X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: Brandt on February 06, 2010, 02:29:15 PM

Title: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 06, 2010, 02:29:15 PM
I bought a 3 prong dryer cord for the xtb-iir but it looks like the insulation from the cord won't even fit in the strain relief provided with the xtb-iir. any ideas?
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: JeffVolp on February 06, 2010, 03:02:18 PM
The XTB-IIR was designed to accept 16 or 18 gauge wire, and is internally fused at 2A.  The terminal strips inside will accept up to 12 gauge Romex, and that will fit through the strain relief.  A dryer cord is probably 10 gauge, which is much too heavy.

For those who wanted a dryer plug installed, places like HomeDepot or Lowes sell separate dryer plugs that I connect with the 16 gauge power cord that will fit through the strain relief.

4-conductor power cord can be difficult to find, but you can also wire it with 3-conductor power cord because the ground connection is not needed.

Jeff
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 07, 2010, 06:14:15 PM
I've looked at like 3 different hardware stores around here. I can't even find a NEMA 10-30 plug. :(
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brian H on February 07, 2010, 07:10:24 PM
Electrical supply house or wholesaler.
I found some on a Google search. One was Amazon.



Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: JeffVolp on February 07, 2010, 07:34:18 PM

I have picked up both the 3-prong and 4-prong versions at Lowes.

Jeff
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 07, 2010, 09:06:22 PM
Looks like lowe's has a universal one 's80-sp' but they don't do ship to store, so it would end up costing too much.

If only the xtb-iir could accept the cheap $11 dryer cord...


Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brian H on February 08, 2010, 05:55:57 AM
I saw the universal Leviton 10-30P/10-50P on Amazon for like 12.07 and I believe was around $18 with shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P9S9I6/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 08, 2010, 11:47:04 AM
I saw the universal Leviton 10-30P/10-50P on Amazon for like 12.07 and I believe was around $18 with shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P9S9I6/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

I think I've seen every 10-30P on the internet by now...
That's still more than the $11 dryer cord ($13 after tax) I can pick up at my local hardware store....

The dryer cord fits in the xtb-iir case without the strain relief, Would a bigger heyco strain relief fit in that machined opening?

Also would it be up-to-code to splice it to a smaller gauge power cord inside the xtb-iir box with twist-ons so that I could attach it to that j2 terminal?
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brian H on February 08, 2010, 12:45:18 PM
When ever you go with this industrial stuff it is expensive. I know the twist lock plug to fit my generator was like $25
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 08, 2010, 04:43:06 PM
ok the money is spent...

They had one of these at my local ace hardware store:
http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-R00287-Range-Dryer-Plug/dp/B00004YUKE

It was hoping not to have to pay over $10 for a plug, but I figure even with that cheaper S80-SP I saw online, it would end up being the same after tax and s&h (and I would have to wait a couple days)

I also bought 2 feet of 16-3 gauge power cable for 0.69c a foot. It looks like though that this leviton plug might be able to clamp right over the top of the heyco strain relief provided with the kit...that would be a nice neat configuration ;) i'll have to see when I get home..
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: eagle on February 08, 2010, 06:30:53 PM
Hi pomprocker,

Did you see the review on that product at amazon?

Below is the review.

Please be careful.

r,
eagle


------
      
1.0 out of 5 stars Hazardous design, terrible quality, January 5, 2010

By    Amber Demeester - See all my reviews

This plug is DANGEROUS!

I am an electrical engineer and I am very careful with electrical devices. The contacts on this plug are terribly designed. They are not well held inside the plastic housing. The screws are way too close to each other and can short out. Also, the contact mounting plate has too much of a gap and can't hold stranded cable wire! The wire will most likely not be retained by the contact screws and may short out and cause FIRE!

The cable has no good way of being held by the shell and will most likely be held only by the contact screws which have the above described problem. I don't know how anyone can make this plug work safely.

Hubbell HBL9337C NEMA 10-30P AC Plug may be a better product but I haven't seen it in any of the stores. Stores in my area appear to be carrying only LEVITON. Does Leviton have monopoly?
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 08, 2010, 07:53:48 PM
Thanks, I didnt even see that...I was just happy to get a plug...it did look a little questionable when i quickly looked at it....Ill take a closer look tonight when I get home.
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: hawk1 on February 09, 2010, 12:29:30 PM
Just got my XTB-IIR!    My question is this.  I don't have any open breakers and was wondering if I could or should double up on two of them?  I know a little about wiring.  But my concern is, I don't want to screw up my new toy!  Any help is appreciated.    :)
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 09, 2010, 01:36:15 PM
Thanks, I didnt even see that...I was just happy to get a plug...it did look a little questionable when i quickly looked at it....Ill take a closer look tonight when I get home.


The plug is fine as long as you read the directions, and follow them and pay attention to detail. I got my XTB-IIR mounted and plugged into my 10-30rectepacle just fine. Works great!

The only thing is the outlet where I need it most only went from 0.01v to 0.12v ( this is where my cm11a is plugged in by the computer) Will that be enough for the cm11a to see? I didn't have time to fully test things out yet.
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 09, 2010, 01:37:38 PM
Just got my XTB-IIR!    My question is this.  I don't have any open breakers and was wondering if I could or should double up on two of them?  I know a little about wiring.  But my concern is, I don't want to screw up my new toy!  Any help is appreciated.    :)


No dryer outlet??
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: hawk1 on February 09, 2010, 01:41:59 PM
Yes, I do have a dryer outlet but it was recommended to wire into the breaker box.  The other thing is is that the dryer outlet is a pain to get to.
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: lflorack on February 09, 2010, 02:33:13 PM
Just got my XTB-IIR!    My question is this.  I don't have any open breakers and was wondering if I could or should double up on two of them?  I know a little about wiring.  But my concern is, I don't want to screw up my new toy!  Any help is appreciated.    :)

I don't think it's following code, but I didn't have any open breakers either so I wired it into (doubled it up) with two adjacent 15amp breakers.  It seems to work OK.  Again, I'm pretty sure this isn't to code, but it works.
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 09, 2010, 02:41:43 PM
Yes, I do have a dryer outlet but it was recommended to wire into the breaker box.  The other thing is is that the dryer outlet is a pain to get to.


I think what was meant by wiring it into the breaker box is installing another 240v outlet near the breaker box. He recommends NEMA 14-20 or 14-30 plugs and outlets.

If you can't do that then the dryer outlet is the second best option, third best would be single phase operation with a passive coupler capacitor at the breaker.
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: hawk1 on February 09, 2010, 02:44:19 PM
Thanks for all the input.  I just didn't want to mess up the xtb-iir.    >!
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 10, 2010, 01:44:15 AM
amazing...
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: eagle on February 10, 2010, 07:31:55 AM
Hi pomprocker,

That looks good!

So, do you have two dryer outlets?  Is that how you are able to do this?

r,
eagle

Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: Brandt on February 10, 2010, 11:42:40 AM
no, we have a gas dryer so it only uses the 120v outlet freeing up the 240v outlet.
Title: Re: xtb-iir electrical connection
Post by: eagle on February 10, 2010, 12:22:21 PM
Cool.

That has got to be one of the most elegant XTB-IIR installs I've seen posted.

r,
eagle