# Honda Generator Cord



## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

I have my Honda EU7000is on order which should arrive in a month. Can someone who has this generator confirm for me that I'll need a L6-30P male plug to go into the generator?

My old generator (non-Honda) was only good for 20A, so the generator cord I have has two 20A rated male plugs on each end. One going into the generator and the other end going into the 20A receptacle mounted on the inside garage wall which then runs to the transfer switch in the basement. The garage receptacle will have to be changed out to a 30A receptacle also.

I thought of just buying a new 25 ft. NEMA L6-30P to L6-30P Generator Cord, and saving the old cord. Unfortunately I can only find a cord with plug/receptacle ends rather that plug/plug ends. Don't know if a plug/plug configuration is offered for sale.

Are the plug/plug cords available for sale, or should I make my own up using a L6-30p plug on each end?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

plug to socket cord is what we use here.
did you down load the owners manual yet
*click here for the 2021 eu7000i manuals down load from honda*


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

so exactly what are you wiring?
gen to house generator inlet?
or
generator to rv 30 amp 120 vac inlet?
or 
generator to rv 50 amp inlet?

snap a pix of the destination inlet.

*the generator has
in the high power outlets
1) 120 vac 5-30R as a 3 wire female socket
1) 120/240 vac 14-30R as a 4 wire female socket*


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

pm me if you need generator inlet wiring diagrams


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

iowagold said:


> so exactly what are you wiring?
> gen to house generator inlet?
> or
> generator to rv 30 amp 120 vac inlet?
> ...


I'm going from the new EU7000is generator to a 30A/250V receptacle on the garage wall which then goes to the transfer switch in the basement. The transfer switch is wired to my electrical panel (wiring and transfer switch installed by licensed electrician). When my power goes out, I start the generator and then throw the switch on the transfer switch to the "Gen" position, which now my panel is powered by the 220V from the generator. Once I see main power has been restored, I shut off the generator and throw the transfer switch lever back to the "main" position, and then unplug my generator cable with the two 30A/250V male ends from the generator and garage receptacle and store it on the wall for the next time.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

Ricko said:


> I'm going from the new EU7000is generator to a 30A/250V receptacle on the garage wall which then goes to the transfer switch in the basement. The transfer switch is wired to my electrical panel (wiring and transfer switch installed by licensed electrician). When my power goes out, I start the generator and then throw the switch on the transfer switch to the "Gen" position, which now my panel is powered by the 220V from the generator. Once I see main power has been restored, I shut off the generator and throw the transfer switch lever back to the "main" position, and then unplug my generator cable with the two 30A/250V male ends from the generator and garage receptacle and store it on the wall for the next time.


there should be one male on the gen side and one female on the house panel inlet as well as an interlock setup for the main breaker.

snap some pix of your setup please


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

iowagold said:


> there should be one male on the gen side and one female on the house panel inlet as well as an interlock setup for the main breaker.
> 
> snap some pix of your setup please


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

So as you can see my generator cord has a male on each end. A male to fit the generator and a male to fit the garage receptacle as shown. From the receptacle the wire runs to the transfer switch in the basement, which it then is hooked into the main panel. Depending how I throw the transfer switch dictates on where my pwr is coming from. Gen or Consumers Pwr. This prevents any chance of the utility company pwr coming back on while the generator is feeding pwr to the panel at the same time. Which is the whole purpose of a transfer switch.


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## pipe (Jun 27, 2021)

This goes into outside wall socket 










This end plugs into Honda 









Amazon.com: Kohree NEMA L14-30R Generator Female Plug 30 Amp 4 Prong, Twist Locking Plug Receptacle Connector 125/250V, Industrial Grade Outlet Adapter 7,500W, UL Listed : Patio, Lawn & Garden


Amazon.com: Kohree NEMA L14-30R Generator Female Plug 30 Amp 4 Prong, Twist Locking Plug Receptacle Connector 125/250V, Industrial Grade Outlet Adapter 7,500W, UL Listed : Patio, Lawn & Garden



www.amazon.com












Amazon.com: Miady NEMA L14-30P Generator Plug, 30 Amp 4-Prong Industrial Grade Locking Male Plug Up to 7,500W, Grounding Type/UL listed : Patio, Lawn & Garden


Amazon.com: Miady NEMA L14-30P Generator Plug, 30 Amp 4-Prong Industrial Grade Locking Male Plug Up to 7,500W, Grounding Type/UL listed : Patio, Lawn & Garden



www.amazon.com


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

pipe said:


> View attachment 9872
> 
> 
> This goes into outside wall socket
> ...


