Відео

I’m more confused now on what the best setup is for home use. I’m fortunate to have close friends who are Master Electricians. All of which have said I’m over complicating this subject. My Genmax 7500 is a bonded neutral generator, I’m installing a 50 amp outlet at the main with an interlock, literally every electrician I have talked to about this says to plug it in and run it as is. Why is this such a hot topic on UA-cam but guys in field tell me to stop worrying about it??

So, my understanding is that if your transfer switch switches both neutral and hot, you would keep the bond on your generator, correct? If so, and you are using a simple interlock device where the neutral is not cut, what happens if the power outage results in the loss of neutral from the transformer to your home and you have an unbonded generator? In that situation, would you essentially be in the same scenario identical to a transfer switch that switches neutral as well? And if so, would that be a bad thing to have your generator unbonded?

If you have a floating neutral transfer switch then a floating neutral generator setup but if you have a switched neutral transfer switch then you need the bonded generator setup, correct?

Question ... in one of your diagrams you show the generator receptical ground (green wire) connected to the grounding rode. Is it necessary to do this or can the green wire just connect to the recepticle case like it seems you did ?

Finally, somebody that explains in a more common sense, logical and non electrician terms in how a bonded neutral and floating neutral generator is used. I bet I’ve over 50 videos on this subject in a the past few days and it’s very confusing. Well it was up until now. Thank you !!

Save time and just put a Neutral Ground Bonding Plug in one of your outlets. Just take it out when you don't need it.😁

A minimalist or someone with a minimal threat of an outage, could buy a pure sine wave 12 volt inverter with sufficient output to run the most important devices. No need to even take it out of the box. Just plan to spend 5 minutes when and if you need it to understand how it works, hook it to your car and stick an extension cord in it. I did this for 5 days, idling my F150 about 50% of the time. I kept the freezer and fridge going, some lights, fan and TV. I'd get the smallest one that will suffice, as they do have an overhead cost. Mine was 700 Watts. I used half a tank of gasoline. Now I've graduated to a large backup system, but I can loan my inverter to a neighbor.

Where do you get Ultratouch now? Unable to find it anywhere.

Hello Richard I have been running my generator for 45 years and I away just hook up the two hot legs to my panel as the neutral and ground in the panel always work and if you want a floating neutral you can just disconnect the wire in the plug or outlet. I would like to know your opinion on putting on a exhaust extension Champion says that it may cause a problem with the generator, thanks Bert

Hello Richard I have been running my generator for 45 years and I away just hook up the two hot legs to my panel as the neutral and ground in the panel always work and if you want a floating neutral you can just disconnect the wire in the plug or outlet. I would like to know your opinion on putting on a exhaust extension Champion says that it may cause a problem with the generator, thanks Bert

My house has two power legs and a neutral into a meter base from the utility pole. From the meter it goes to the point of first disconnect on the outside of the house. It’s a single 200A main breaker in an Eaton box made for it. My bare copper conductor ground cable from my double ground rod goes into this point of first disconnect to a lug. The outside point of first disconnect neutral bar is case bonded with a supplied screw. From that exterior “main panel” my interior house 200A “sub” panel is fed with aluminum service entry cable…two hots, neutral and ground. This interior panel is NOT bonded and the neutral and grounds are on separate bars in their respective locations. However this interior panel (Square D QO) has a Square D Mechanical Interlock device with a 30A back feed breaker in that position for Generator connection. For connecting a generator I would turn off the outside 200A breaker (point of first disconnect) and also activate the interior interlock to shut off that 200A breaker. All I’ve done is disconnect the hot legs in both breaker flips. Now my neutral and ground are still bonded at the outside panel. If I hook up the Gen to the interior panel as per the interlocked back feed breaker….I still need floating neutral generator…correct?

Very informative video. Just acquired WEN inverter generator with floating neutral. Main use is to power appliances directly from the generator via extension cords. Based on your video, I should bond the neutral with ground. I acquired a neutral ground bonding plug. However, everywhere I read, it says don’t use such plug with floating neutral generators. Your opinion on what to do, please?

