I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w continuous generator that has a 120v 30a output.
I hooked up my elec panel with a 30a breaker with an interlock, ran a 10/4 and a generator inlet box outside. I made up my own extension SJ cord with a standard generator female plug at one end to plug in the inlet box, and on the generator side is a 30A 120v plug that has both red and black bonded together inside the plug to make both sides of elec panel live.
Now the only 220 device I have is my CAC, which I would not run anyway, but I was just curious, what would happen if you accidentally fed a 220v device with 2 hots of the same phase? Would anything happen? I'm thinking nothing would happen, it would just be dead, and no damage would be done since no current would flow.

On 11/06/2013 06:38 PM, Mikepier wrote:
I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w continuous generator that has a 120v 30a output.
I hooked up my elec panel with a 30a breaker with an interlock, ran a 10/4 and a generator inlet box outside. I made up my own extension SJ cord with a standard generator female plug at one end to plug in the inlet box, and on the generator side is a 30A 120v plug that has both red and black bonded together inside the plug to make both sides of elec panel live.
Now the only 220 device I have is my CAC, which I would not run anyway, but I was just curious, what would happen if you accidentally fed a 220v device with 2 hots of the same phase? Would anything happen? I'm thinking nothing would happen, it would just be dead, and no damage would be done since no current would flow.


correct

That's what I think too. All of the 120 volt circuits in the appliance would operate properly, such as the oven light bulb in an oven or the 120V indicator lights on the stoves console, but none of the heating elements would work because you've got the same voltage at each end of the heating element, and therefore no current flow.

On Wednesday, November 6, 2013 7:38:37 PM UTC-5, Mikepier wrote:
I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w continuous generator that has a 120v what would happen if you accidentally fed a 220v device with 2 hots of the same phase? Would anything happen? I'm thinking nothing would happen, it would just be dead, and no damage would be done since no current would flow.

I'm thinking you already did this and are wondering if you did some damage.

No, you didn't.

my neighbor installed a 240 volt compressor and it didnt work, i took a quick look, and said move the breaker one space. instant fix since i had done the same thing years before......

the whatever wuldnt work but it cant damage the device

"Mikepier" wrote in message
...
I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w continuous generator that has a
120v 30a output.
I hooked up my elec panel with a 30a breaker with an interlock, ran a 10/4
and a generator inlet box outside. I made up my own extension SJ cord with a
standard generator female plug at one end to plug in the inlet box, and on
the generator side is a 30A 120v plug that has both red and black bonded
together inside the plug to make both sides of elec panel live.
Now the only 220 device I have is my CAC, which I would not run anyway, but
I was just curious, what would happen if you accidentally fed a 220v device
with 2 hots of the same phase? Would anything happen? I'm thinking nothing
would happen, it would just be dead, and no damage would be done since no
current would flow.

If it is pure 220 volt device, nothing would hapen. If you have some
control circuits involved that internally operate on 120 , they may or may
not come on. Even then I doubt there would be any damage done.

What everyone else has said, you are right on.

On 11/6/2013 16:38, Mikepier wrote:
I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w continuous generator that has a 120v 30a output.
I hooked up my elec panel with a 30a breaker with an interlock, ran a 10/4 and a generator inlet box outside. I made up my own extension SJ cord with a standard generator female plug at one end to plug in the inlet box, and on the generator side is a 30A 120v plug that has both red and black bonded together inside the plug to make both sides of elec panel live.

There would be no damage to (or performance of) 240 volt devices with
such a setup. But if you have two 120 volt circuits using a shared
neutral, as is often the case with kitchen appliance circuits, a danger
exists of overloading the neutral wire.

On 11/06/2013 07:38 PM, Mikepier wrote:
I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w continuous generator that has a 120v 30a output.
I hooked up my elec panel with a 30a breaker with an interlock, ran a 10/4 and a generator inlet box outside. I made up my own extension SJ cord with a standard generator female plug at one end to plug in the inlet box, and on the generator side is a 30A 120v plug that has both red and black bonded together inside the plug to make both sides of elec panel live.
Now the only 220 device I have is my CAC, which I would not run anyway, but I was just curious, what would happen if you accidentally fed a 220v device with 2 hots of the same phase? Would anything happen? I'm thinking nothing would happen, it would just be dead, and no damage would be done since no current would flow.



