How to wire 240v generator plug


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Old 06-22-14, 05:10 PM
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How to wire 240v generator plug

I have a portable generator that I took apart and can't figure out how to wire back the 220v plug.

It looks like this:
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The generator has 4 wires coming out of it and a ground. 2 pairs of 110v. I can't figure out how it used to be hooked it up to this plug to make 220v.

Please help.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 05:38 PM
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You have 240 volts. Picture the wires so we can see what you are seeing. The ground goes to the L shaped lug. Your two hots go on the other two across from each other and your neutral goes across from the ground. The screws should be either black or gold for the hots and silver for the neutral, and green for the ground. Let us see the rest.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 05:43 PM
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The ground goes to the L.
The white/neutral goes directly across.
The red and black go to either side.

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Last edited by PJmax; 06-22-14 at 06:03 PM. Reason: updated pic
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Old 06-22-14, 06:39 PM
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The hots may be labeled X and Y.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 07:03 PM
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There are 5 wires.
Ground/yellow, blue, red, brownish, and white.

How do I figure out which ones are the two hots?

I don't know much about electrical wiring.

Do I connect the two neutral wires together?
 

Last edited by MathDude; 06-22-14 at 08:50 PM.
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Old 06-22-14, 07:38 PM
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IIRC, the red and brown are the neutral while the gray and blue are the phase conductors.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 07:39 PM
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You're talking about the receptacle in the unit..... not a plug.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 08:08 PM
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So do I connect the red and brown together on the plug across from the ground and then connect the white on one side and the blue on the other side?

How do I test that plug for 240volts? What spots do I put the voltage tester leads in?
 
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Old 06-22-14, 08:11 PM
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Yes I'm talking about the receptacle on the generator.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 08:13 PM
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You said in the other thread the generator windings were burned. How are you going to measure voltage with burned windings.

I have the schematic to that generator but the colors don't match what you are seeing.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 08:20 PM
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Here are the pictures
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Old 06-22-14, 08:26 PM
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This is another generator. A different one. This one the avr is bad but I ordered a new one. For now I'm testing it by putting 12 volts to the brushes.

This one is a power pro 5500 generator.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 08:32 PM
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I figured this would be easy.

Here's what I'm doing.

I have two broken generators. The power pro is cheaper to fix. The avr is out. Also the control panel was all messed up on the power pro. Wires were chewed and messed up. I was getting no voltage to the plugs. So I put the control panel from the other generator on the power pro. I have wired up the 110v plugs and they work fine. I can't figure out how to wire up the 220 volt plug.

Hope that helps.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 08:36 PM
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Also the wires in the top picture of the back of the plug are not the correct color. I had to use different wires to wire it up. I just have a yellow ground, blue, red, brown, and white.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 08:43 PM
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Here are the wiring diagrams for them:

Power Pro
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UST
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Old 06-22-14, 08:54 PM
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Now you're working with two generators. I've been using the 5500 schematic which is probably why the colors don't match.

I need schematics to help with wiring. If you change colors that just makes things even harder.

I may have to bow out here.... I really don't know what you are doing and it's almost impossible to follow.

I can offer you this. On the genny with the working 120v receptacles..... measure between the small prongs on the left and right receptacle. If you measure 240vac there then those are your two high voltage wires. The ground is still green. The wire on the large slot side of the receptacles is the neutral.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 09:12 PM
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I may be completely confused. Is that plug even supposed to be 220volts?

I'm sorry about the confusion that I caused.

Thanks so much for the help though.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 09:17 PM
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The wires colors change at the panel. Up to the panel from the generator unit the wires are correct. They are yellow/ground, blue, red, grey, and white. Those aren't changed. Just changed at the panel to the plugs. If y'all tell me what to do with the original colors that would work. The colors are changed for just 5 inches.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 09:18 PM
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Excluding ground, can you post voltage readings between all the wires?
 
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Old 06-22-14, 09:33 PM
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Blue and red: 120volts
Brown and white: 120volts
Blue and brown: 0volts
 
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Old 06-22-14, 09:38 PM
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Wirenut red and white and tell me what you get between blue and brown.
 
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Old 06-22-14, 09:51 PM
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240volts!!! How do I connect it to the plug? Which wires to which prongs?

Are the red and white the neutral and brown and white the hot?

Thanks!!!
 
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Old 06-23-14, 05:05 AM
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How do I connect it to the plug?
Plug or receptacle? Two entirely different things.
 
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Old 06-23-14, 08:10 AM
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Red and white are neutral, blue and brown are the phase. Green is ground. If you plan on using this as a portable unit (not connected to house panel) you need a jumper between neutral and ground.
 
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Old 06-23-14, 09:01 AM
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Thanks do much for the help. All done.
 
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Old 06-23-14, 10:07 AM
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You're welcome! Enjoy and be safe.
 
 

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