Finally someone who gave a simple explanation for the difference between NEUTRAL BONDING and FLOATING BONDING. Not only that but a simple way to convert a Neutral Bonded generator and a safe and easy way to switch it back.
All portable generators will be bonded because they are required to have GFCI breakers. I noticed Westinghouse the manual shows how to un-bond it. Great idea using the plug to make it bond again. That way no one will get shocked using a GFCI plug if something goes wrong using it as a standalone generator.
Super Video !!!! As mentioned below, finally explains the bonded/unbonded neutral of portable generator for home back up and stand alone use. Thanks !!!!
Did the conversion to floating neutral this morning following the instructions in your video. Took continuity readings at every step to verify my actions. Took about 2 hours. Thanks for the info.
Hey. I’m glad it helped you. I am on the path of Hurricane IAN. So I am ready. If I lose power I have my GM9000iED ready and move both AC without any problem.
Nice 👍🏻. Are you getting ready for Hurricane Ian? Me too. I already tested my generator and I can run my 3ton and 2ton AC , my fridge and anything else that is normally connected utilizing only 4,800w from 9000/7600w My stove, water heater and dryer are gas. Eventually I need to set a power meter to be able to see how much amps I am utilizing from the 50amp generator power.
Javier, great video very well done. Very helpful to me. I am considering this generator. As always safety first! We had lost power for 8 days from Ian.
Very informative video! I just recently hooked up my Predator 9500/7600 inverter generator. I had a micro-air added to my unit. Which dropped the starting amps from +70 to under 40. I did notice after about an hour the breaker tripped on the generator. After seeing this video I will be switching it to a floating ground.
Hi. Is by code. Bond should be at 1 place. Is easier to unbound your generator than unbound your house breaker panel ever time you connect your generator.
Finally got around to doing this today, the whole thing was so easy until getting the two nuts off on the bonding rail. Especially the one closer to the middle. Just barely enough room to get a small ratchet into that space, and they didn't loosen at all to be taken off by finger. Had to ratchet them off the entire way. Thanks for the video, I see a lot of people say they have run bonded generators to a panel no issue, but I much prefer to do things the "right" way especially when it comes to electricity.
Thanks for your reviews and advice. I just bought one via your link. It came with floating neutral...so it's changed. They include a 110 bonding plug but when you plug it in it trips the gfci. I will try your 30 amp bond plug to see if it will work or trips the gfci. I'm trying to connect to my rv and it doesn't like floating neutral. I have a bonding plug on an older generator without gfci and it works....but this one has me stumped
GFCI are very sensitive you can not connect anything to the GFCI that varies the load, need to be constant. You are better off connecting your RV to the 30a or 50 amp outlets depending on your RV requirements. Also using a multimeter you could test the RV OUTLET to be sure that the RV is already Neutral bonded.
I feel fortunate to have learned about your channel from Gavin's Garage where someone referenced this video. Right now I have a smaller inverter generator I'd gotten from costco that I just plug directly into so the bonded neutral is beneficial, but if/when I switch to an interlock kit being able to switch to floating neutral will be very helpful. Thank you. I'm surprised how few subscribers you have so far but given the quality of your content I suspect that will soon change.
Great video. I have the 7250 model and need to do this. I had 240v going to one leg and fried a bunch things. Unfortunately, the back of my panel looks very different than yours. I dont have the bar. Ive tried to get help from genmax but haven't had much luck. You or anyone know how to convert the 7250 to floating neautral? Would appreciate the help!
Thanks your your video and comments back to me, if you remember I have a newer model and it was different from the model in your video, I appreciate your comments on how to convert mine and called GENMAX tech support to confirm, I did it this morning in under an hour and did all the test you did and everything work perfectly, thanks so much.
This was an excellent video and you did a superb job. Lots of good info here. My Westinghouse Wgen 9500 gas generator provides how to remove the ground jumper wire to float the neutral which was a different maneuver than what you did but does the same thing, converts the generator to a floating neutral. I think and I could be wrong but I believe that there are a lot of generators in use that DID NOT convert their bonded frame to floating. Get this, I had two well established electricians out to my house to quote installing a transfer switch and not one knew what I was talking about. The first guy told me that it would be fine as is. I believed him until I started to research this procedure more throughly and it became clear to me why this has to be accomplished if you intend to connect your generator to your main or a sub panel. The second electrician after viewing the gens user manual (that I didn’t show the first electrician) agreed that the generator has to be converted as it says to do so in bold letters in the user manual. I understand why a lot of people get pissed when they learn that this process has to be reversed if you use your gen as a stand alone power source. But that trick you showed us with the plug, super cool! So does this plug trick work with any generator that the has been converted to floating neutral no matter how your mfg. instructs you to do it? Did you use a male 30 amp plug to make that? Where did you learn this? Sorry this was long. Had a lot to say.
Well after watching your videos about the Genmax 9000. I bit the bullet and purchased one $1450 plus the 4 year coverage $152 off Amazon. Couldn't beat the deal and now I'll have clean power compared to my old one. Keep up the great work. You are very good at explaining and detailing all the steps. Liked and Subscribed!!!
