I have a wgen20000 generator and I want to make full use of the power.
A 50amp plug will only do up to 12kw
I have two 50amp outlets on the generator.
Can I connect two 50amp inlets together and run to my panel and would I be able to do an interlock kit?
Yes, you need some sort of transfer switch or interlock. This is absolutely mandatory. You must provide a locking means which assures it is impossible for the generator to connect to utility, backfeed the utility wires, and kill linemen working 48 hours straight to restore your service (who are exhausted and not on their A-game re: their own safety practices).
With most panels this can be accomplished with a "sliding plate" interlock for under $100.
You can't just wire 2 inlets to the same panel. That would be paralleling and many things could go catastrophically wrong with that. If you didn't dead-short this generator, you might dead-short the next generator which happened to have one of its NEMA 14-50 sockets wired opposite. Or worse, you invite a future nitwit to try to attach 2 generators to the building, which guarantees a dead short once the generators drift out of phase.
That is just made out of cubic nope. Nope. Nope.
1 inlet per house, as a rule.
However, bear with me. There's a "long way around" to a way to do it.
You can install a "Critical Loads Subpanel" fed from a simple "Knife switch style" transfer switch. (definitely not those stupid 6-8-10 circuit transfer switch; those are useless.) Thrown one way, the subpanel is fed from the main panel. Thrown the other way, it is fed from a generator inlet.
If you use a 3-pole transfer switch, which also switches neutral, then this subpanel can have its own separate inlet.
And if you use 2 of those -- 2 3-pole transfer switches and 2 subpanels - then you can do exactly what you are trying to do. Feed 2 banks of loads from 2 inlets.
Because you are switching neutral, the generator must provide a neutral-ground bonded output.
I see a couple of potential problems here. The obvious one is the interlock - an interlock normally handles two breakers - e.g., one for utility power and one for generator power. But assuming you somehow got past that:
Paralleling is not allowed under most circumstances. That is, you can't run two wires for the same load and connect them at both ends to double the allowable current. It is allowed for very large loads, but not at the level of a typical house, and I don't see any logical reason why it would be allowed here. Think about it this way: What makes the electrons know that 1/2 should go on one circuit and 1/2 on the other circuit?
But there is one possible solution. If you already have your breakers split into a main panel and a subpanel (or two 200A subpanels connected to a 400A meter main, or something similar) then you can arrange your circuits to allow generator power into each of the panels separately, so each would get 50A. Each would need a proper inlet and interlock. If you have two separate-but-equal subpanels then you have an interlock on each one between utility power and generator power. If one is the main panel and the other is a subpanel then the main panel gets an interlock between utility power and generator power and the subpanel gets an interlock between subpanel feed and generator power. If that subpanel feed did not have a breaker then it will have to be changed to a locked-down backfed breaker. (The generator breakers always have to be locked down as well.)
Update:
As noted by Harper in another answer, neutral is a potential issue here, getting in the way of multiple inlets and interlocks. I can't say for sure, but it sounds like it isn't legal to do this unless neutral is switched, which a normal pair of breakers and interlock will not do.
The two outlets on the generator are already connected together internally. An example is the Westinghouse 28/20kw generator. It has two 50A outlets each outlet with its own 50A breaker. However, there's also an 82A main breaker ahead of those two 50A breakers. The two 50A outlets can draw up to 50A but if both are used, the total draw is limited to 82A or 41A per outlet.
The reason most generators have 30A or 50A outlets is because of the limit of available "amateur" supply cords and boxes for connecting them to a house or equipment. Joining the outlets is already done. You just need a better extension cord and a way to isolate service supply and generator supply (interlock).
Non of these answer the question or were correct. Using 2 50 amp plugs on the same generator is not paralleling. You can't parallel single phase I know small invertors mimic paralleling were it does share load but you can't tie into a single phase breaker without creating a hot neutral. And using a single generator it is only one frequency. I'm testing this on my own with small industrial units. I will say it is not wise splitting the same load between two breakers as it can unbalance the load and open the breakers or overload the lines off the stator as they are pretty small as in not 4/0 or 2/0. And the hole deal with not having compatible inter locks cracks me up they are not critical but are nice to have for sure makes it dumby proof but if your using a 100 amp double pull a inter would still work. My conclusion is using two 50 amp receptical off of one generator is very much Jerry rigging but theoretically should work it's more of how the generator or should I say the avr is designed and if it can handle 80amp of peak load without shutting down. Hope this helps at all.
