Generator and Surge guard
Question for everyone who uses an inverter generator. Do you use a surge guard when running a generator or is it not neccessary? Reason why I know many of you use one to protect a/c from low voltage...
Forum Discussion
SoundGuy wrote:
...the company makes it clear that their EMS products are designed to protect an RV's electrical system when being fed "with commercial power supplied by campgrounds"
road-runner wrote:
Applying simple logic to this detail means that the built-in EMS should not be purchased by anyone who will ever power their RV with a portable generator, or at an RV rally where trailer mounted generators are used to provide power. I don't see this information in the sales material. What I see is "Progressive Industries Portable Electrical Management Systems (EMS) provide full RV protection against all adverse power conditions."
Seems to me that "all adverse power conditions" refers to any variable conditions that may be found in a conventional 120 vac shore power source - i.e. what the Progressive CSR referred to in his email as "commercial power supplied by campgrounds" - not power from any other source such as generators or inverters. Indeed, on Page 3 of the EMS-HW30C owner's manual it says - "Never plug the EMS into an inverter".
road-runner wrote:
So between the company's clarification, the advertising, and the installation instructions there are three different versions of generator support.
I don't see this "generator support" you speak of at all, particularly considering this reply I received from the Progressive CSR when I asked about the implications of using my Honda EU2000i which has a floating neutral output to feed my new EMS ...
"Concerning the use of a generator with an inverter, our EMS are designed to be used in the RV environment using a commercial power source. The hazard to our device when using an aftermarket generator, is that some provide a modified sine output, which can cause damage. Others provide a pure sine wave at all times, and others will switch to a modified sine wave under heavy loads. The portion of our units than can be damaged is the surge protect and is not bypassed using the bypass switch. Since there are many brands of generators on the market and numerous models I can not offer specific guidance on which one to select."
"Generator support"? :h
