Honda generator and electrical grid
Might I ask a question here unrelated to motorhomes? The topic of portable generators often comes up here and on other forums. I am thinking of buying the Honda "Companion" portable generator, and I a...
Forum Discussion
DrewE wrote:
What you say about surges doesn't make any sense to me.
It doesn't make sense to me either, because I didn't mention surges.
I think the problem you are having with this is that it depends on whether, according the NEC terminology, the generator is a "Separately Derived System" or a "Nonseparately Derived System" and then code dictates whether the bond must stay in place, or be removed. See sections 250.30(A)(1) and 250.30(A)(2).
The bottom line is that in very real and possible circumstances messed up wiring and or appliances could cause the rest of the supposedly 'dead' system to have potential in the neutral ground system.
A lot of people assume that since the neutral and ground are bonded there's no or little risk, this is based on the 'path of least resistance' theory, HOWEVER, that does NOT mean that other paths don't have any load on them, just that the 'least resistance' path is taking (proportional to resistance) a lesser amount.
It takes many thousandths less power to electrocute someone than it does to trip a breaker.........