--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On 11/06/2013 07:38 PM, Mikepier wrote:
I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w continuous generator that
has a 120v 30a output. I hooked up my elec panel with a 30a breaker
with an interlock, ran a 10/4 and a generator inlet box outside. I
made up my own extension SJ cord with a standard generator female
plug at one end to plug in the inlet box, and on the generator side
is a 30A 120v plug that has both red and black bonded together inside
the plug to make both sides of elec panel live. Now the only 220
device I have is my CAC, which I would not run anyway, but I was just
curious, what would happen if you accidentally fed a 220v device with
2 hots of the same phase? Would anything happen? I'm thinking nothing
would happen, it would just be dead, and no damage would be done
since no current would flow.



The potential between the to "phases" to the 240V circuits will be 0V,
so those simply won't work. The potential between those conductors and
ground will still be 120V, so there is a shock hazard of disassembling
the appliances while they're plugged in even though they're apparently
not working...

If you're powering your whole house panel with the generator however,
make sure that there are no "Edison" or shared-neutral 120VAC circuits
powered up by a single phase - that can result in the neutral conductor
of those circuits carrying up to twice the current that it's rated for.
(a good argument for a generator subpanel)

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On 11/6/2013 7:38 PM, Mikepier wrote:
I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w
continuous generator that has a 120v 30a output.
I hooked up my elec panel with a 30a breaker
with an interlock, ran a 10/4 and a generator
inlet box outside. I made up my own extension
SJ cord with a standard generator female plug at
one end to plug in the inlet box, and on the
generator side is a 30A 120v plug that has both
red and black bonded together inside the plug to
make both sides of elec panel live.
Now the only 220 device I have is my CAC, which
I would not run anyway, but I was just curious,
what would happen if you accidentally fed a 220v
device with 2 hots of the same phase? Would any
thing happen? I'm thinking nothing would happen,
it would just be dead, and no damage would be done
since no current would flow.


Agree. Nothing would happen. It's an interesting
question.

Q: When I was a teen, we had a central vacuum
cleaner system in the wood shop room at school.
This was hosed and piped to the various machines,
to remove the sawdust from saws, planers, etc.
We could also run flexible hose, to act like a
shop vac, if we had to clean around a machine.
One of the boys asked what happens, if you take
the end of one flex hose, and use it to vacuum
the end of another flex hose?

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

Thanks. No I actually have not done it to my CAC accidentally, but I was just curious what would happen if I did.
I have no Edison circuits, so no worries about overloading .

On Thursday, November 7, 2013 6:26:40 AM UTC-5, Nate Nagel wrote:
On 11/06/2013 07:38 PM, Mikepier wrote:

I recently got a Champion 4000wpeak/3500w continuous generator that

has a 120v 30a output. I hooked up my elec panel with a 30a breaker

with an interlock, ran a 10/4 and a generator inlet box outside. I

made up my own extension SJ cord with a standard generator female

plug at one end to plug in the inlet box, and on the generator side

is a 30A 120v plug that has both red and black bonded together inside

the plug to make both sides of elec panel live. Now the only 220

device I have is my CAC, which I would not run anyway, but I was just

curious, what would happen if you accidentally fed a 220v device with

2 hots of the same phase? Would anything happen? I'm thinking nothing

would happen, it would just be dead, and no damage would be done

since no current would flow.







The potential between the to "phases" to the 240V circuits will be 0V,

so those simply won't work. The potential between those conductors and

ground will still be 120V, so there is a shock hazard of disassembling

the appliances while they're plugged in even though they're apparently

not working...



If you're powering your whole house panel with the generator however,

make sure that there are no "Edison" or shared-neutral 120VAC circuits

powered up by a single phase - that can result in the neutral conductor

of those circuits carrying up to twice the current that it's rated for.

(a good argument for a generator subpanel)



nate



One good reason to use a generator with a 240V output.
It avoids that problem. I'm assuming Mike's doesn't
have 240V.

On 11/7/2013 9:09 AM, wrote:

One good reason to use a generator with a 240V output.
It avoids that problem. I'm assuming Mike's doesn't
have 240V.

I had a 5,000 watt Coleman which I really liked. Noisy,
but did the job. It was a bit too heavy for me, so I
made a deal and traded my Dad for a smaller unit.

The power went out for Dad, at one point. The Coleman
didn't start. A "helpful" neighbor took the spark plug
out and sprayed ether into the spark hole. Locked up
the piston, and threw a piston rod. It's Ok to spray
ether on the air filter, or short burst into the air
intake. But not into the spark plug hole.

The Coleman did have 220 volt output. The smaller 2500
watt unit I now have, does not.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

I took a look at the wiring diagrams of the stoves in my building, and so far as I can see, the only heating element that connects to the neutral is the broil element. The bake element and all surface elements don't involve the neutral at all; the heating element is connected between L1 and L2 in all cases.

But, the OP's central air conditioner may be quite different, and burning out the neutral wire might be a risk there.