Thank you. The videos quality production definitely need some improvement. Lol 😂. But I thought 💭 that as a normal Homeowner I could make basic homeowners knowledge videos to help others. I hope you used the link in the video description.
that is a GREAT deal. I just bought my genmax 9000 ied at$2400. I normally dont pay too much for stuff but if u want one today thats the price. Congrats on your excellent deal!
Thanks for sharing your expertise! I have a champion generator Thais also bonded neutral. I used it once during the last hurricane, not changing to floating ground. I don’t use a manual transfer switch, just a simple slider. No problem encountered. Is it really necessary to convert from bonded neutral to floating or is it just a matter of preference? Thank you.
It's important to have only one ground-neutral bond in the system. The main panel of the house will already have this bond. A bond in the generator too creates the parallel path neutral. ua-cam.com/video/RkjjZJgaINA/v-deo.html
Thabk you for all the help if I want to run two of these in parallel for my house how would I go about making it a floating neutral would I do the same steps for both generators?
Thank you for a very informative video. I suggest one modification to your wiring procedure. The White neutral wire splits and is attached to the bar you identified and to another screw terminal on the panel. There is continuity between both terminals. Disconnect the white wire from the bar (as you do) and just attach the ring connectors for both wires under the same screw on that other terminal. That way the Neutral is securely connected and there isn't a chance for the shrink wrap to fall off. I was lazy and purchased a 120V bonding plug but I had several GFCI's trips when I was running the generator, stand alone. I think the bonded plug on only one electrical leg caused GFCI problems. I made a bonded plug using a spare 50A plug and 6 AWG wire. That worked great because the 2 hot blades on the plug were removable; so ONLY the Neutral and Ground blades are actually plugged into the generator. No hot wires are inside the 50A plug. This arrangement still maintains all the 120V receptacles for actual use. I don't expect to ever use a 240 Volt tool powered by the generator so I am not losing a receptacle. I have to remove the bonded plug to connect to my house so I can't forget and have 2 locations where the neutral and ground are bonded.
Great video and explanation, thank you! I just received mine and performed the unbonding procedure (since the generator’s primary use will be “backfeeding” my house’s main panel during outages). I also picked up a bonding plug for instances where I might use the generator stand alone (out in the field or a job site). You’ve got a new subscriber!
@@x01e did plenty of research, including thorough and credible information from this creator. Don’t comment to the contrary without providing a detailed explanation and without citing information sources that are easily searchable.
Just found your Channel, and Subscribed. Excellent Video! Would it be a better option to have install a Neutral Bonded ready Transfer switch, instead of having to take the Generator apart?
Thank you for making the video. I recently purchased the GenMax 10500 that I will be hooking up to my breaker box. Do they sell the plug you made already ready to be plugged in? When it’s in floating neutral does that mean I cannot connect any cables directly to the generator? All this stuff is so confusing, would really appreciate your help!
Using that "bonding" plug is a good idea BUT... if that plug gets lost or someone forgets to use it, the generator may not be safe for stand-alone usage. A clearly marked switch to bond/unbond would be much safer.
I’m curious if a person could install a simple toggle switch to be able to simply change from bonded to floating in order to add the flexibility to use it to power the home OR use it to power things offsite? Seems like that would/should be a relatively simple “standard” option or feature. Thanks for your demonstration!
In this video at the end you hooked the 240 volt cable to the interlock and the generator to show that the main panel will bond the generator, just to be sure I know the generator is off but do you also keep the generator breaker in the main panel off to? I believe you do because the neutral and ground in the main panel aren’t connected to the breaker.
Javier. What is the solution if you use the generator for the house panel, but also want to plug additional devices with extension cords through the 120 v outlet at the same time?
You can do it, if you are connected to the house panel you will be using the house panel neutral bond. But if you are not connected to the house panel then you will need to create a neutral bond plug as I did in the video using the 3oamp plug.
Thank you for this video. It's an easy solution for the 9000 series genmax. However, I just purchased the 7250iedc, and it only comes with the 50amp plug and the 120v GFCI outlet. Has anyone had any luck creating a bonded plug for the GFCI outlet that works? I only plan on using this for home power backup through my inlet box. However if I wanted to use it for powering tools or something else, I need to figure out a better solution than dissasembly each time I want to do that.
You can try a regular bonded plug like this one amzn.to/3N2YaNH OR you can do what I am about to do that is to create a loop with he neutral cable and this fuse loop amzn.to/3OKLlIY , and put it accessible on the side panel. is you need it bonded put the fuse, if you need it unbonded remove the fuse. I will be trying that soon.
Can you show us mas videos on using propane? Assume we kno nothing and explain us how and why and with what tanks hoses lengths of hoses size of tanks and every detail of running gen on propane. Gracias kind sir
Hi Javier, it’s been 9 months since I last reached out to you. I have since sold my champion generator (non-inverted model) and bought a Genmax 7250iedc, thanks to all of you on UA-cam that spoke highly of the quality of Genmax generators, it was a no brainer for me to buy a Genmax! So I’ve been trying to convert my Genmax to a floating neutral and reached out to Genmax support for assistance a few times, but unsuccessful with my conversion attempts due to conflicting information provided. Last week, I reached out to Genmax again, and I was given your UA-cam video (sent as an attachment) from tech support…kudos to you my friend! Following your steps, I believe I got it, finally! So my concern now that the generator is floating neutral, is it still safe to use the 120v outlets for any electrical devices? Do you ground your generator or is the neutral bonding plug is sufficient enough? Thanks in advance and for sharing your expertise!
