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
The OP in his original post asked whether a "Surge Guard" can or should be used when powering an RV with a generator and although he may not realize it much of the answer revolves around the topic of bonding - whether it's a good idea or not, whether it's recommended or not. :h This has all been done before here on the forum, most notably in this 41 page discussion started way back in 2008, and anyone who cares to take the time to read and try to fully understand the issues involved will see that even then quite a few who are much more qualified than most of us here couldn't even agree. :S
I can only offer my own practical experience - my early version TRC #34730 Surge Guard (without the LCD display) would accept and pass the floating neutral output from my Honda EU2000i whether it was bonded or not. When I wrote to TRC about this I received a response from a design engineer, not a CSR, who said that although the unit is passing signal it still may flash a caution light indicating an "open ground" - in reality, mine did not - and based on that I decided to remove the bonding plug I had been using. Whether the later version #34730-001 (with the LCD display) or the newest #34830 which now includes "open ground" detection would behave similarly I'm not sure but I suspect they probably would not pass signal without bonding.
Recently I replaced that TRC Surge Guard with a Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C for the improved features it offers, hence my renewed interest in this subject. To date I've heeded the warnings in the EMS owner's manual which state to not bond neutral to ground and to never plug an inverter into the EMS. Progressive to date has been of no help at all in clarifying just what all this means but having now seen the YouTube Video by Mike Sokol (author of the No Shock Zone) which is linked to on the Progressive Industries website it seems that the Progressive EMS will not pass signal from a generator with a floating neutral output unless it is first bonded. So ... I may not have a choice - if I want to power my trailer with my EU2000i and have the signal pass through my new Progressive EMS I'll probably have to bond it whether I want to or not ... either that or I have to remove the EMS entirely from the system and go without when powering the trailer with my genset. Since Progressive warns to "never" plug their EMS into any inverter I installed my hard wire EMS using 30 amp connectors so I can quickly & easily remove it anytime but given a choice I'd rather not have to remove it when using the generator as source power. My answer therefore to the OP's original question as to whether one can or should use a "Surge Guard" when using a generator as source power still stands - it depends. ;)
I can only offer my own practical experience - my early version TRC #34730 Surge Guard (without the LCD display) would accept and pass the floating neutral output from my Honda EU2000i whether it was bonded or not. When I wrote to TRC about this I received a response from a design engineer, not a CSR, who said that although the unit is passing signal it still may flash a caution light indicating an "open ground" - in reality, mine did not - and based on that I decided to remove the bonding plug I had been using. Whether the later version #34730-001 (with the LCD display) or the newest #34830 which now includes "open ground" detection would behave similarly I'm not sure but I suspect they probably would not pass signal without bonding.
Recently I replaced that TRC Surge Guard with a Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C for the improved features it offers, hence my renewed interest in this subject. To date I've heeded the warnings in the EMS owner's manual which state to not bond neutral to ground and to never plug an inverter into the EMS. Progressive to date has been of no help at all in clarifying just what all this means but having now seen the YouTube Video by Mike Sokol (author of the No Shock Zone) which is linked to on the Progressive Industries website it seems that the Progressive EMS will not pass signal from a generator with a floating neutral output unless it is first bonded. So ... I may not have a choice - if I want to power my trailer with my EU2000i and have the signal pass through my new Progressive EMS I'll probably have to bond it whether I want to or not ... either that or I have to remove the EMS entirely from the system and go without when powering the trailer with my genset. Since Progressive warns to "never" plug their EMS into any inverter I installed my hard wire EMS using 30 amp connectors so I can quickly & easily remove it anytime but given a choice I'd rather not have to remove it when using the generator as source power. My answer therefore to the OP's original question as to whether one can or should use a "Surge Guard" when using a generator as source power still stands - it depends. ;)
