[fencer]

Can I wire a 20 amp, 3 pole, 4 wire grounding locking plug to a 50 amp 2 pole 3 wire receptacle? I would like to use a portable generator in a remote area.

[tkrussell]

Really depends on a few things, such as which is the generator the 20 amp or 50 amp?

If the 50 amp is the generator, what is the voltage across the black and white? What is the third wire in the 50 amp outlet, a neutral or a ground?

If the 50 amp outlet is the feed , is there a 50 amp breaker protecting it?

Normally a 20 amp device should not be fed by or protected by a 50 amp breaker, since the 20 amp wire can be overloaded and overheat.

Get back with more info and we can go further from there.

[fencer]

The generator is 20 amp. It has circuit breakers. The unit I want to run off the generator uses the three prong (50 amp style) receptacle. The plug to the generator has four prongs/ wires, yet the receptacle has three. How do I go from four wires to three? Bryan

[tkrussell]

All I can assume is that the third wire of the 50 amp circuit is an equipment ground, which will connect to the equipment ground (green) on the generator outlet.

As far as actually connecting the wires, the easiest method will be to get a 20 amp 4 wire plug to match the outlet, and connect the 3-50 amp wires to the plug. These wires may not fit in the terminals on the plug.

Keep in mind, the 50 amp circuit will be limited to drawing 20 amps, due to the rating of the genset, breaker and outlet.

[fencer]

OK, the plug is labeled as such (where the wires go in). White, X, Ground, and Y. Ground would go to the green wire on the receptacle. Would White go to the white, or would x or y go to white? Then does x or y go to black? Bryan

[tkrussell]

Does not matter, x or y , which hot wire goes to which, ony the green ground goes to ground.