My electrical contractor installed a separate generator panel for my house with an exterior 4 prong receptical beside the main house power feed. The main 200amp house panel has a 60amp breaker marked 'generator'. The separate panel also has a 60amp breaker marked 'generator' plus breakers for the key circuits we agreed upon for our emergency power, i.e. well pump, refrigerators, fan for gas heat, fan for gas water heater and some key lighting. I know when I trip the 60amp breaker in the generator panel the power goes out to those items. I assume that if I trip the 60amp breaker on the main panel the same will happen - I need to verify that. My intent was to just shut down the main 200amp breaker from the power company if we have a power failure.

I recently bought a GP 6500 watt Generic generator. It appears that I need two male plugs to be able to connect the generator to the receptical outside the panel. I haven't seen a two ended male plug cord available - is this an unusual situation? Will I have any other issues with this connection set up?

What type of generator panel do you have? Make and model.

Is the receptacle and actual female? Or is it a male flanged inlet.

Photos would be very helpful.

Thanks TK. The generator panel is a Siemens G1224B6060GC. I've attached pics. Pics 450 & 451 are the generator panel and 452 & 453 are the main panel. The exterior is a female Nema L14-30.

Your "electrician" actually supplied you with a FEMALE inlet outside for a generator??

First thing I would do is call the inspection agency that inspected this and report the electrician AND inspector who passed this extremely dangerous installation.
A male-to-male cord is one of the most dangerous, and stupidest, things in the electrical world. They are highly illegal for a reason.

I also think your guy tampered with that generator panel. There should be tie bars on those two top breakers allowing only one of them to be turned on at the same time.

I'm sorry, but I get FURIOUS when I see installations like this form so called professionals!

Stan - yes he did. He seemed a little unsure of what he was doing in regards to the whole generator situation. So it seems that I need to get someone out to replace the female receptical with the proper male receptical correct? From the face of it, it doesn't seem like the generator panel was tampered with - is there a way to verify this? I've searched online for specs on this panel but no luck. I may go to one of the local electric supply shops to investigate further.

I will agree, this appears to be not only a dangerous situation but not within code. May I also assume he did not get a permit to have this done, and that it was never inspected ?

Was this a real licensed electrician ?

Stan got to this before I did, the "electrician" installed the incorrect receptacle, which is what I thought.

Needs to be a flanged inlet, the picture is not the best, but look closely and you can see blades that a female cord cap would plug into.

This way you have a male at the generator end to plug into the female on the generator, and a female cord end to plug into this male inlet. So there are no exposed live parts when done properly.

I do see what I believe is the interlock between the two main breakers, looks like a metal bar connecting the breaker handles, to insure only one of the two breakers can be put into the ON position.

This electrician needs to fix this inlet issue, at no additional cost.

He should know better.

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Originally Posted by blueseng

From the face of it, it doesnt seem like the generator panel was tampered with - is there a way to verify this? I've searched online for specs on this panel but no luck. I may go to one of the local electric supply shops to investigate further.

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From what I know it should have a tie bar across the two breakers.

Like this:http://www.frostelectric.com/WOE-IMAGES/00372598.jpg
Frost - SIEMENS ECSBPK01 INTERLOCK FOR STAND-BY POWER

Stan if that is what the interlock should look like, then it has been altered, and needs to be replaced.

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Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

I will agree, this appears to be not only a dangerous situation but not within code. May I also assume he did not get a permit to have this done, and that it was never inspected ?

Was this a real licensed electrician ?

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Chuck - yes this was done by a licensed electrician and it was inspected by a TN state inspector. My county does not have building codes but the electrical is required to be inspected.

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Originally Posted by tkrussell

Stan if that is what the interlock should look like, then it has been altered, and needs to be replaced.

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TK - after looking closely at the Siemens sticker on the panel it does give instructions as to what the procedure should be if the power goes out. That interlock seems to be an add on device that may be required by code but is not necessary for the panel to operate.

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Originally Posted by tkrussell

Stan if that is what the interlock should look like, then it has been altered, and needs to be replaced.

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Right?
Look at that gen panel and tell me if you see any interlock function at all. Looks to me like you could easily turn both breakers on at the same time.

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Originally Posted by blueseng

That interlock seems to be an add on device that may be required by code but is not necessary for the panel to operate.

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Heck, the whole thing will operate the way it sits. That does not make it safe.
An interlock is not just a simple safety add-on. It absolutely IS required.

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Originally Posted by stanfortyman

Heck, the whole thing will operate the way it sits. That does not make it safe.
An interlock is not just a simple safety add-on. It absolutely IS required.

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I guess my point was that the panel didn't appear to be tampered with and that the add on device wasn't added as it should have been. I will have that taken care of when the new receptical is installed. Thanks for your help on this.