ry57pont wrote:
now lets say that you plug one end in the honda and not plug in the other end to the duplex, start the honda then plug in the end, now you have a potential for shock.
Or someone else accidentally knocks it loose, leaving live 110vac on bare contacts. Ready to electrocute someone or, worse, start a fire when it shorts across something laying under that outlet. Yes, breakers and GFCIs are "supposed to" help prevent this. But their proper operation depends upon the rest of the wiring being up to code.
Notice how a regular shore power cable does not have bare contact ends. Knock it loose and nothing happens. But along those lines I've seen live shore power lines dropped straight into the water and NOT trip the breaker on the pole! Doesn't say much for assumptions about safety.
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3. you sell the boat, keep the gen. the boat now has one additional duplex outlet that the next guy can do whatever he wants to do with it.
Yes, you get to keep the generator, but given how most boat are sold (through brokers) the next owner isn't going to have a clue as to what you've rigged up.
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4. you use the factory 30a plug and 30' cable with the generator. now you have the cable going from the back of the boat (to the honda) up the side of the boat (to the factory receptacle). you have created two hazzards, 1. tripping on the cord 2. having the cord fall into the water.
Marine shore power cords are designed to be water resistant, so that argument won't hold water.
People know what electrical cords are for and will adjust their behavior. They're just as likely to be tripping on the generator on the platform. That and people survive tripping over something better than being electrocuted or blown up due to a fire.
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plus you would have to make up an adapter to go from the 30a to the 15a that honda provides.
This is a pretty poor excuse against following ABYC, or even household NEC codes.
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the problem with extension cords is usually the length, and tripping hazzards. thats why they are not allowed in manufacturing facilities, except for temporary use.
While true, the use in manufacturing environments really has no basis in comparison to the temporary use in a boat.
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the other nice thing about having a double male patch cord around is during power outages, i shut off the main breaker to the house, then i can plug my honda into an outside outlet and backfeed the panel. just make sure you shut off the honda before switching the main back on.
Versus installing an actual transfer panel. So now you want to burn the house down too? I have a manual transfer panel. I also have a outlet on the house which, unsurprisingly, has the same plug as a shore power 50A outlet. It's installed correctly and provides support to select circuits throughout the house. 'Backfeeding' AC without proper planning, ugh, that just makes NO sense. The last thing you want when the power dies is to become yet another statistic due to improper generator use.
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i agree, there are other ways to do this, but this is a safe and cost effective way to hook up a honda,
No, it is neither safe (NOT IN ANY WAY), nor cost effective (in the long run). It's just a cheap, dangerous short cut. Rationalize it all you want but it would be bad advice for anyone else to repeat this setup. You're certainly free to do as you like. But others have made it clear there are probably some better and safer ways to accomplish what you seek. I'm all for convenience but not when it comes to the significant dangers related to electricity. It's just not worth it. Certainly not when the expense of doing it right is, what, around $150?
I don't want you to think this is an argument against you as an individual. This is just a discussion and cautionary advice against a bad idea.
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you said your two cents.....
