3000W Chinese Gensets Info.
professor95 wrote: EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here. In...
Forum Discussion
Mr. Tommy wrote:
To you guys talking about the ground rod...
For what it's worth, I've never used any sort of grounding when boondocking. I just start the generator up and let the A/C do its thing. Also, when I check our coaches outlets with a plug tester, everything is fine. Plus, pounding a ground rod into rock hard earth here in Nevada in the summer is almost impossible, and if you did manage to do it, you'd have to leave it there when you left, because getting it back out would be impossible ;).
I have to agree about using a ground rod. If the generator is "floating" then there would be no return path for any type of shock hazard to occur, as long as you do not touch a hot wire AND neutral at the same time. This would be similar to using an isolation transformer.
However, I would want the neutral and ground connected together somewhere between the generator and distribution panel. In case there is a fault in an appliance with a three-prong plug, you would need that connection in order for any type of protective device to trigger, such as a circuit breaker or ground fault outlet. In motorhomes with built-in generators, I believe they have neutral and ground connected at the generator.
Bob R.