Hello, was the process the same for the 7250 as it was in this video for the 9000? I just bought a 7250 and will need to change it to floating. Thanks in advance.
That was the best explanation yet I understand now. Your bonding video was excellent your step by step made it very easy to to do. Only took me 30 mins and I check the Continuity before and after and the bond was definitely broken. I ordered the bonding plug from Amazon just in case I needed to use this generator without connecting it to the house. Thank you again for such an excellent step-by-step video.
Love your videos! I am considering this unit. I saw another commentor mentioned that genmax parts are not available in the US and if it breaks then it may be a big hassle to get it fixed. Thoughts?
Hi. Thank you. They do have support in USA with base in California. About your question is a good question I might have an complete answer in 1-2 days, I will check. Now I can share my experience so far. I emailed Genmax Manufacturer at China (they are very responsive and answer every email I send) Because the Totals hour meter that is like a car Odometer reset to 0 hours every time you turned off and on and they are sending me a new Digital display from China. It should arrive in July 18. Then I will replace it myself with the new digital display and I hope that solve the problem. Also. Remember the Genmax warranty is 1yr but when you buy it through Amazon you have the option to buy an extended warranty and that is a local warranty.
Hi, OK I email them yesterday and this was their answer "We hired TOMAHAWK Power in US to provide the service for our customers. We have good relationship with this company. So we choosed them. Actually there are some other companies contacted us, we are considering if adding or just enlarge our current service team. " so they are new but they are expanding.
Did the conversion on my Genmax 9000 ied following your instructions. Everything went smooth and I checked continuity readings along the way and all good. Started the generator after I was done and it will not stay running longer than 20 seconds. Restart and it shuts off again. Any suggestions?? Thanks for your time!!
I do not hink is related to removing the bonding. I have been having some issues, too, lately. This will sound weird, but I want to do a test; when you start the generator, and it seems like it is going to stop, grab the handles and shake it up and down a few times and see if that keeps it running. That is what I have sometimes been doing; I even recorded a video that I need to send to genmax to see if they know what is happening.
@@JavierRivera Shaking it did not help me at all. It starts up perfectly runs 20 seconds then shuts off. Going to try running on running on LP next and see what happens. Could one of the sensors be doing this? Maybe the wiring to the sensors was disturbed when I had the panel off?
@@richdelbridge5354 If you belive that could be a wiring ifssue after removing the panel I suggest to remove the panel again and look that there is no cable loose just to be sure.
Can you please make a video on the new updated GENMAX GM9000ied? GENMAX made changes to the back of the panel, it’s nothing like the version in this video, I have looked at the web and can’t find the newer version.
@@johnhooks1902 I called GenMax. They told me to make it floating neutral you have to remove the white neutral wire off of the far right GFI. I did that and it works. You’ll see where the neutral wire is underneath the ground wire on the far right receptacle.
@no1but24 been working on it today. Mine is different but, I see what you are saying. Far right loops all the other grounds on a terminal. (Mine is not white). I believe my problem is that the ground on that gfi is stripped and was never tight. The screw was threaded out and just hanging with the ground wire hanging on the screw. Wonder if this was a refurbished model. It was purchased from Amazon. Definitely a stripped thread in the plug. Thanks for responding.
What type of transfer switch do you have ? i think that you said that some transfer switches are neutral bonding ready and do not need a floating neutral ,do you know which one they are ? Thank You
Hello. I don’t have a transfer switch. I have a power inlet connected directly to the breaker panel using an interlocking system. Cheaper. The interlocking system is just a safety metal plate that doesn’t let you turn on the 50amp power inlet breaker unless you turn off the main BIG breaker that is feeding the breaker panel. Then I manually only turn on the breakers that I need, as you do with a transfer switch. I believe you will need a 4-pole transfer switch if you do not want to modify your generator. Look for Panel/Link X-Series Neutral Switching Panels
@@JavierRivera Thank you , i have a transfer switch and all of the outlets on the Genmax 9000 are neutral bonded so i will have to modify the generator for a floating neutral, Fantastic Video !!!!!
All depends if your transfer switch has a neutral switching option. If has it you don’t have to modify the generator if not you might have to. If you are not sure you might need to consult an electrician so you can be sure about what to do.
I thought about a switch. But I did not know where to install it at the moment; also, I guess will need to be a rubber or plastic switch for security reasons, and, In my case, I do not need the 30amp plug. I will do some research and see if I find something to put it with a switch is a good idea.
@@jerrygania4458 You could cut the white wire and then put male/female spade connectors on the two ends so you can reconnect them as needed. Then no need for a switch. Get the style of spade connectors with insulation over the pads and then maybe wrap it in electrical tape just for good measure. Or use any other kind of connector, like one side of an XT60 connector.
That is also a good idea but. I might need to open the unit to connect and disconnect the spade connectors. With a switch, the idea was to cut a hole on the control panel face and install the switch.
Do the Genmax 9,000 generator has a electric start or a remote start ? And what types of oil it use ? Is it better to use ethanol free gas for this generator ? Can I plug a electric stove that has a 220 line ?
