240V vs 120v generator outlets

[plarmigan]

Just received my new PB last week and trying to get a game plan for using the 7.2kw generator for when our power goes out to run my sons medical equipment as well as other basic household items (freezer, fridge, etc.).

From what I've read so far it looks like you have to use the single 240v Nema L14 generator outlet in order to get the full 7.2kw. The A/B 120v outlets look like they put out a max of 2.4kw on each side (please correct me if I am wrong on that).

So instead of buying 4 standard 120v extension cords to run out of each outlet into the house I was thinking of running the following instead:

1. Run this from the 240v outlet in truck bed to inside the garage
RVMATE 30 Amp Generator Cord 4 Prong 25 Feet, NEMA L14-30P/L14-30R, 125/250V Up to 7500W 10 Gauge SJTW Generator Extension Cord, ETL Listed

2. Connect this flat extension to the above cord and run under the door to inside my house
25 Feet Heavy Duty Generator Adaptor Extension Cord,Locking Cord,NEMA L14-30P/Four 5-20R, 4 Prong 10 Gauge Flexible Generator Cable,Generator Power Cord, 125/250V 30Amp 7500 Watts

3. Run 4 extension cords off the end of the above cord to various household items/power strips.

Doing it this way would allow me to run a single flat cord to inside my house instead of 4 separate cords as well as the simplest way of using both circuits and the full 7.2kw since the 240v is supposed to pull from both.

Anyone see any issues with this? Appreciate any thoughts/advice.

Thanks in advance!

Sponsored

 

[Snakebitten]

I'm no expert, but I think that the second chord is still "rated" at 20Amps for each 110V plug. So although you would be tapping 30Amps from the truck because you plugged into 30Amp outlet, technically you aren't supposed to pull more than 20 per plug end?

Still, having said that, you did find a way to tap all 7200!

 

[FordPrefect]

Theoretically, as long as every load on each of four outlets in that second cord is actually always under 15A, you would be fine and would achieve your objective. 15A * 120V * 4 outlets = 7200 watts.

However the truck's circuit breaker isn't going to protect you if, for example, you end up with a sustained 27A load on one of those two outlets with the red dot on it, and 2 on the other one. What would probably happen in that case is fire, on the extension cord that is trying to carry 27A away from that second, four-outlet cord or somewhere downstream. You probably would not set things up to produce that outcome on purpose. The problem is that sometimes things go wrong, e.g. a piece of equipment fails or someone plugs one more thing into a power strip, so we always protect branch circuits with breakers (or fuses).

This is why I find it a little hard to believe that second product is actually UL listed, as is implied in a couple of the photos. If it had built-in circuit protection on each of the four outlets, that'd probably pass muster, but it does not appear to have that. That would appear to leave the puzzle of providing adequate branch circuit protection up to the customer.

So, not saying it would not work, but there's a reasonable reason why fire departments and insurance companies would probably be unhappy with it. I might be tempted to plug a power strip with a 15A breaker into each of those four outlets, but I would do so knowing I'd be taking on some liability. Certainly something has to be added to protect each branch. Or you could go another way, and put some more formal, permanent load distribution in the house.

 

[imnuts]

The flat cord is only rated for 120V/20A, so you won't get 7200W out of it. If you're actually pulling 30A out of one leg, something is likely to burn up. What you describe though would be a better way to get power inside without running a bunch of extension cords.

 

[Aron]

Just received my new PB last week and trying to get a game plan for using the 7.2kw generator for when our power goes out to run my sons medical equipment as well as other basic household items (freezer, fridge, etc.).

From what I've read so far it looks like you have to use the single 240v Nema L14 generator outlet in order to get the full 7.2kw. The A/B 120v outlets look like they put out a max of 2.4kw on each side (please correct me if I am wrong on that).

So instead of buying 4 standard 120v extension cords to run out of each outlet into the house I was thinking of running the following instead:

1. Run this from the 240v outlet in truck bed to inside the garage
RVMATE 30 Amp Generator Cord 4 Prong 25 Feet, NEMA L14-30P/L14-30R, 125/250V Up to 7500W 10 Gauge SJTW Generator Extension Cord, ETL Listed

2. Connect this flat extension to the above cord and run under the door to inside my house
25 Feet Heavy Duty Generator Adaptor Extension Cord,Locking Cord,NEMA L14-30P/Four 5-20R, 4 Prong 10 Gauge Flexible Generator Cable,Generator Power Cord, 125/250V 30Amp 7500 Watts

3. Run 4 extension cords off the end of the above cord to various household items/power strips.

Doing it this way would allow me to run a single flat cord to inside my house instead of 4 separate cords as well as the simplest way of using both circuits and the full 7.2kw since the 240v is supposed to pull from both.

