10kw emergency generator

[Boondockin]

Originally Posted by RamblerGuy

Switching your main breaker off is just as safe as using a transfer switch or interlock, but it's very easy to forget to do it.

Don’t modern power drops include the neutral connection? The main breaker only does the hot leads, not neutral. If thats the case, you could back feed power on the neutral line.

Old school power didn’t include separate hot/neutral/ground. But if you have them, only switching off the main may NOT be safe.

[zb39]

My gen set saved me again in this last winter storm. Lost power for 6 hours. Of course for me it was only 10 seconds.

[Thomas ho]

7 days no electricity ,had nat gas, wood stove, bathtub full of water for flushing. cases of water. north texas. burn stove burners off and on. stove roaring. no well water, neighbors went to motels, inlaws .we were fine . food outside in ice chest ,temps in the low 20s ,,,,24/7. had 2 gen. sets ,sold both.

[NJKris]

Originally Posted by Thomas ho

7 days no electricity ,had nat gas, wood stove, bathtub full of water for flushing. cases of water. north texas. burn stove burners off and on. stove roaring. no well water, neighbors went to motels, inlaws .we were fine . food outside in ice chest ,temps in the low 20s ,,,,24/7. had 2 gen. sets ,sold both.

This and a flooding basement (no sump pump power) is the exact reason I bought my first generator many years ago. Dead in the water with no power. No well water, no furnace, no nothing.

[dave-g]

Originally Posted by Boondockin

Don’t modern power drops include the neutral connection? The main breaker only does the hot leads, not neutral. If thats the case, you could back feed power on the neutral line.

Old school power didn’t include separate hot/neutral/ground. But if you have them, only switching off the main may NOT be safe.

Transfers switches only transfer the hots. neutral and ground remain connected.

[gordonsick]

Dave,
I thought that the transfer switch also does something to change the neutral-to-ground bonding point. I thought that shore power left the bonding job to the pedestal or main supply panel on shore. That means that the generator needs its own neutral to ground bonding when you don't have a shore connection. But, it can't have that bonding connected if you are on shore power, since you are only supposed to bond at one point, I thought.

I'm just trying to learn here, so if you know more about this, I'd love to be educated.

–Gordon

[D W]

Originally Posted by gordonsick

Dave,
I thought that the transfer switch also does something to change the neutral-to-ground bonding point. I thought that shore power left the bonding job to the pedestal or main supply panel on shore. That means that the generator needs its own neutral to ground bonding when you don't have a shore connection. But, it can't have that bonding connected if you are on shore power, since you are only supposed to bond at one point, I thought.

I'm just trying to learn here, so if you know more about this, I'd love to be educated.

–Gordon

You are correct in your thinking. My generator (6kw) like most generators that are compatible with transfer switches have instructions to remove the bonding wire. My son purchased a 4.5Kw generator last summer and it was unbonded out of the box. A plastic bag with the manual contained a jumper wire with install instructions for bonding.

[dave-g]

Below is a home wiring diagram of a generator transfer switch- note that the only thing transferred are the Hots (l1-l2) neutral and grounds are all always connected. This is off the generac site.


https://stickerdeals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/generac-auto-transfer-switch-wiring-diagram-facbooik-with-regard-to-generac-automatic-transfer-switch-wiring-diagram.jpg

[gordonsick]

Dave,
The Generac manual is useful, but it may not reflect the issues we have with a motorhome. The diagram suggests that Generac is taking advantage of the fact that the home wiring has a neutral-ground bonding already, so it doesn't mess with that.

However, our motorhome generators are in a vehicle that sits on rubber tires. We may put the coach up on jacks, but put wooden blocks under the jacks. Thus, we can't assume that our coach is grounded. And, without the connection to shore power, we don't have the neutral-ground bond that is provided by the shore connection.

Thus, I think that our motorhome transfer switches do need to provide a neutral-ground bond when they start up.

I'd love to see the manual for the transfer switches in our coaches. Mine is in storage.

–Gordon

[dave-g]

The gen wiring shows ground always connected. neutral switches with shore power


gen-wiring.pdf

[gordonsick]

Aah. So, they recommend a transfer switch that switches the hot and the neutral. Makes sense.

[Learjet]

Originally Posted by Boondockin

Don’t modern power drops include the neutral connection? The main breaker only does the hot leads, not neutral. If thats the case, you could back feed power on the neutral line.

Old school power didn’t include separate hot/neutral/ground. But if you have them, only switching off the main may NOT be safe.

Doesn't work like that...think about the bird on the wire! You can't back feed on a neutral from a generator....there is no return path for the electricity.

[BOO-BOO-IS-IN-CAMP]

i live on the Vermont border not that it matters but being a native of the great state
Iv had to deal with power outages alllll my life
our current house we lose our power on a weekly bassis UNBELEVABLE
we are on the top f a mountain so no flooding plenty of ice & snow

personly if you do not know how to wire up a transfer switch i would subjest get a perfishional
i my self can handel a lot of my own wiring
i would not personly wire it up...
just becouse of the men and woman working on the lines .....

as it is now i have a 5000 wat gen in my garage and i back feed my house..
but i have to fisicaly switch bothe brakers
200 amp house offffff
i have red flags all over the box .... untill i get to old to deal with it thats my set up.we are use to it we have been out of power for up to 3 weeks in the winter we heet with just wood so its ok not fun fun fun



2000 Dodge Ram 3500Dully 5.9 Cummins full on cumistomize*
2014 2608 rock wood customizing every time*
2 side kicks Zoie & Cr

[Learjet]

Originally Posted by BOO-BOO-IS-IN-CAMP

i live on the Vermont border not that it matters but being a native of the great state
Iv had to deal with power outages alllll my life
our current house we lose our power on a weekly bassis UNBELEVABLE
we are on the top f a mountain so no flooding plenty of ice & snow

personly if you do not know how to wire up a transfer switch i would subjest get a perfishional
i my self can handel a lot of my own wiring
i would not personly wire it up...
just becouse of the men and woman working on the lines .....

as it is now i have a 5000 wat gen in my garage and i back feed my house..
but i have to fisicaly switch bothe brakers
200 amp house offffff
i have red flags all over the box .... untill i get to old to deal with it thats my set up.we are use to it we have been out of power for up to 3 weeks in the winter we heet with just wood so its ok not fun fun fun



2000 Dodge Ram 3500Dully 5.9 Cummins full on cumistomize*
2014 2608 rock wood customizing every time*
2 side kicks Zoie & Cr

suggest you install one of these to keep safe https://www.geninterlock.com/manufac...xoC954QAvD_BwE

[BOO-BOO-IS-IN-CAMP]

i should
thank you again

2000 Dodge Ram 3500Dully 5.9 Cummins full on cumistomize*
2014 2608 rock wood customizing every time*
2 side kicks Zoie & Cre