Excellent video. I have a question about the Generlink meter connection. They have a proprietary connector at the device. Most come with a 20' cord. Can you connect an extension cable to these cords safely? For example, the generator connection end is a L14-30 connector. Can you get an L14-30 extension cable to extend the proprietary Generlink cable?

Hey great video I have a question I'm new to the competitive audio scene and upgrading everything in my build currently running a 240 from Autotech a 500 farad super cap battery delete dual run of 0 gauge OFC to the back feeding a 72.5AH SCIB bank of the 2.9AH M5 pedestal cells rated at 75c on a Ruthless 10k and Ruthless 1500.4 I've literally dove in head first trying to learn everything to do with the hobby anyway I just competed for my first time with a single 15" Incriminator audio TYRANT rated for 5K RMS I got a 147.7 but was dropping to the low 15's on burps so I am supposed to be acquiring a 2000 Farad 6S4P bank in the morning and I am wondering if it will be enough to stabilize my voltage on burps and actually see a difference in a competition I can't find many videos on super caps and especially banks that big so I'm wondering if you might be able to help explain it a little and tell me if it's enough for what I'm trying to do also I want to add that I'm wired to 1 ohm currently on the single 15 BUT I have already ordered the second one should be here in a week or two and I will be wired down to 1/2 ohm

Roughly how many of these batteries is needed for a 6000W Lanzer amp ? I have a 1000 cca battery in the front with a 200 amp 14V LEECE NEVILLE. On my 1985 suburban will a motorcycle thank you .

You need Empirical Labs Arousor to get the audio e on. G'day.

How much would you charge to fill up all of my hollow cavities? I have a Tacoma

Your explanation sounds logical but what's important is that there be a universal protocol that is understood and accepted - like driving full speed through a four way intersection.

I don't understand, why a portable generator is considered bonded? There is no connection to the ground, I mean.

Don't go cheap on finding an electrician - like a DIY neighbor. If the handyman get's hurt or killed - you're paying out of pocket. The electrician needs to be experienced, licensed, and bonded. They're insured.

Why 4 wires off of switch to two going to motor..thanks

Hi Richard, I have a new Pulsar GD10K generator and was wanting to separate the neutral from the ground except the wiring is way different on mine. When I took off the cover I have an aluminum cooling block and attached to the back is all the main coils and electronics and the wires that go to the control panel. I tried making sense of the schematic but it may as well be in ancient Egyptian. Any advice would be appreciated,or should I call their number and talk to a tech?

Thanks Richard, you're a huge help, I have questions and will confer with you at a later date. I appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share it with us!

Many people rely on those wago connectors which i feel is a dangerous practice…..yes they are easy to use but you are relying on spring tension (its noticeable how the one wire slipped back out of the wago) and the quality for that said metal inside the wago, actually connecting WIRE to WIRE with a wire nut or some type of mechanical crimp is more reliable and a better bond, why add another variable you dont need……..wagos are great for trouble shooting and removed thats about it in my opinion but your video was great!

I was thinking of doing this but had the idea of using a key switch instead of a toggle so it can't accedently be bumped to the wrong position. Thanks for these vids, far clearer than anything else I've seen on this subject!

OK After 45 years in the electrical craft I still can't understand why the 1/4 inch of difference between connecting the generators neutral to the Grounded/Neutral Conductor of the Service Entry Conductors and connecting that same neutral to the Grounded/Neutral Busbar; were I note that the US National Electric Code (NEC) specifically allows me to connect the Grounding Electrode Conductors; makes any electrical difference. My question is about the generators factory new condition and thus the generator's neutral is bonded to it's frame. If I put a saddle tap on the Grounded/Neutral Conductor of the Service Entry Conductors and connect the generator's Grounded/Neutral conductor on that saddle tap and tighten everything to specified torque the Code Making Panel for section 250 of the NEC thinks that is wonderful. If, instead, I connect the generators Grounded/Neutral Conductor to the Grounded/Neutral busbar a 1/4 inch away from the Grounded/Neutral Service Entry Conductor that is the END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT? Since You are a "EE", Electrical Engineer would you explain that 1/4 inch of lug metal making such a difference. Obviously I don't buy it. But maybe you know of some rational reason that I should. Tom Horne

