Generator voltage question

When messing around with the Kubota I wear nitrile mechanic's gloves. It is three-phase with neutral bonded to the case. Nitrile mechanic's gloves have saved my, er, life, more than once. Lool around for the best price.

You may however end up with various GFCI faults when using the GENERATORs and OPTIONAL INVERTERs in your particular trailer wiring setup.

I have a 1500WATT PSW INVERTER here that when I plug the trailer Shore Power Cable using a RV30A-15A Adapter cable into its 120VAC receptacle I trip some GFCI receptacles in the trailer. The fix of course is to BOND the 120VAC receptacle on the OPTIONAL INVERTER front panel. I have another 600WATT OPTIONAL PSW INVERTER from the same manufacturer that does not trip any of my trailer GFCI circuits (Go figure)...

This may also happen in some trailers when you plug the shore power cable using a RV30A-15A adapter cable directly into the generator 120VAC receptacle.

If you are not experiencing any of these GFCI faults I would not BOND the Generator or Optional INVERTER...

Roy Ken

When using gen thru surge protector would get reverse polarity now and then in a cycle, called surge gard and they said not to worry is normal....when using generator and I would still be protected against low or high voltage...????

totally understand now, that makes sense. I had just never checked it before and was surprised to the lack of ground but not totally. Knew someone here would have an answer for me

Chris

It was the same way for the past 10 years, so no diff now.

Open ground is common on portable generators. Code does not require bonding.

If you understand the reason for the safety ground, you will understand why,, You may choose to stop reading here.

On the "Mains" power (Power mains) neutral is bonded to ground, in fact at one time due to wire shortages they used the GROUND as neutral.. Some places are still wired that way.

THUS if there is a hot-to case short on the tool you are holding YOU become the path to ground and thus neutral (the "Return" path though that really is bad use of the word) and .. Well. for most folks,, been nice knowing you (I'm strange.. I throw when shocked, or at least I used to Good thing too).


THus the safety ground which is hooked to case., IT takes the shock for you, trips the breaker/blows the fuse and protects you.

But with the portable generator THERE IS NO GROUND, period.. The ground is NOT a return path, and thus there is no danger. You are protected.