Hello yes it has an electric starter and a remote start. Oil is 10w-30. Use only fresh 87+ octane stabilizer-treated unleaded gasoline. Do not use gasoline with more than 10% ethanol (E15, E20, E85, etc.). And yes you can connect a 220 stove to the 240v / 50amp outlet.
@@JavierRivera For other name brand generators, is it better to use 90 because it's ethanol free.They say for cars it's better to use ethanol free gas I was wondering is gas generators similar ? Do some gas generators perform better with better gas ?
@@drrobotnikmeanbeanma That is correct if you can find ethanol-free gas use that one but if not used one that contains less than 10%. Performance is the same, you would get the same watts with or without ethanol.
Hey Javier how is the Genmax9000ied holding up? Any problems? I'm still waiting for sales in in California.Thinking about Duromax lots of sales going on right now. I just don't comfortable with the company.
Are there any adverse consequences connecting the genmax as-is (neutral-bonded) to your household breaker box? That is, can the genmax as-is function normally when connected to the household breaker box? Thanks!
@@JavierRivera Great reference! It seems there are many different viewpoints on this subject. Maybe to be practical, under normal conditions, would a multimeter and its probes tell you whether any part of the genmax, say frame or other equipment part, pose a shock hazard?
There really aren't many points, it's very dangerous to have the neutral bonded at the generator and in the house, virtually all house are neutral bonded, therefore either you have to break the bond at the generator, or at the house using a power/ neutral disconnect. If this sounds Greek to you? Don't be stupid, hire an electrician. What I did, is add a jumper disconnect on the battery side of the generator, putting a jumper off the main white ground wire, that way I can just remove the battery panel and easily plug, or unplug the quick disconnect. Depending on whether the generator is connected to the house, or being used on a job site.
Hello Javier..... I did all the steps... and took off the panel but there is no single white wire for Neutral going to the ground bar.... there are many white wires ... they seem to go to each plug and then jumper to somewhere else. If I disconnect the set of white wires that go to the 50amp plug..... will that work?
I wish I could attach a picture here. A few months ago someone told me that the white neutral cable wasn’t on the ground bar in his generator and told this “The white oval is the back of the last/fourth/far right receptacle in series (20A GFCI). I disconnected the Green/Yellow wire that was tied to the white from the back of the outlet and it appears that there is no more neutral bonding!”
@@JavierRivera thanks for the quick reply. Yes i looked further to the Right of the panel where the 120v plugs are and i saw the Green/Yellow wire and the white cable tied together on a screw. It leaves from there and jumps to every single outlet receptacle. Thanks for all the videos very helpful. I hope i don't have problems with my Unit. I live in the Caribbean so shipping back to Genmax is not an option for me..... and although i got the Amazon 3 year Accidental protection Plan... i dont think they would send me an entire Generator for Free.
Hey Javier! I've been continuing my research on this generator and have run across a few (not many) reviews of poor quality craftsmanship and the lack of good customer service. I'm not particularly handy (as you appear to be), so I'd like your honest feedback on purchasing the GM9000iED. Is it a crap shoot? I know you need to be careful when posting any concerns you may have, but many of us depend on an honest evaluation from folks like you. Thanks, Gene
Hi. 1st most of other people complaining about craftmanship is because is made in China. The question is what is not made in China now a day? Also do they own one? Most if not all of those who criticize do not own one. Now this is my honest opinion. I own one and I am happy with my generator. About customer service you could call or email. I decided to email because I sent them pictures and videos and I decided to contact Genmax china directly. Every time I sent an email every time I received an answer. Genmax is a new company that is still developing in US and expanding. So far I only had a problem with the total hours display and I received a new one in one week straight from China. Now that being said I understand your concern and I am curious myself about how support would be if I had major repair that has to be done by an expert. I would contact Genmax with a. Few questions and I would update you.
Javier....so I have a food trailer and plug a 50 amp. I have used this generator 3 times for a total of 7 hours. Now my volts drop from 240V to 1 Volt. when I plug up anything. Even when i plug an extension cord with nothing attached. Is this my solution or is there another problem? Also, if it is the solution, can I use the 110 outlets and the same time when i have changed it out?
@JavierRivera I am not getting power from the generator when I plug anything to it. The meter reads 240 volts when started. When I plug a cord into the generator, the volts go down to 1 volt and no power to what is plugged into it. Even an extension cord with no item plugged into it. Prior to this, I would plug my 50 amp cord into it and it would run my food trailer. Now no electricity due to the voltage dropping to 1 every time I plug something into it. Is this because of the grounding?
I recently converter my Genmax to a floating neutral as well; however, when plugging in a neutral to ground bonding plug in a 120V outlet, it trips the GFCI. Any ideas why this is happening? I checked voltage between neutral and ground when the unit is running. Shows about 2V when idle, but if a load is plugged in to the 120, there starts to be a decent voltage diff, between 8V and 20V depending on the load. The voltage diff is on both the 120V and 240V plugs.