So I guess what you're saying is I can't use my L6-30P and L6-30R set-up and will have to change them to the L14-30P & L14-30R configuration?


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

So my 20+ year old 3500w noisy generator used the L6 plug and receptacle configuration consisting of 2 hots and a ground wire. That is what my garage receptacle to the transfer box is wired with, #10- 3 wire, 2 hots and a gnd. So now it appears I need a 4 wire cord from the generator consisting of 2 hots, a neutral and a ground wire. So what would happen if I used the 14L-30P on the generator hooking up 2 hots and a ground, leaving the neutral terminal empty? I was hoping this was going to be simple, but it doesn't appear so!


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## Browse Deweb (Jan 16, 2021)

See post #9 above...that is what you need on your cord. What you're doing is illegal and it's called a suicide cord (with two male ends). Your input box needs to be changed to this one:








Reliance Controls 30 Amp Power Inlet Box PB30 - The Home Depot


The Reliance Controls 30 Amp Power Inlet Box is designed for outdoor use and can be hardwired directly to a manual transfer switch or transfer panel, eliminating the need for cords running through windows



www.homedepot.com


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

Browse Deweb said:


> See post #9 above...that is what you need on your cord. What you're doing is illegal and it's called a suicide cord (with two male ends). Your input box needs to be changed to this one:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Browse, thank you for your advice and I'll consider your comments.


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## McCorby (Apr 26, 2021)

+1 on what Browse Deweb said. A suicide cord is an accident waiting to happen. A licensed electrician wired it that way?


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

McCorby said:


> +1 on what Browse Deweb said. A suicide cord is an accident waiting to happen. A licensed electrician wired it that way?


And so is an experimental Covid vaccine!


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## McCorby (Apr 26, 2021)

Ricko said:


> And so is an experimental Covid vaccine!


Good one bro! Not sure what that has to do with the topic, but best of luck to you. You’ll obviously need it…… lol


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## FlyFisher (Jun 30, 2018)

McCorby said:


> +1 on what Browse Deweb said. A suicide cord is an accident waiting to happen. A licensed electrician wired it that way?


I was just going to question the same thing. I can't imagine any licensed electrician using a female receptacle on what they knew was going to be an "inlet" box.

However, I won't go so far as to push "fear" over a so-called "suicide cord". I would, however, offer extreme caution being very wise and to understand the risk. 

That risk is that if the end opposite the generator is not plugged in, the generator is running, and the breaker governing power out the outlet that the cord is plugged in to is in the ON position the prongs on the open plug are hot.

So long as you understand the risk and are cautious - this set up will work. It doesn't work any different than a male plug inlet box, electrically speaking. The combination of the transfer switch and male inlet box (or an interlock set up on 1 panel in place of the transfer switch) makes it so that the prongs of the inlet box can not be hot at any time while they are exposed (interlock or transfer switch keeps utility power off of it). 

As has already been hammered - the best, safest method is the male inlet box. To make things code compliant/legal - check your local regs.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

easy to change that outlet in the garage to an inlet.
I would do that asap.

so how long does the generator cord need to be?
and what gauge is the wire from the garage to the transfer switch?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

Ricko said:


> So as you can see my generator cord has a male on each end. A male to fit the generator and a male to fit the garage receptacle as shown. From the receptacle the wire runs to the transfer switch in the basement, which it then is hooked into the main panel. Depending how I throw the transfer switch dictates on where my pwr is coming from. Gen or Consumers Pwr. This prevents any chance of the utility company pwr coming back on while the generator is feeding pwr to the panel at the same time. Which is the whole purpose of a transfer switch.


wow well you did spend the bucks for a fancy square d industrial A B power switch!
I am surprised he did not use the good male inlet on the garage side...
is there a fuse on the inlet somewhere??? or a breaker??
but then again back then there were not as many choices as today...

we do mods on the eu7000is gen for a heavy duty 50 amp twistlock.
check your conversations for the info.

if you do not need 240 vac there is a switch on the front of the eu7000i gen sets to have the inverter in the 120 vac mode
this will let you get the max current out of the gen set!

but you are limited by the 30 amp socket on the front of the gen set.
so we fix this by changing the socket to a 50 amp twist lock.

and use 6/4 soow cord and proper plugs and sockets and inlet for the house...
this mod will last a life time.

make sure to add a proper breaker for the inlet in the garage as well.
he may have a fuse somewhere in the system now...
the last thing you want during an outage is searching for a rare fuse!