I understand that not having two points of ground bonded to neutral is not proper, but in my opinion, the neutral is extremely important, years ago. I had a generator running when the neutral failed at the connection point, putting 240 through the house destroying a microwave And other things, since then I always keep the neutral bonded at the generator as well, so if the neutral is lost, the ground wire will take over the job. I realize this is not the proper way, but it gives me peace of mind.

The backfed breaker for the generator feed needs a hold down. Usually that comes with the Homeline Interlock Kit. I don't see it attached. That is a code violation.

If the ground and neutral are interrupted ( disconnected ) from the neutral of the service panel ( while the "main" is also off) would this still be necessary? Would the house not then be like providing power to any other device plugged in that required the Generator to be bonded?

Just hit 110k so it's about time for a tune up. This was informative thx alot

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. I have a question about the objectionable current flow in the diagram at 4:25. I understand that current takes all parallel paths back to the source but would there be current flowing on a the wire going out to the generator when it starts and ends at the same point? Seems if it starts and the neutral bus bar, goes to the generator then to the ground bus bar and then back to the neutral that there would be no potential difference to allow current to flow? Or is there just a minute voltage drop with virtually no resistance on that loop out to the generator that there ends up being a few milliamps of current?

I'm late to the party. Great explanation that I doubt most folks are aware of when using a portable generator to provide backup power to your house. We have a Predator 8750 (7kW running) genie we use for home backup. The Predator has the Neutral/EGC bond in the receptacle panel not in the power head, I removed the bond. It our case it is unlikely we will ever use the genie standalone but did not want to prevent using it that way. So rather than using a switch I installed a Neutral/Ground jumper in a NEMA L14-30P twist-lock plug and hung it on the generator in case it every needed to be used standalone. This also eliminated the possibility of making a mistake as the L14-30 receptacle is how we connect it to the house. I added a label on the genie indicating it has an isolated neutral as a reminder in case anyone other then myself uses it standalone. Just a nit. It was not necessary to run additional wires to the power head as the neutral and ground conductors are available in the power panel. I assume you did it that way so you could keep the explanation simple.

Electrical engineer and former journeyman electrician here. Why not just follow the NEC requirements? They exist for a reason. Lifting the EGC in the junction box is a mistake as it leaving the generator neutral bond intact while connected to your home breaker panel. Both are code violations, esp the second neutral bond. The ground rod to the generator, which presumably you added due to lifting the EGC as noted, is not needed and results in an additional hazard in that there is another path for neutral and fault currents to follow, ie: between the breaker panel ground rod and generator ground rod which exposes anyone in the vicinity to its potential. Likely the gnd rod is also a local code violation. The correct, and far simpler solution is to carry all 4 wires from the generator to their respective terminations in the breaker panel, eliminate the generator ground rod, and remove the neutral to gnd jumper in the generator. That is the safest approach, complies with the NEC, and has a chance of passing local inspection. Sheesh, there is so much bad intel on this subject.

How qualified are you, at the beginning of this video you talk about house power in terms of two phases there is no phases in a 120 240 system.

Thank you very much for your series on wiring the transfer switch and the generator modification. This may be a stupid question but wouldn't it be sufficient to keep the generator unmodified (bonded) if and only if, the ground wire from the generator is lifted as shown in your earlier video (not connected to anything in the home). Wouldn't that be sufficient allow only one path back to the generator via the home bonding in the panel? Also if there was a fault at the generator or exterior connection receptacle, then the electricity could flow thru the bonding in the generator to ground via the neutral to the home ground? Thank you for helping us understand this topic

How many square ft of guardian and CLD squares did you use on each door?

Can you *not* connect the neutral white wire from your inlet box to your electrical panel? would this cut the path to your generator?