Did you build the bonded plug 🔌 like I did in the video? If you will be connecting things directly to the generator you need that bond that is why I created a bond plug with the plugs that came with the generator. Another thing. GFCI outlets don’t like things that fluctuate in amps and voltage. For example if you are connecting a refrigerator is very likely that will trip. But if you connect something that will draw a constant amps and voltage then will not trip the GFCI.
@@JavierRivera I bought a bonding plug to put in one of the 120 plugs so I don't lose the 30A. I confirmed with a multimeter it does bond neutral and ground back together, but if the unit is running and you plug it in, it trips the GFCI.
@@JavierRivera The 30A bonding plug worked correctly. I guess putting a bonding plug in the 120 one didn't play well with the GFCI. Thanks for your help.
The answer is NO if you would be connecting it to your breaker panel. Come ready to connect appliances directly to the generator or even an RV can be connected to the generator. But If you would be feeding a breaker panel that already has the Neutral Bonding connection you need to break the bonding in the generator. Unless you connect it to a type of transfer switch that comes ready to accept a Neutral Bonded Generator.
Wouldn’t it be better to extend the white line to a switch and back to the bar? That way the generator can be switched back and forth depending how it’s being used?
I thought about it but I am kinda a perfectionist and 1- I couldn’t find a 30 amp switch that I like. 2- by that I like I mean compact and mountable 3- I couldn’t find a good location to mount it. Suggestions of switches and location are welcome.
just go mine from home depot, Genmax must of just updated the 9000ied, I followed your video and behind the panel is different, there is no white wire to remove from the bar, just 4 yellow wires also the bar is on the right side of mine, so if there's an update on how do it please let me know.
Hello, yes it looks like something was changes. I wish I could attach a picture here. A few months ago someone told me that the white neutral cable wasn’t on the ground bar in his generator and told this “The white oval is the back of the last/fourth/far right receptacle in series (20A GFCI). I disconnected the Green/Yellow wire that was tied to the white from the back of the outlet and it appears that there is no more neutral bonding!”
Ok but I'm using the 30 Amp plug to my inlet box I'm not using the 50 amp.If I take the white wire off will the 30 Amp twist lock plug still allow me to use my extension cord to inlet plug which is 30 Amp plug?
@@mitch461000 the bonding plug is ONLY to use the generator (if needed) by itself after you removed the neutral bond cable. If you would be using a generator like me with a power inlet, all you have to do is to remove the neutral cable as I did in the video. Then use the 30amp outlet. Skip the 30amp bonded plug that I created on the video. BUT. If some day you decide to use the generator by itself and connect appliances for example directly to the generator then is highly recommended to use a bonding plug.
I just noticed one flaw with this generator while watching this video as I need to do this. The 50A plug is right above the cover that sticks out, so my cable while the correct type cant plug in. As I look online EVERY N14-50 cable is a right angle like that so none of them will fit. So it almost forces you to use the included piece to make your own, or buy another one online to make your own cable. I cant find any pre-fab cable with a straight plug, or a small pigtail to extend it to prevent me from having to cut the cord or buy a different one.
Hi. It took me a second to understand your message. If you talk about the black cover that I removed on the video. I don’t think it would be a problem it is very shallow. But I haven’t tried with a right angle plug yet so you could be right. If you order a pre-fab right angle 50amp cable make sure is at Amazon and that the Return Policy is Returnable just in case. I would suggest that you build one. Most of pre-fab 50amp cords are 6/3 + 8/1 instead of 6/4. What that means is that 3 cables are #6 but the ground is #8. It will work? Yes but I prefer all 4 cables to be #6 and installed. Also when you build it you have the chance to pick a better quality cord.
@@JavierRivera Got too good a deal 30ft cable for $60, It is is code to have a smaller ground wire so not too worried about that. But I do understand the piece of mind. They (electrician) actually used #8 wire for power too, I didn't like that but they know there stuff and I looked it up #8 THHN wire is rated up to 55A. It's a short run though and its specifically THHN so woudl not use #8 for the connection cable to the generator. I would redo it, (have to patch the holes and increase the conduit size) but since the 9000 is only like 35A at max load its more than enough. If I was running 2 of these and getting 50A then yeah I think I would redo it, but I have not maxed this out even close to 6700w running as long as we do not use hot water or the stove.
It's just as easy to install the MEN bond into a switch on the front panel. This takes about the same time you took to open the unit. This gives you the options to use the generator off-site or with extension cables for power tools and other devices apart from your house circuits......
Use a 30amp rated spst on/off toggle switch connect the white neutral wire to one side of the toggle switch, connect another same gauge extender white neutral wire to the other side of the toggle switch, then connect the new exterder white neutral wire/jumper to the generator ground bar. Drill a hole in the front cover, insert toggle switch then label: onboard neutral engaged / onboard neutral dis-engaged aka on/off - no need for building a bonding plug. You just need to understand what position to put the toggle switch when generator neutral to ground bond is needed or not needed.
After I remove the bonding wire, when I connect the surge protector to the 50amp plug with my house back up line connected, the 50amp breaker is off on the generator but the red light on the surge protector is on (open neutral). After I turn on the circuit breaker on the generator, surge protector is showing green blue and red. The red means open neutral blue means neutral connected. Why is it showing open neutral as well? When I remove the back up line, it goes to just green.
