DIY 50 amp to 20 amp pigtail

[KnowNuthin]

I want to plug my tractors block heater into our 50 amp RV service for the upcoming winter months…

Our panel has 1 - 50 amp and 2 - 20 amp breakers… both 20 services are taken and currently used year round… (chicken heat lamps, water bowl heaters etc.)…

What I’m envisioning is a 50 amp plug with a 3 wire pigtail connected to the common, neutral and one hot leg… leaving the second hot leg vacant…

This would give me 120v 50 amp at the pigtail end… no?

This would be used STRICTLY for a 600 watt engine block heater…

Is this a bad, terrible or workable idea?

[wa8yxm]

CharlesinGA wrote:


No, one GOOD answer and a bunch of bickering over wire sizes and and other details, that were made irrelevant after the first several posts.

Charles

There was in fact one GOOD answser
And one EXCELENT answer that though I did not make it I would highly recommend.

I copy that post for your enjoyment..

CharlesinGA wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Would this work for you? It has a built in circuit breaker for added protection:
50amp to 4x 15/20amp adapter

For the price, you cannot buy the stuff to make this and it is EXACTLY what the OP needs.



Charles

[toedtoes]

time2roll wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Or where can he buy one?

Amazon link and picture above.

Per pianotuna the item which I posted the link and which Charlsesin GA linked the picture above is not appropriate for the task. I was specifically asking them for specifics.

[time2roll]

toedtoes wrote:
Or where can he buy one?

Amazon link and picture above.

[pianotuna]

toedtoes,

I did a post with a detailed explanation of a break out box.

To repeat: 50 amp plug going to three breakers. One 30 amp on L1; 2 20 amp on L2, with the appropriate female plugs in the box.

[toedtoes]

The OP has stated twice that he is not electrically inclined, so these comments are more confusing than anything.

His questions are:

What exactly is a break out box?

How will it solve his need to plug a 15/20a engine block heater into a 50a RV outlet?

And how does he make one? Or where can he buy one?

[pianotuna]

KnowNuthin wrote:

pianotuna wrote:


I disagree. My break out box is a better solution than the item in the picture. It is, however, more expensive.

First, let me apologize for glossing over your original “breakout box” post…

I’ve researched, to one extent or another, each of the solutions presented on this thread…

I Googled “break out box” and came up with, and I’m paraphrasing: “A device to troubleshoot multi cable, technological systems” or “A breakout box is useful in diagnosing OBD and OBDII systems in modern vehicles”…

As you can tell from my original pigtail idea, I’m FAR from “electrically knowledgeable”… my eyes began to glass over as the electronic terms used got more esoteric…

This “expensive” break out box you’re referring to obviously has little to do with troubleshooting my barn panel, but try as I might, I can’t find a relevant result on my Google search which describes how this box can address my issue of plugging my tractor into a 50a RV outlet…

You are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Having a breaker to protect the wire is what is a good idea.

Without a breaker the wire from the 50 amp to the tractor becomes a fuse *IF* there is a short circuit. The chance of that happening is low, but not zero.

Break out boxes were used in theatres to allow more lights to be controlled (dimmed for example) with a single slider. For every light on stage, there had to be an equal wattage one in the basement of the theatre. That's ancient history now.

[KnowNuthin]

pianotuna wrote:


I disagree. My break out box is a better solution than the item in the picture. It is, however, more expensive.

First, let me apologize for glossing over your original “breakout box” post…

I’ve researched, to one extent or another, each of the solutions presented on this thread…

I Googled “break out box” and came up with, and I’m paraphrasing: “A device to troubleshoot multi cable, technological systems” or “A breakout box is useful in diagnosing OBD and OBDII systems in modern vehicles”…

As you can tell from my original pigtail idea, I’m FAR from “electrically knowledgeable”… my eyes began to glass over as the electronic terms used got more esoteric…

This “expensive” break out box you’re referring to obviously has little to do with troubleshooting my barn panel, but try as I might, I can’t find a relevant result on my Google search which describes how this box can address my issue of plugging my tractor into a 50a RV outlet…

[toedtoes]

Both answers are what the OP wanted. The OP stated they need a TEMPORARY solution for right now because the weather is not conducive for wiring work. They plan on a permanent solution later on.

[pianotuna]

CharlesinGA wrote:

pianotuna wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Heh! Five pages of posts for a question that was answered on the first page... 😉

So there is more than one answer.

No, one GOOD answer and a bunch of bickering over wire sizes and and other details, that were made irrelevant after the first several posts.

Charles

I disagree. My break out box is a better solution than the item in the picture. It is, however, more expensive.

[CharlesinGA]

pianotuna wrote:
CharlesinGA,

Nice find!

No, the credit goes to toedtoes who posted it on page 1 of this discussion. He found it, I just reposted it with a pic. People are not willing to go to a link to see what is being recommended, I merely posted the pic.

pianotuna wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Heh! Five pages of posts for a question that was answered on the first page... 😉

So there is more than one answer.

No, one GOOD answer and a bunch of bickering over wire sizes and and other details, that were made irrelevant after the first several posts.

Charles

[pianotuna]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Heh! Five pages of posts for a question that was answered on the first page... 😉

So there is more than one answer.

[Dutch_12078]

Heh! Five pages of posts for a question that was answered on the first page... 😉

[KnowNuthin]

😉

[toedtoes]

pianotuna wrote:
CharlesinGA,


Nice find!

Yep! Great find! Wish I had found it! :B 😉