Hello again everyone! I'm back from my hiatus. Work got crazy and kind of killed me for a bit there. I'm working on some projects in my workshop getting everything plumbed in and organized and I keep running into an issue. I have two 240v outlets (a 30 amp and 50 amp) but I have 6 machines that use this voltage and I am constantly unplugging and plugging in machines multiple times a day. Very inefficient. I would like to have them all plugged in to the equivalent of a power strip for 240v and then use one machine at a time to not overload the breaker. I have searched and only found a 2 way adapter. Does anyone know of a 3 way or more adapter so I can get all machines a permanent plug?
Think you just need to make a drop cord with a plug on one end and a box with multiple receptacles on the other. Best, Kelly
Hello Zap, You could make an extension cord that will run between each machine. Use 4" steel work boxes and get receptacles to match each plug on each machine. If you use the 30 Amp circuit you can get by with 10/4 SOOW wire.
That looks like a smart idea, and just wire them up in series like that. The plugs I have in my garage are the older style with 3 prongs. Not as safe as the new 4 prong ones, but maybe next year I can get an electrician to come in and re-wire the garage with a bigger breaker box and more dedicated 240v lines to different parts of the garage. In the mean time I'll make an extension cord like that.
I don't know how accessible your walls are, but at that point, for the cost of a few short straight sections of conduit and fittings, you could just mount the boxes on the wall with the outlets near your machines and pull wire through the conduit. Just mount another box over your existing receptacle and you can use it as the access point and probably still put a receptacle in that one too. The reduced cost of stranded wire vs SOOW would probably offset the cost of additional hardware. Best, Kelly