@@JANAKJ006 Secondly, connect your electric cable from your power inlet directly to the generator and test if the generator then has a neutral bonded connection. If your generator has a neutral bonded connection is seeing your house panel neutral bond. Then the problem is the Surge protector that is only checking for neutral bond one way only and is not allowing your generator to see your house neutral bond.
So i tired 2 high end surge protector. (Watch dog and progressive industries ) Both doing the same thing but when i bounded the generator surge protector it’s showing correct. It’s only seeing one way I think. So having 2 bounding neutral it’s gonna be problem right?
I tried too check my work after I did the changeover. But, I can’t stick the probe of my multimeter into the GFCI outlet because of the stupid plug safety doors! What do I do?
@@JavierRivera Oh yeah haha forgot. So looking at it on the gen, top @12 o'clock is ground (black probe) left @9 o'clock is the neutral (red probe) correct? Also, if I may ask, when you test the dummy plug, the cord comes from the TS, do you need to turn on all the breakers in the TS? And is your main panel live?
I just tried to perform this conversion on a 9000ied delivered in August 2023 and the back of the panel is a lot messier and I can’t find a terminal block. That makes the online instructions from Genmax useless. I called them for help and was told I needed to hire a qualifie electrician. Has anyone else run into this apparent change in design? And better yet, have they figured out how to accomplish the floating neutral conversion? Thanks.
Thanks for the quick response, Javier! It looks like 2 yellow wires are attached to the back side of the ground nut. I’ll disconnect those tomorrow and see what we get. Really appreciate your help. 😊👍
Hi, Javier. No luck. Still had continuity after disconnecting those two Green/Yellow wires. I swear this unit does not look them same as your’s or the one shown in the Genmax tutorial on how to unbond the neutral. I’ve removed every panel and can’t locate where that connection is made. Multiple calls in to Genmax with no response this morning. Looks like their customer service is living up to it’s billing. Maybe others will start to see the same issue if they really have made a change and report the solution. 🤞Thanks.
@@bdy8218 so you have a 9000ied? did you tested before disconnecting anything? To be sure that it was neutral bonded from the factory? Like I said I am not aware of Genmax switch the 9000ied to Floating Neutral from the factory. Can you send me pictures or video to javieryter@outlook.com ?
That is the same question that I have, I thought about installing a switch, but I have not found one switch that I like. If you found one that will work with wire #8 and that the switch is plastic or covered in rubber, let me know. OH, and that can be installed on the front panel.
It was an error on their part to not make this easy to do, like just flipping a readily accessible switch. Then the 50 amp receptacle would still be available for use.
Your making it more difficult and more dangerous with this suggestion if someone forgets to insert the plug when using the generator stand alone. The simple solution that accomplishes the same is to not connect the ground wire from your panel on your inlet box. Again the 50 amp inlet box you use to connect the generator to your panel, lift the ground wire from your panel so your generator will be ground when powering your house panel.
No. Is required by code to have 1 bond only. If you connect it to a house is the right thing to do. Portable generators come bonded because are meant to be used standalone meaning you connect everything directly to the generator but if used to feed a house breaker panel you have to remove the bond.
Odd, usually most bonding is done at the powerhead with a ground wire to the neutral but it is manufacture specific. Know your equipment, just remember if the generator is used in a stand alone configuration again that Bond must be reestablished for safety.
Hello 👋. I contacted the manufacturer directly asking where was the Neutral Bonding so I can disconnect it and convert it to Floating Neutral to connect it to my home. They send me the picture that I showed in the video. They know is a necessity if you want to power a breaker panel. So does not affect the warranty.
Finally someone who gave a simple explanation for the difference between NEUTRAL BONDING and FLOATING BONDING. Not only that but a simple way to convert a Neutral Bonded generator and a safe and easy way to switch it back.
You are welcome
All portable generators will be bonded because they are required to have GFCI breakers. I noticed Westinghouse the manual shows how to un-bond it. Great idea using the plug to make it bond again. That way no one will get shocked using a GFCI plug if something goes wrong using it as a standalone generator.
Excellent skills with your vocal explanation. Thank you for helping ....
Super Video !!!! As mentioned below, finally explains the bonded/unbonded neutral of portable generator for home back up and stand alone use. Thanks !!!!
Did the conversion to floating neutral this morning following the instructions in your video. Took continuity readings at every step to verify my actions. Took about 2 hours. Thanks for the info.
Hey. I’m glad it helped you. I am on the path of Hurricane IAN. So I am ready. If I lose power I have my GM9000iED ready and move both AC without any problem.
just for the exhaust clip alone, great work brotha!
Very good presentation. Impressed that you rechecked continuity after connecting back to house. Very important. Thanks
Hey you are welcome.
This helped me convert my A-ipower SUA1200ED to a floating neutral. Perfect timing for Hurricane Ian. Thank you.
Nice 👍🏻. Are you getting ready for Hurricane Ian? Me too. I already tested my generator and I can run my 3ton and 2ton AC , my fridge and anything else that is normally connected utilizing only 4,800w from 9000/7600w My stove, water heater and dryer are gas. Eventually I need to set a power meter to be able to see how much amps I am utilizing from the 50amp generator power.
Thank you so much for this video- super helpful!!!
👍🏻 you are welcome
Thanks great easy explanation.