Anyone see any issues with this? Appreciate any thoughts/advice.

Thanks in advance!

That’s basically the setup that I went with. I haven’t had a chance to actually use it yet, though, so I can’t yet tell you if you’ll run into any problems.

 

[EricR]

The fire department- in my area at least - frowns on daisy chained extension cords.

 

[EricR]

If your son's medical equipment is of importance you might consider having a transfer switch. One that accommodates the bonded neutral of the Pro Power on Board.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Here's a method of wiring your truck. It appears to allow you to hook up the 240VAC outlet directly to the house and power the whole house. I provide this for information only, I'm not recommending it as such. You will need an inlet box and a mechanical interlock to comply with the NEC. Keep in mind that your truck is what I call a true 7.2 kW generator. By this I mean that whatever your altitude it'll provide full power to the house. I say that because I'm at 7500 feet and thus any typical generator is de-rated by about 30% because the generator is matched to the engine and the altitude de-rates the engine.

 

[plarmigan]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Electricity definitely makes me nervous so based on your input I think I would rather play it safe and just run the 4 extension cords from each of the 4 120v outlets rather than risk a fire or something bad happening.

In regards to the type of extension cords needed, any reason why I would need to run 10 gauge instead of 12 gauge? Like I said it would be for basic household items like chest freezer, fridge, some small medical equipment, fans or heater, etc.

Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate it!

12 Gauge Outdoor Extension Cord

 

[imnuts]

The heavier gauge probably won't be needed, but will help if the cord is very long (>50') and/or if it would have a high sustained load on it. The heater is probably where you'd want it, not sure about the medical equipment.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Although rated for a certain current carrying capacity, the rule is that you should not plan to load a cable to above 80% of rated.

 

[Hullguy]

For your sons medical equipment I’d be installing a whole house generator with an automatic transfer switch and not use the truck as a power source at all!!!

 

[HammaMan]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Electricity definitely makes me nervous so based on your input I think I would rather play it safe and just run the 4 extension cords from each of the 4 120v outlets rather than risk a fire or something bad happening.

In regards to the type of extension cords needed, any reason why I would need to run 10 gauge instead of 12 gauge? Like I said it would be for basic household items like chest freezer, fridge, some small medical equipment, fans or heater, etc.

Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate it!

12 Gauge Outdoor Extension Cord

Don't worry about it, the cords you posted above and the use case you asked about is 100% A OKAY. That cord in question is a 10ga per the listing and there's no issue with with loading that thing up with as much as the truck will feed it. Unlike your typical home breakers that will let you exceed 30a on a traditional breaker, the truck will shut you off before you pull 32a. Unlike cheapie home breakers, the truck's inverter is a pretty high-end power generation unit. Take all it will give you, it's safe assuming those cords are in-fact 10ga as they claim to be. The truck will handle OCP before the cords become a danger.

In regards to what your son's medical equipment is -- is it life threatening w/ backup supply or what? You really need to take that into consideration. The truck is a great generator on wheels, but it only is able to supply power where it's located. It makes a really expensive dedicated generator where cheaper options would be better served for this purpose.

Furthermore, depending on the criticality of the equipment itself, you should notify your PoCo that your home is feeding such equipment so that they will notify you ahead of time before doing anything that could jeopardize your supply.

 

[Henfield]

Word of caution. Treat the 7.2 or so as a surge watt demand. Surges happen when devices are turned on. Biggest users of electricity and surges are water pumps, refrigerators and alike.

You definitely don't want to upset your son's medical devices. Also read up on how to reset the breaker on the truck and the detailed threads on connecting the truck to the home.

 

[eharri3]

I donno... I kept it simpler with one 25 ft 10 gauge cord from the truck through a window which then directly feeds 4 extension cords. My read was the fewer links to the system the better. A little less convenient than the flat cord under a door. As I don't have an attached garage to work with I'd have to stuff paper towels into an open window gap around it. But just based on research without being an expert, it seems like less stress and more head room for the system. I went as heavy as possible on the first cord in the chain and on the extension I'd use for the fridge if I chose to plug that in and medium duty on the other 3 which would just run power strips with small stuff plugged in.

Also not that you should take chances and push the limits but my understanding is the system is engineered to shut you down if conditions are not ideal. I tried to charge a cell off one of the 4 120 v outlets not too long ago and it kept shutting off, which had me worried I had a dealer trip to make until I realized it was basically telling me the cell phone cord was bad.

Ford seems to have gone to considerable lengths to make the system 'smart' like that specifically because otherwise people who don't know what they're doing will fry appliances and cause fires and then try to make them liable for it.

https://www.amazon.com/Conntek-GEN1...ocphy=9007225&hvtargid=pla-304763560206&psc=1

Sponsored