Help with some 3 phase plugs?

[matthewsx]

I standardized on NEMA L15-30 (Twist-Lock, 30A). At one point I was moving sockets to different plugs, but as my 3phase collection grew I made a distribution box with cords for each. The cost of the plug / receptacle is nearly immaterial. Yes, it seems like a lot, but it's probably less than I paid in gas to bring any particular machine home. My lathe was hard wired at my old place, but I put a receptacle on it when I moved. Given all Twist-Locks, I've considered going to cords hanging from the ceiling at some point - it's a pretty clean approach.

GsT

I did the same. I wired my static phase converter to 240 v 1-ph, screwed to a board with outlet boxes that mounts on the wall.

John

 

[Ultradog MN]

I finished the wiring in my shop today except I was one 110v outlet short for the far end and it was supper time...
Upper line is 110V
Lower one is 220V 3 phase off my RPC.
Yes those twist loc receptacles are pricey. I had the male ends on all my machines but have been running extension cords and plugging and unplugging things all the time so I bit the bullet and bought 4 new ones.
Ouch!
@ GeneT 45 thanks for the correct colors.
I wired it as you described except what should be the blue wire is white.
However, my real name is Jerry so maybe I'm allowed to do a little jerry rigging on the color?
This is part of what has been a massive reorganizing of my shop.
A week ago that wall looked like the first photo. I took down the wood shelving sold and threw away a bunch of stuff, finished mudding that wall, painted it and ran the conduit. Now I can put my machines there.
My entire shop is a total hell hole at the moment but now it is a matter of moving machines, putting things away and getting it ship shape again.
Thanks to all for the help, ideas and camaraderie. This is a great forum!

 

[GeneT45]

I finished the wiring in my shop today except I was one 110v outlet short for the far end and it was supper time...
Upper line is 110V
Lower one is 220V 3 phase off my RPC.
Yes those twist loc receptacles are pricey. I had the male ends on all my machines but have been running extension cords and plugging and unplugging things all the time so I bit the bullet and bought 4 new ones.
Ouch!
@ GeneT 45 thanks for the correct colors.
I wired it as you described except what should be the blue wire is white.
However, my real name is Jerry so maybe I'm allowed to do a little jerry rigging on the color?
This is part of what has been a massive reorganizing of my shop.
A week ago that wall looked like the first photo. I took down the wood shelving sold and threw away a bunch of stuff, finished mudding that wall, painted it and ran the conduit. Now I can put my machines there.
My entire shop is a total hell hole at the moment but now it is a matter of moving machines, putting things away and getting it ship shape again.
Thanks to all for the help, ideas and camaraderie. This is a great forum!

I would at least put a wrap of blue electrician's tape around the ends of your white wire in that case. White is universally Neutral in the US so it'd be nice to leave at least a hint for anyone else who might some day work on that setup. Looks like a tidy job!

GsT

 

[G-ManBart]

All my machines in my shop are hard wired, no problems with expensive plugs/ receptacles.

This helps the OP how?

 

[G-ManBart]

Ma not be a standard, but the safety ground goes o the tanged one.

Pick an order for the rest and wore all the same.

Cords too, all same.

Modify connection at equipment for direction.

Try to use red and black for L1 and L2

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

I was reading through a thread a while back about mag starters and heaters and someone mentioned something about the order of using the wild/generated leg versus the lower voltage legs on the heaters...something along those lines. It was sort of a "make sure you use this combination" sort of thing. I'm still trying to find the post so I can link it, or at least ask a sensical question, but does that make any sense with regard to your comment about L1 and L2?

 

[pontiac428]

I was reading through a thread a while back about mag starters and heaters and someone mentioned something about the order of using the wild/generated leg versus the lower voltage legs on the heaters...something along those lines. It was sort of a "make sure you use this combination" sort of thing. I'm still trying to find the post so I can link it, or at least ask a sensical question, but does that make any sense with regard to your comment about L1 and L2?

That applies to the machine side. Transformers, controls, and contactors most certainly do not like the generated leg from power converters. But it's a good idea to follow a convention for wiring the building. Any corrections can be made inside the machine's panel for those issues.

 

[G-ManBart]

That applies to the machine side. Transformers, controls, and contactors most certainly do not like the generated leg from power converters. But it's a good idea to follow a convention for wiring the building. Any corrections can be made inside the machine's panel for those issues.

Thanks...I was trying to say something along those lines, but wasn't coming up with the right words.

I'm using one RPC to power 9 different machines in two different parts of my building so it's been a lot to remember! I'm going to double-check the RPC output, make note of the high leg and confirm I kept that consistent for the supply side. I have a couple of machines that are in temporary spots so I've got a couple of extension cords for when I want to power them...need to make sure I was consistent with the high leg on those as well.

 

[Shiseiji]

I too did white as T2 "but" took others advice and have added a short length of blue shrink wrap.

 

[Winegrower]

I wired all my 3 phase machine L15-30 receptacles/plugs so the ground is the long prong with a tang, and the prong directly across from that is the generated leg. It's easy to remember, and for direction change, just reverse the two other pins on the plug side.

 

[Provincial]

Due to a long story that doesn't matter, my power company changed me from 240/120V three phase with a Wild leg to 208/120V three phase. I had everything wired to avoid the Wild leg, and after the change, everything still worked properly without any action by me. From now on, I can use any leg to make a 120V circuit to Neutral, so I am in better shape there.

I had used orange wire for the Wild leg, but I'm not about to dig into every box to put a blue marker on it. I put a note on the main breaker panel, where anyone working on the wiring should see it when they make the circuit cold.

I wired all my plugs the same, and any changes are done at the equipment end. I try to avoid four-wire (with ground) systems. These are the ones where a 120V circuit is made available by including a neutral wire with the three hot wires. The plugs are expensive, and I prefer to run the 120V circuits separately, one reason being that I can disconnect the 120V circuit without affecting the main circuit, or vice versa. The other is that the 120V circuit can be protected with a different size breaker, and that breaker is in the panel.

I spent years working with 480V three phase systems, so my current system is pretty tame.