You did a nice job. Simple.
Thank you. Very helpful.
Javier, great video very well done. Very helpful to me. I am considering this generator. As always safety first! We had lost power for 8 days from Ian.
Thank you sir. Very helpful
Very informative video! I just recently hooked up my
Predator 9500/7600 inverter generator. I had a micro-air added to my unit. Which dropped the starting amps from +70 to under 40. I did notice after about an hour the breaker tripped on the generator. After seeing this video I will be switching it to a floating ground.
Great 👍🏻. Yes is highly recommend.
Thank you I needed this. Great job
Thank you I am glad it helped.
Man than you! Finally somebody gives a clear answer what to do here.
I’m glad that helps you.
Nice video senor. New sub with this video. I have the same genmax 9000 ied. Thanks for keeping us informed!
Thank you
Great video, thank you! Subscribed.
Thank you
This was fantastic! I know zip about electricity and the concept of floating and bonded neutral. But I got this! Thanks so much.
And this huy knows zip also.. rhere is a much easier way that allows you keep your generator stock
Hi. Is by code. Bond should be at 1 place. Is easier to unbound your generator than unbound your house breaker panel ever time you connect your generator.
Great detail on this generator. Enjoy watching your videos. New Subscriber here. Thanks.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate your comment. Sometimes I can be very hard on myself with self-criticism.
Great information!
Thanks for watching!
Finally got around to doing this today, the whole thing was so easy until getting the two nuts off on the bonding rail. Especially the one closer to the middle. Just barely enough room to get a small ratchet into that space, and they didn't loosen at all to be taken off by finger. Had to ratchet them off the entire way.
Thanks for the video, I see a lot of people say they have run bonded generators to a panel no issue, but I much prefer to do things the "right" way especially when it comes to electricity.
Hi. You are welcome.
Thanks for your reviews and advice. I just bought one via your link. It came with floating neutral...so it's changed. They include a 110 bonding plug but when you plug it in it trips the gfci. I will try your 30 amp bond plug to see if it will work or trips the gfci. I'm trying to connect to my rv and it doesn't like floating neutral. I have a bonding plug on an older generator without gfci and it works....but this one has me stumped
GFCI are very sensitive you can not connect anything to the GFCI that varies the load, need to be constant. You are better off connecting your RV to the 30a or 50 amp outlets depending on your RV requirements. Also using a multimeter you could test the RV OUTLET to be sure that the RV is already Neutral bonded.
That helped. Thanks!
Your welcome
I feel fortunate to have learned about your channel from Gavin's Garage where someone referenced this video. Right now I have a smaller inverter generator I'd gotten from costco that I just plug directly into so the bonded neutral is beneficial, but if/when I switch to an interlock kit being able to switch to floating neutral will be very helpful. Thank you. I'm surprised how few subscribers you have so far but given the quality of your content I suspect that will soon change.
Thank you. I’m glad it helps. My main purpose with my videos is Helps regular homeowners.
You need to do more reasearch there is a much easier way and less dangerous then what he is suggesting.
@@x01e What is the easier/safer way?
Great video. I have the 7250 model and need to do this. I had 240v going to one leg and fried a bunch things. Unfortunately, the back of my panel looks very different than yours. I dont have the bar. Ive tried to get help from genmax but haven't had much luck. You or anyone know how to convert the 7250 to floating neautral? Would appreciate the help!
Thanks your your video and comments back to me, if you remember I have a newer model and it was different from the model in your video, I appreciate your comments on how to convert mine and called GENMAX tech support to confirm, I did it this morning in under an hour and did all the test you did and everything work perfectly, thanks so much.
You are welcome.
This was an excellent video and you did a superb job. Lots of good info here. My Westinghouse Wgen 9500 gas generator provides how to remove the ground jumper wire to float the neutral which was a different maneuver than what you did but does the same thing, converts the generator to a floating neutral. I think and I could be wrong but I believe that there are a lot of generators in use that DID NOT convert their bonded frame to floating. Get this, I had two well established electricians out to my house to quote installing a transfer switch and not one knew what I was talking about. The first guy told me that it would be fine as is. I believed him until I started to research this procedure more throughly and it became clear to me why this has to be accomplished if you intend to connect your generator to your main or a sub panel. The second electrician after viewing the gens user manual (that I didn’t show the first electrician) agreed that the generator has to be converted as it says to do so in bold letters in the user manual. I understand why a lot of people get pissed when they learn that this process has to be reversed if you use your gen as a stand alone power source. But that trick you showed us with the plug, super cool! So does this plug trick work with any generator that the has been converted to floating neutral no matter how your mfg. instructs you to do it? Did you use a male 30 amp plug to make that? Where did you learn this?
Sorry this was long. Had a lot to say.
Very good video!
Thank you.
Well after watching your videos about the Genmax 9000. I bit the bullet and purchased one $1450 plus the 4 year coverage $152 off Amazon. Couldn't beat the deal and now I'll have clean power compared to my old one. Keep up the great work. You are very good at explaining and detailing all the steps. Liked and Subscribed!!!
Thank you. The videos quality production definitely need some improvement. Lol 😂. But I thought 💭 that as a normal Homeowner I could make basic homeowners knowledge videos to help others. I hope you used the link in the video description.
