Forum Discussion

Winged_One's avatar
Winged_One
Explorer
Sep 12, 2014

Ground-Neutral Bond clarification needed.

I need a quick clarification on using a Ground-Neutral Bonded (GNB) plug on a Yamaha 3000ISEB (or any inverter type really). Not sure I am understanding something.

When making the GNB plug, does the wire from the trailer have to pass through this GNB plug and into the generator for it to work?

Reading elsewhere on the net, I get the feeling that if I make a GNB for one of the 20 amp receptacles, plug it in, then all my other receptacles (20 amp and 30 amp respectively), will also be bonded. True?
  • ken_white's avatar
    ken_white
    Explorer
    Sep 12, 2014
    The GNB plug is terminated at the generator end since the generator is effectively acting as the energy source service panel.

    This single ended GNB cable can only be used for the portable generator and NOT as an extension cord when connecting to shore power.
  • enblethen's avatar
    enblethen
    Nomad
    Sep 12, 2014
    What I did was got a spare male connector. Jumpered the ground to the neutral pins. I then plug it into a 15/20 amp receptacle on the genset. (Honda)
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Sep 12, 2014
    Curious why you want to do this on a RV?
    The only reason I know of is some newer residential furnaces wont turn on unless the see the N-G bond.
  • Winged_One's avatar
    Winged_One
    Explorer
    Sep 12, 2014
    Try this again.

    I should have mentioned, I was doing this to get my PI EMS-HW50C to work with my generator. Now I have to push the bypass.

    PI said to make the GNB plug, but they didn't say whether it needs to be on the generator end of the wire running from the generator to the trailer. Or does it need to just be plugged into an available receptacle on the generator, making all the other receptacles also bonded.

    Can anyone clarify this?
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Sep 12, 2014
    You can make it at either end. It will be electrically the same.
  • Salvo's avatar
    Salvo
    Explorer
    Sep 12, 2014
    Why expose yourself to unnecessary harm? Keep your chassis floating.
  • enblethen's avatar
    enblethen
    Nomad
    Sep 12, 2014
    Do it at the genset. That way you do not have to keep changing the rig's wiring. A male plug is easy to do and can be removed when not in use.
  • ken_white's avatar
    ken_white
    Explorer
    Sep 12, 2014
    Salvo wrote:
    Why expose yourself to unnecessary harm? Keep your chassis floating.


    The chassis is not floating when plugged into shore power since every service panel has the ground and neutral bonded at the panel for safety and circuit noise reduction.

    Bonding at the generator provides a level of safety by not having a "hot" chassis if the hot should short to a floating chassis.

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