4 Wire Cable in a 3 Wire Connector Setup

I have a spool of SEOOW 10/4 wire I plan to use with locking plugs/recectpacles that only need 10/3 in the setup.

Is is ACCEPTABLE to just leave the wire cut flush to the cable or am I supposed to cap off every end unterminated (inside the connector bodies ) ....which may get a little tight in the body...

Or is the ONLY answer is to use 10/3 cable. I'd love to use up some of this reel of 10/4 SEOOOW cable I have ...

Just tie the extra wire to ground

Lakee911 said:

Just tie the extra wire to ground

Click to expand...

NO!

Cut the extra wire flush.

funtionally, I know this will work.

I must ask....is this code accepted or not...just curious.

FWIW, this cable will not be connected for long periods. On average, 1hr - 3-4 hrs max. It's just a extension cable to my pressure washer.

So far as I know, the design of extension cords is not covered by the NEC (National Electrical Code) which covers building wiring. Rather it would be covered by something like U.L.

And I think you need to pay for U.L. standards and there are 3 zillion million of them!

To me the bottom line would be that the extra unused conductor could not accidentally come in contact with another conductor. And the worst case situation would be that on one end the extra conductor was touching a hot conductor and on the other end it was hanging free.

I would think the best would be to cut it flush and use plugs which clamp down on the cable. Then the ends of the extra wire will be away from any conductors inside the plugs and will stay put!

Why not sell it on e-bay. And get then get 10-3 SJO cord. Just my
thought and opinion.

What will the plug voltage be, 240 or 120 volts, you won't have
to use the white for 240V you could used the read.

240V Black, Red, Green 120V, Black, White, Green

Yes cut back the conductor that isn't needed.

I would seal the end with some Star brite Liquid Electrical Tape, at the
end conductor you chop off. Please Note: just my thought and opinion

wire

If you are not using the wire, and it will not be connected to anything at EITHER end, just cut it off. That is not rocket science, or quantum physics.

jbfan74 said:

NO!

Cut the extra wire flush.

Click to expand...

I don't see why this would be bad? Why would having an extra ground not be safer?

Let's ask the Mike Holt forum.... http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?p=1115865

Lakee911 said:

I don't see why this would be bad? Why would having an extra ground not be safer?

Let's ask the Mike Holt forum.... http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?p=1115865

Click to expand...

The NEC disallows any color wire, other than green or green striped to be used for a ground wire.
It also disallows any wire under size 1 ought to be run parallel.
Thus my NO!

jbfan74 said:

The NEC disallows any color wire, other than green or green striped to be used for a ground wire.
It also disallows any wire under size 1 ought to be run parallel.
Thus my NO!

Click to expand...

You raise good points, but the color might not be an issue because it would already have a grounding conductor that most likely is green. If we tied one end to ground and snip the other end, then it would be bonded, but it wouldn't be the grounding conductor, per se.

I'll take a look in my NEC book tomorrow when I'm back in the office.

Jason