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Jetstreamer's avatar
Jetstreamer
Explorer
Sep 05, 2019

Honda 3000eu issue using a bonding plug

I made my own neutral ground bonding plug to use with my generator. I had it plugged into one of the outlets on the generator. When I went to use it for the first time, I had a spark and a bit of smoke very briefly come out from somewhere on the panel.
I immediately pulled the bonding plug out and the generator continued to run normally.
I double checked that the plug was assembled correctly and it was. Also there was zero evidence of any arcing or burning on the plug itself. None of the panel breakers tripped.
There was a 30 amp cord attached with a very light load.
I’m out on a road trip and maybe when I get back home I’ll take the panel apart and take a look for any arcing evidence.
Any ideas what may have happened??
  • Jetstreamer's avatar
    Jetstreamer
    Explorer
    Sep 06, 2019
    Michelle.S wrote:
    OK, let me understand: The Generator was running and then you plugged in your RV using the Neutral/Ground bonded plug? If that is correct, are you sure there wasn't something on in the RV that caused a surge of current when the plug made contact with the Generator outlet?


    Anything is possible... the bonding plug was already in the generator outlet when I started it.
  • Jetstreamer's avatar
    Jetstreamer
    Explorer
    Sep 06, 2019
    2oldman wrote:
    Have no direct answer, but just wondering why you made this bonding plug..?


    I made the plug so I can utilize a volt/frequency meter without the alarm going off.

  • Bobbo's avatar
    Bobbo
    Explorer II
    Sep 06, 2019
    Check polarity of 30 amp outlet against 15 amp outlet, e.g. "hot wire to hot wire" should show zero voltage. If it shows 120v they are wired reverse from each other and one of them should be changed.

    Triple check the bonding plug.

    This only makes sense if both:
    1. 30 amp and 15 amp have reversed polarity from each other
    and
    2. something in your RV has a neutral/ground short

    The reason this would explain the problem is the RV's neutral/ground short puts one leg of power on the ground wire (the leg that is hot on the other outlet). The bonding plug puts the other leg on the ground wire. That is a dead short between the two legs through the ground wire.
  • Michelle_S's avatar
    Michelle_S
    Explorer III
    Sep 06, 2019
    OK, let me understand: The Generator was running and then you plugged in your RV using the Neutral/Ground bonded plug? If that is correct, are you sure there wasn't something on in the RV that caused a surge of current when the plug made contact with the Generator outlet?
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Sep 06, 2019
    There is a duplex 15a receptacle and a 30a twist type. You used your bonded plug in one of the two 15a? but the 30a was occupied by whatever.

    Ok, in a recent thread, it came out that there is something going on between the 15 and the 30 so they are not all the same wiring, so what you got was as though before you do all that needed work with the wiring in behind there, so when you bond a 15, it does not screw up the 30 --or whatever that was all about. ( It was complicated!)
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    Sep 05, 2019
    Lynnmor wrote:
    Are you sure that the generator was not already bonded?


    All Honda EU series inverter generators have a floating neutral.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Sep 05, 2019
    Have no direct answer, but just wondering why you made this bonding plug..?

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