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## McCorby (Apr 26, 2021)

FlyFisher said:


> However, I won't go so far as to push "fear" over a so-called "suicide cord".
> 
> So long as you understand the risk and are cautious - this set up will work. It doesn't work any different than a male plug inlet box, electrically speaking. The combination of the transfer switch and male inlet box (or an interlock set up on 1 panel in place of the transfer switch) makes it so that the prongs of the inlet box can not be hot at any time while they are exposed (interlock or transfer switch keeps utility power off of it).


He or she may understand and accept the risk, but does the wife, or child, or neighbor, or the next home owner? Not to mention people aren’t perfect, we all make mistakes. All it takes is a distraction, and…….It’s not worth the risk in my opinion. Also, no reputable licensed electrician would do this. 

I won’t speak anymore on this. Again, best of luck to the op.


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

Thank you pipe for the connector information. I've ordered the NEMA generator plug from Amazon that you've shown above and will replace one of the L6-30P with it. I know some folks are gasping at the moment because I've decided to stick with the so called "suicide cord", but I can't give in to scaremongering after I've used this system for 22 years without any trouble. Pipe, I do have one other question concerning the new generator plug ordered, and would rather pm you about that if you wouldn't mind?


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

iowagold said:


> wow well you did spend the bucks for a fancy square d industrial A B power switch!
> I am surprised he did not use the good male inlet on the garage side...
> is there a fuse on the inlet somewhere??? or a breaker??
> but then again back then there were not as many choices as today...
> ...


Paul, actually that was a used transfer switch. I have a local company that sells used and new old stock electrical parts. I believe I paid around $100 for that switch. I thought it was a good buy at the time.


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

McCorby said:


> He or she may understand and accept the risk, but does the wife, or child, or neighbor, or the next home owner? Not to mention people aren’t perfect, we all make mistakes. All it takes is a distraction, and…….It’s not worth the risk in my opinion. Also, no reputable licensed electrician would do this.
> 
> I won’t speak anymore on this. Again, best of luck to the op.


McCorby, I appreciate you getting straight to answering the question without any fearmongering. If you seen how my set-up is used, there is no possible way for an accident.


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## McCorby (Apr 26, 2021)

Ricko said:


> McCorby, I appreciate you getting straight to answering the question without any fearmongering. If you seen how my set-up is used, there is no possible way for an accident.


I apologize for my fearmongering. I didn’t realize there was a way to implement a suicide cord that prevents someone from being able to plug it into the generator without it first being plugged into the inlet (or outlet in your case).….Or preventing it from being unplugged from the ”inlet“ without first being unplugged from the generator. My bad! Can you please explain how this works? I’m sure there are others like me who would love to know how this is possible.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

Ricko said:


> Paul, actually that was a used transfer switch. I have a local company that sells used and new old stock electrical parts. I believe I paid around $100 for that switch. I thought it was a good buy at the time.


is there a fuse in that A B switch?
some of the real old industrial units had large blade end or bolt in fuses build in to those boxes.
100 bucks is a great price on a switch like that!
they run 500-1000 usd new.


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

Paul, I have no clue regarding any fuses in the transfer switch. I'm sure the company who installed it would have made it safe for use. Do you have an answer to my L14-30R receptacle question on the generator?


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## Ricko (Aug 12, 2021)

McCorby said:


> I apologize for my fearmongering. I didn’t realize there was a way to implement a suicide cord that prevents someone from being able to plug it into the generator without it first being plugged into the inlet (or outlet in your case).….Or preventing it from being unplugged from the ”inlet“ without first being unplugged from the generator. My bad! Can you please explain how this works? I’m sure there are others like me who would love to know how this is possible.


Hmmm...sounds like you answered your own question.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

Ricko said:


> Paul, I have no clue regarding any fuses in the transfer switch. I'm sure the company who installed it would have made it safe for use. Do you have an answer to my L14-30R receptacle question on the generator?


check your pm


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## McCorby (Apr 26, 2021)

Ricko said:


> Hmmm...sounds like you answered your own question.


Yep, just what I thought.

To be clear, I could care less if you electrocute yourself or burn your house down. That’s 100% on you. You’d just be another Darwin Award winner! 😜

What I do take issue with is you coming on the forum proclaiming what you are doing is legal and safe. The problem with that is many people with limited experience and knowledge come to this site to learn. Posting that it is a safe practice to use a suicide cord is flat out wrong and could possibly end up hurting someone. Are you really ok with that?

btw, how much are you saving not wiring it properly? A $100 to $150 tops?


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## motormonkey (Jul 10, 2016)

Cautioning against the use of a "suicide cord" is NOT scaremongering. Using an improperly gendered power cord is plainly DANGEROUS.

If you choose to use an incorrectly gendered cord, you do it at your own risk. You've been warned. Advocating such actions here will not be condoned.

Thread closed.


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