Forum Discussion

hohenwald48's avatar
hohenwald48
Explorer
Jun 22, 2015

Generator Grounding

If I have my generator mounted to the TT frame there will be a ground connection from the generator frame to the TT frame and no ground connection to the earth since the TT sits on rubber tires. Is there a potential safety hazard in that setup when a person completes the TT frame to earth pathway?

Additionally, if I then plug into shore power there will be a ground connection bonding the generator, TT and earth/utility ground. Anything there to watch out for?

Ground and neutral bonding has always seemed to be a kind of black art mystery to me. Throwing in an inverter will even complicate things a little more as some bond neutral and ground when operating and some do not.

Just wondering.
  • hohenwald48's avatar
    hohenwald48
    Explorer
    Jun 23, 2015
    westend,

    Thanks for the link. If I read it right most portable generator powered RVs out there are running without the neutral/ground bond required by the NEC. Without this bond, a failed appliance can put line voltage to it's safety ground and that voltage will then be applied to the frame and skin of the RV without tripping the circuit breaker. In that case, anyone touching the RV while in electrical contact with the earth would be subject to electrical flow depending on their particular body resistance. Not a good idea.

    I think I'll make up one of the neutral/ground bonding plugs he shows in the article.
  • Darryl_Rita's avatar
    Darryl_Rita
    Explorer
    Jun 23, 2015
    hohenwald48 wrote:
    westend,

    Thanks for the link. If I read it right most portable generator powered RVs out there are running without the neutral/ground bond required by the NEC. Without this bond, a failed appliance can put line voltage to it's safety ground and that voltage will then be applied to the frame and skin of the RV without tripping the circuit breaker. In that case, anyone touching the RV while in electrical contact with the earth would be subject to electrical flow depending on their particular body resistance. Not a good idea.

    I think I'll make up one of the neutral/ground bonding plugs he shows in the article.



    Re-read the linked article. It has nothing to do with floating Neutral, NEC requirements, or the purpose of the N/G bonding jumper. Re-read.
  • hohenwald48's avatar
    hohenwald48
    Explorer
    Jun 23, 2015
    Darryl&Rita wrote:
    hohenwald48 wrote:
    westend,

    Thanks for the link. If I read it right most portable generator powered RVs out there are running without the neutral/ground bond required by the NEC. Without this bond, a failed appliance can put line voltage to it's safety ground and that voltage will then be applied to the frame and skin of the RV without tripping the circuit breaker. In that case, anyone touching the RV while in electrical contact with the earth would be subject to electrical flow depending on their particular body resistance. Not a good idea.

    I think I'll make up one of the neutral/ground bonding plugs he shows in the article.


    Re-read the linked article. It has nothing to do with floating Neutral, NEC requirements, or the purpose of the N/G bonding jumper. Re-read.


    I'm not real sure what "It" is but I will re-read the article. Why don't you enlighten me also as I'll probably miss your point even after a re-read. Thanks
  • asullivan920's avatar
    asullivan920
    Explorer
    Jun 23, 2015
    hohenwald48 wrote:
    Darryl&Rita wrote:
    hohenwald48 wrote:
    westend,

    Thanks for the link. If I read it right most portable generator powered RVs out there are running without the neutral/ground bond required by the NEC. Without this bond, a failed appliance can put line voltage to it's safety ground and that voltage will then be applied to the frame and skin of the RV without tripping the circuit breaker. In that case, anyone touching the RV while in electrical contact with the earth would be subject to electrical flow depending on their particular body resistance. Not a good idea.

    I think I'll make up one of the neutral/ground bonding plugs he shows in the article.



    Re-read the linked article. It has nothing to do with floating Neutral, NEC requirements, or the purpose of the N/G bonding jumper. Re-read.


    I'm not real sure what "It" is but I will re-read the article. Why don't you enlighten me also as I'll probably miss your point even after a re-read. Thanks


    After reading that article I came to the same conclusion. If you have a portable generator with a floating neutral (which mine does and says it on the front panel) then it would be smart to have one of these bonding plugs.

    So please enlighten both of us on what we missed if that wasn't the moral of the story.
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    Jun 23, 2015
    coolbreeze01 wrote:
    Don't over worry it and have fun.


    If it were only this simple ... obviously you've never had the "pleasure" of foraging through these 41 pages of discussion on the subject of bonding where it seems even those extremely well versed in the subject couldn't even agree. :S
  • hohenwald48's avatar
    hohenwald48
    Explorer
    Jun 23, 2015
    SoundGuy wrote:
    coolbreeze01 wrote:
    Don't over worry it and have fun.


    If it were only this simple ... obviously you've never had the "pleasure" of foraging through these 41 pages of discussion on the subject of bonding where it seems even those extremely well versed in the subject couldn't even agree. :S


    I haven't gone thru 41 pages of discussion. However, I'm about to.

    As for the "Don't over worry it and have fun" attitude. I consider that to be a kind of "head in the sand" attitude that discounts the potential dangers of floating voltages and earth grounds.

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