HELP!!!!!! with last step of inverter install

[mdock2]

I'm finishing up on installing the AIMS Power PWRIX120012S 1200 Watt Pure Sine Inverter, with Built In Transfer Switch. i have installed a sub panel, and should the sub panel be Bonded or not.

Thanks for your help...
marty

[2oldman]

beemerphile1 wrote:
I'm curious why you need a subpanel?

x2. That's a big job for not being able to remember what not to run off inverter.

[beemerphile1]

I'm curious why you need a subpanel? It is only 1200 watts which is equivalent to 10 amps.

[wa8yxm]

Sub panels are **NEVER** Bonded. in fact that is the difference between a SUB panel and a MAIN panel. NOTE the "Main" panel in a motor home is really a SUB panel

Now depending on the inverter you may set it to bond when in inverter mode.

But you do not bond the panels. EVER in an RV. Just the inverter and the generator get bonded. At the inverter and at the generator.

Shore power is bonded at the shore (Park end of things).

[mdock2]

Ok, thanks all, that was the only issue holding me up on finish up the install. So sub panel is NOT to be bonded. The inverter is grounded to the frame, the metal sub panel case is grounded to the main panel using 3 wire romex....

marty

[time2roll]

No neutral-ground bond anywhere in the RV and not in the new subpanel either.

Only bond should be at the power source such as the main utility panel(not your RV panel). If the inverter internally bonds the neutral-ground as part of normal operation that is OK.

All grounds need to be connected and to the RV frame also. This includes the inverter chassis and the metal subpanel case if applicable.

[mdock2]

ok, i'm hardwiring inverter to sub panel then to circuits that i want to operate in rv from inverter when shore power/gen set is off. The inverter has a transfer switch that gets the power from the main panel and if line is hot, the inverter cuts off

[BFL13]

What exactly do you mean by "bonded" ? In Rvs the main dist panel for the 120v breakers is not bonded. The shore power source panel the pedestal receptacles are on is the bonded one.

So your sub-panel from the inverter needs to be carefully defined as to what you are doing.

[larry_cad]

"boned"???

Or did you mean "bonded"??

If you mean bonded, then the answer is no!! NEC specifies a "sub panel" is to have isolated neutral bus bar, carried back to the main panel.