking at this thread for sometime now, theres been some good advise and some bad. If you do electrical work for a living as I do and have questions check out this site. This is not a site for DIY'ers but there is a lot of good information in the "Code Forum".
http://mikeholt.com/index.php?id=homegeneral

 

Running a separate line to the house from the garage for emergency generation works fine. Run that line into a double throw breaker in your 100 amp panel serving the garage. This double throw breaker needs to handle the 100 amp load to the garage if that's what you have or a 60 amp or whatever. When you need to use the emergency generator you throw the double throw and it will not allow the generated power back into the main service but will to your secondary panel that feed the garage and whatever circuits you have in the panel. While you're doing this install, move the circuits that you want on emergency power from the existing panel into the new panel and like I said earlier, regulate your usable circuits based upon you generator capability. Be sure to size the wire you run back to the house for the load you want to run under generation, probably a #10 or 8 minimum for 3500-4000 watts.

 

There is a cover that you can buy for the panel, it has a metal slide ( for lack of better description) that goes over the main breaker. You have to slide this over which
turns off the main breaker for the thirty bucks it costs for this new panel cover it is a no brainer.