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
theoldwizard1 wrote:JaxDad wrote:theoldwizard1 wrote:pianotuna wrote:
Set up a proper transfer switch. I had a nice six circuit manual one in my home. It was quite handy.
And this is what I DO NOT like about those ! You have to PICK your 6 circuits !
Why ? I am smart enough to "manage" my loads.
If I want to go to the back bedroom and watch TV there, no problem, as long as I am not going to exceed the capacity of my generator !
Yeah, what’s a utility workers life compared to the incredible convenience of watching TV in the back bedroom?
That statement is ridiculous ! I am advocating a generator interlock which prevents that occurrence, not a "suicide cord" !!
The term ‘suicide cord’ refers to the fact that there’s a male (exposed terminals) end on both ends so it doesn’t matter what it’s plugged into, the exposed ends are ‘hot’ and anyone coming in contact with them will get a jolt. It has nothing to do with what I’m talking about.
The neutral and ground wires are bonded at the service entrance, the meter base, and so there is connectivity beyond the mains, even if they are off. There is electrical potential then beyond your house.
If in a power outage the ground next to your house is a poorer conductor (drier maybe) than further down the line, where a utility worker is in contact with the downed or broken line, then that worker could be the best path to ground.
The ‘path of least resistance’ is not always the only path, or the nearest path.
It takes several thousandth less electricity to kill somebody than it does to trip the average breaker.
To paraphrase, and badly butcher, Clint Eastwood, “do you feel lucky”?
