I found an outlet in the house I rent that looks like it was meant for a back-up generator. I came across an adapter (see picture) and I was thinking of using it to plug in the block heater for my 2007 Escape XLT (it’s been really cold lately and the car is struggling to start in the mornings). Do you think this could cause any problems?
If it’s truly a generator outlet, it should have a lock out to prevent power from flowing while the main breaker is on, though this depends on whether someone installed it correctly. I’d suggest just getting a longer extension cord for now. The lockout is there to keep linemen safe when they’re working on service lines, so that the generator doesn’t backfeed.
Don’t generators usually need a 240v connection? That could be an issue. Though, since the block heater uses resistive heat, it might work. You could plug in the adapter and measure the output voltage. That’ll let you know if it’s right for the heater.
The generator outlet you found probably doesn’t have power. Test it and see. It should have a safety lock to stop it from being powered unless the main breaker is off. If it does have power, I’d recommend not using that adapter. It changes from 30a 240v to 15a 240v, which means it might be protected by a 30-amp breaker. If something goes wrong, that adapter could melt. The right way to do it would be to install the correct outlet and the proper breaker size. You can still use the existing wires since they’re probably oversized. Also, what’s the power rating of your block heater? Is it 15amp 120v or 15amp 240v? If your block heater is 120v, it won’t work with 240v, and you’ll likely burn out the heater. I’m a TX master electrician by the way…
@Fisher
Thanks for the advice! I’ll check the block heater’s voltage but I’ll probably follow your suggestion and go with a different approach.
Is this adapter for converting 240v to 120v? Whoever made this must have been laughing the whole time.
Are you sure this isn’t an RV plug in the house?