I've got a small generator which I hooked to the house via the dryer
plug for a couple hurricanes last year. This year, I made a male -
male 220V 4 wire extension cord and hooked a female outlet to my 220V
irrigation well pump. The well pump is only a 3 wire. I think I
should hook the ground from the 3 wire to the nuetral on the plug, and
not hook anything to the ground wire on the 4 wire plug. Just looking
for advice - is this correct?

Thanks

wrote:

I've got a small generator which I hooked to the house via the dryer
plug for a couple hurricanes last year. This year, I made a male -
male 220V 4 wire extension cord and hooked a female outlet to my 220V
irrigation well pump. The well pump is only a 3 wire. I think I
should hook the ground from the 3 wire to the nuetral on the plug, and
not hook anything to the ground wire on the 4 wire plug. Just looking
for advice - is this correct?

Wow. The fact that you are asking questions like this suggest that you really
need to be working with a licensed electrician. Backfeeding a generator into a
house through a branch circuit can have a lot of negative consequences for both
the house and the emergency linesmen in the area.

"Backfeeding a generator into a
house through a branch circuit can have a lot of negative consequences
for both
the house and the emergency linesmen in the area. "

Yes, besides being illegal, it could easily get an innocent person, eg
a lineman, killed.

wrote in message
ups.com...
"Backfeeding a generator into a
house through a branch circuit can have a lot of negative consequences
for both
the house and the emergency linesmen in the area. "

Yes, besides being illegal, it could easily get an innocent person, eg
a lineman, killed.

And get yourself killed as well with that male to male cable.

Your pump will be only 240 volt with no neutral, your generator will have a
neutral and your house needs a neutral to operate it. Do a proper, legal and
safe connection and everything will work correctly. To jury rig a generator
this way can create many problems, particularly with safety. Do it right or
not at all.