What derekleffew in his link did not post was that I lost the arguement. (In having found it, please post the entire link so the debate can be fairly heard and decided upon with a full knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages in the concept.)
Either the
NEC has changed the rule about connectors or plugs as interconnection devices, much less modification of the
plug or electrical equipment so as to fit both cables or it is still a
NEC rule I read and memorized in complying with when at all possible, but still cannot find but there.
What ever the case, done such a thing before... heck, you have never seen my
stage pin sixfers... Very useful for testing gear at times or for certain applications. This or the L5-15R
Hubbell mini-twist plugs for
Kabuki drop stringers that are still in use where I work due to not having another option for being able to do such a thing. This until at least we get our old CamLoc
plug vulconizer converted into a
stringer volconizer. TBA future project.
In cases where there is no other solution possible and it's professionally done - the former of which this photo in my opinion does not comply with, than you have to do what you have to do and it is often not questioned. In the case of the above stringers, I even had to modify the
strain relief to the plugs so as to fit two cables without damaging them. This was well thought out and finish in quality workmenship and has never been questioned on a jobsite. Not prefered but a solution for a problem.
In the case of this
IEC stringer as it were, other commercial or manufactured solutions are available such as a
power strip plugging in such cables - normally used, or if necessary for some show where necessary a splicing device.
Photo one 8/5 (L21-30P to CamLoc
adaptor) is a modified type of
adaptor that is in the spirit of the code, it's 8/5 conductors are sleeved with gas
line where they
break out and all is strain releiefed, vulcanized and weatherproof in the breakout
etc. Gas
line tubing is not UL recognized for sleeving
wire or even a normal solution, yet it is both water and oil resistant, it also has a dual wall thick
insulation over it with braided cloth support very similar to type W older days
stage feeder cable
insulation. Specifically compliant to sleeve the inner individual insulated conductors of a 8/5 type SO cable? No, within the spirit of the code and even going beyond it with individual
conductor protection... yep. The
break out point was also using silicone, glue, cable ties, adhesive lined
heat shrink and self-vulconizing electrical tape. Totally water proof and not feasible to damage under use. Four years later after I made these, with use they are still in optimum condition. Not totally compliant as the CamLoc type plugs were not designed for a eight
gauge wire and in general it's a type of
adaptor frouned upon but still necessary. The reverse of this however would not be a code compliant
adaptor. Also and very important is that a lot of R&D went into how to best do something like this. No expense was spared and it was not just slapped together. A huge amount of work went into developing and making such a thing, that is the concept of doing such a thing safely and properly.
Photo two is a 20a 19-pin
Socapex type
plug to 18 amp 7-pin Cir type
plug adaptor used for powering up some
marquee lights. The
Socapex style
plug is not designed for two cables to come out of it but it was made to work.
Photo three is a
stage pin twofer possibility. It uses double
wire ferrules that if you try hard can bairly fit inside the
terminal. This given the
strain relief or a normal 20A
stage pin plug still even with fiberglass sleeved MTW
wire, still does not well fit two sets of cable, and rubberized jacketed cable without modification to the
plug or as in the above debate - commercially available does correct such a issue in other than the
terminal not really
fitting a double 12ga now combined 9ga
wire well. Note also the white
conductor didn’t quite make it under the
strain relief - instead it got pinched and that’s a serious problem with strain reliefs not doing what they were designed to do if only designed for a single cable, now
fitting twice as many conductors.
One will note the center
plug in photo four shows the general concept of problems in doing any such thing as a
plug as an interconnection device. While none were twofers, it is what could happen in general concept of concern. This in general is what I have a problem with. No overcurrent protection in something that can overload the
rating of a
plug - amongst other not designed to do it problems. Granted these plugs in theory melted down by way of touching something really hot (not confirmed on the second one, could have been high amperage, loose conductors, thinned out conductors in locallized resistance over a period of time) but still, the concept in general is you got a problem, it can fail in a serious way.
The fifth and sixth photos is how I have done it before in the past - this converting one
power cable into muliple ones - in this case
Edison to
IEC for some
LED light fixtures. Problems with the construction was overcurrent protection but in theory what the
Edison is plugged into provides it and what is inside the box is rated for the
current. Less compliant is the type of box used. A 1900 style electrical wall box is not designed for use other than in a wall. This unless the knock outs are welded so they cannot open up. In this case, due to the use of shielded Marithon connection blocks, it was not possible for any knockout to cause a problem with the wiring but still it was not the appropriate box (not figuring in CU
sizing of the box either.) A better box will have been a
NEMA 1 style pull box, than it will have been more appropriate. Still this is how one might do it, and how it was done - the photos are of the prototype. 12ga
wire feeding if I remember correctly eight or nine
IEC cables of 18ga. Note the
safety cable ring also. Also note the electrical box is also grounded by way of that second
wire coming out of the
ground’s marithon
block. Metak boxes need grounding. Since than for certain applications where I can I use thermoplastic boxes with good results. Not a fan of plastic for heat or impact resistance but it does have it's place.
This is my opinion. I don't use a
plug or
connector as an interconnection device unless I really need to and there is no other options where a
power strip in the origional question will have worked sufficiently. At that
point I need to do such a thing, there is a lot of design and quality into the workmenship.
One will also note in photo #5 that I did not mis-wire these
IEC plugs. One would think that a blue
conductor is hot - afterall even in photo #1, blue is a Z
phase hot color, but if given the choice in Euro cable conductors of Brown/Blue/Green, Blue is
neutral even if Brown in a more sensible way might seem more like
ground or earth - especially if blue is a definate hot wiring color. Don't make this mistake when faced with Euro wiring. Just as the ribbed
conductor on
SPT/
zip cord - household extension
cord is the
neutral, the hot on Euro cable is brown and the
neutral in a non
NEC code compliant coloring where both conductors would be considered hot, the blue is
neutral and brown hot in a reverse of what makes sense type of way. This might be useful in remembering what is hot perhaps I hope. Wiring a
IEC cable if Euro in color code, in the opposing way could be dangerous for the electronics it powers. A very important detail. Them Zenior diodes and stuff might blow in saving the equipment if
power comes to them first, but if on the
return side of the
power source it gets more expensive in them not blowing up first say when a 120/208v
fixture is switched for 120v but plugged into a 208v source. Been there done that... lots of ways to prevent it, this is only one way.