I don’t find this bag Pls send me a link

Can the L14-30 receptacle on the portable generator by its self have a floating neutral, while maintaining a bonded neutral for the 20A 120V receptacles, so that they can be used while powering the house with the L14-30 receptacle? Or as shown in your previous video, you detailed how to isolate the ground at the inlet plug box to prevent that dual path to ground. In this scenario would the 20A 120V receptacles be usable?

My generator has 2 white wires coming from the stator like yours but also have two whites going to the generator panel. They are running parallel and only one was jumped to ground. What’s going on here? Why was only one jumped, why are the two neutrals separated? Since I’m wanting it floated, after removing the jumper, should I connect all 4 together or leave the two sets separate like they are now?

What if you had a subpanel in your house where the grounds and neutral were separate. Can you put the generator to the subpanel to feed those breakers with the generator bonded neutrals and grounds together? Or do you still have to separate the generator neutrals and grounds?

I currently have an alpine c701 processor but I’m Having ground noise with it is this one similar to that one?

@richardvedvik979, thank you for taking the time to create and post this video. Very clean implementation that allows for the greatest flexibility of use with your generator and a minute amount of future work to use it as a true portable or a whole house power source. With larger portable generators, and as "easy" as this modification was for your particular unit, I wonder why this "feature" is not a standard. The generator manufacturers know that many (most?) of their larger generators are going to be used as back up power for a house, to me it makes good sense for them to incorporate this into their build and then the consumer "knows" it has been implemented correctly.

I appreciate your video collection.. well done sir. From my studies and electronics background.. I recognise the bonded ground parallel problem with connecting to house panel with interlock. Do you know if the meter extension lifts the nuetral from utility? It doesnt look like it.. because the nuetral lugs are bus barred, not the hot legs.. So Im trying to understand which is best.. I understand the switch you installed on your generator And I understand the need to create a single pathway for nuetral ground.. which I have bonded nuetral generator. I was considering using a 3 phase disconnect to completely severe the UTILITY including their nuetral.. but that would be a major step involved asside from the interlock device.. it could be done, but would need mounted next to the service panel with clear instructions for disconnect first BEFORE INTERLOCK activation.. This 3 pole disconnect would illiminate the parallel pathing problem. And I would not need to create a floating nuetral switch like you did for yours.. Does the 3 pole disconnect feature at the service panel work correctly in your mind? I live in Florida under FPL My service panel is an older GE with shared nuetral ground bussbar.. I recognised the nuetral bonding and the parallel as an issue which is how I made my way to your video collections.. The meter extension seems fault proof, but the 3pole discconect should also do what I want. Your thoughts please.. safety and simplicity is also my goal.. to correctly illiminate the parallel nuetral/ ground and bonding issue

I wonder if you can just get a neutral grounding plug which when plugged into 120 v receptor on the generator, you canvert it into a neutral bonded generator. This has been done for a lot of RVers when they have a floating neutral generator like Honda.

When connected to the house with a generator that has been modified to the floating neutral I've seen the generator needs to be connected to a ground via the grounding lug on the generator. Can you explain that case? Does the generator need to be ground ed to a grounding rod via the grounding post on the generator? I've also read it need to be attached to a grounding rod that is 8 feet in the ground. Why?

Great content thank you for your time making these videos. In your first video you said that generators come bonded. But i have seen many generators especially ones to small to run your house that come floating neutral. Some of these generators have the proper outlet for transfer switch and some don’t. My question is what is the intent of the manufacturer selling these floating neutral generators?

The diagrams are awesome... helped me a bunch. My generator is floating neutral. Where I'll place the generator is very near the electric meter, which has a ground rod to it. So I plan to run my generator ground to that ground rod. Make sense?

Excellent video

Thank you for posting this. Question - the material you use for sound absorbtion - in case I am "allergic" to dust, do you know of other alternatives that would work as well? I am considering "3M Thinsulate SM600L" - it has no adhesives, so it could be folded and cut into pieces. Any other absorbers that you like?