@@JavierRivera I did! Hope you benefit somehow because sweating in your garage in the one video was unreal for you while filming
@@John-vf9py I can't wait for January and February weather.
You did not buy this for $1450. They are $2400 on on amazon and everywhere else.
that is a GREAT deal. I just bought my genmax 9000 ied at$2400. I normally dont pay too much for stuff but if u want one today thats the price. Congrats on your excellent deal!
Nice job
Thanks I just hope it helps others providing some info knowledge
Hello.What is the grounding terminal for?Do I have to connect it to ground rod if I use neutral bonding?Thank you.
Thanks for sharing your expertise! I have a champion generator Thais also bonded neutral. I used it once during the last hurricane, not changing to floating ground. I don’t use a manual transfer switch, just a simple slider. No problem encountered. Is it really necessary to convert from bonded neutral to floating or is it just a matter of preference? Thank you.
It's important to have only one ground-neutral bond in the system. The main panel of the house will already have this bond. A bond in the generator too creates the parallel path neutral. ua-cam.com/video/RkjjZJgaINA/v-deo.html
Very nice!
👍🏻
Thanks Javier 👊
You are welcome.
Thabk you for all the help if I want to run two of these in parallel for my house how would I go about making it a floating neutral would I do the same steps for both generators?
That is correct. You would need to do the same on both.
Thank you for a very informative video. I suggest one modification to your wiring procedure. The White neutral wire splits and is attached to the bar you identified and to another screw terminal on the panel. There is continuity between both terminals. Disconnect the white wire from the bar (as you do) and just attach the ring connectors for both wires under the same screw on that other terminal. That way the Neutral is securely connected and there isn't a chance for the shrink wrap to fall off.
I was lazy and purchased a 120V bonding plug but I had several GFCI's trips when I was running the generator, stand alone. I think the bonded plug on only one electrical leg caused GFCI problems. I made a bonded plug using a spare 50A plug and 6 AWG wire. That worked great because the 2 hot blades on the plug were removable; so ONLY the Neutral and Ground blades are actually plugged into the generator. No hot wires are inside the 50A plug. This arrangement still maintains all the 120V receptacles for actual use. I don't expect to ever use a 240 Volt tool powered by the generator so I am not losing a receptacle. I have to remove the bonded plug to connect to my house so I can't forget and have 2 locations where the neutral and ground are bonded.
Thanks for the tips
Great video and explanation, thank you! I just received mine and performed the unbonding procedure (since the generator’s primary use will be “backfeeding” my house’s main panel during outages). I also picked up a bonding plug for instances where I might use the generator stand alone (out in the field or a job site). You’ve got a new subscriber!
Thanks I’m glad it helps.
@@JavierRivera you’re welcome! Also, do you know if anyone makes a storage cover for this generator?
Someone recommended GenTent amzn.to/3imWmTe
No.. do more reasearch there is an easier way of hat allows you to keep your generator stock
@@x01e did plenty of research, including thorough and credible information from this creator. Don’t comment to the contrary without providing a detailed explanation and without citing information sources that are easily searchable.
Just found your Channel, and Subscribed. Excellent Video!
Would it be a better option to have install a Neutral Bonded ready Transfer switch, instead of having to take the Generator apart?
Genmax will be adding the option
Would it be easier to do it from the generator end?
Great video
What happens if you need to run a 220v well pump straight to the generator? Do you rig a jumper plug on the 110v connection?
That is correct
Awesome
Thank you for making the video. I recently purchased the GenMax 10500 that I will be hooking up to my breaker box. Do they sell the plug you made already ready to be plugged in?
When it’s in floating neutral does that mean I cannot connect any cables directly to the generator? All this stuff is so confusing, would really appreciate your help!
Using that "bonding" plug is a good idea BUT... if that plug gets lost or someone forgets to use it, the generator may not be safe for stand-alone usage. A clearly marked switch to bond/unbond would be much safer.
I’m curious if a person could install a simple toggle switch to be able to simply change from bonded to floating in order to add the flexibility to use it to power the home OR use it to power things offsite? Seems like that would/should be a relatively simple “standard” option or feature. Thanks for your demonstration!
I thought about that. I just can’t find a discreet switch with this specification 250V/30A wire gauge of 10 or 12
In this video at the end you hooked the 240 volt cable to the interlock and the generator to show that the main panel will bond the generator, just to be sure I know the generator is off but do you also keep the generator breaker in the main panel off to? I believe you do because the neutral and ground in the main panel aren’t connected to the breaker.
Javier. What is the solution if you use the generator for the house panel, but also want to plug additional devices with extension cords through the 120 v outlet at the same time?
You can do it, if you are connected to the house panel you will be using the house panel neutral bond. But if you are not connected to the house panel then you will need to create a neutral bond plug as I did in the video using the 3oamp plug.
Thank you for this video. It's an easy solution for the 9000 series genmax. However, I just purchased the 7250iedc, and it only comes with the 50amp plug and the 120v GFCI outlet. Has anyone had any luck creating a bonded plug for the GFCI outlet that works? I only plan on using this for home power backup through my inlet box. However if I wanted to use it for powering tools or something else, I need to figure out a better solution than dissasembly each time I want to do that.
You can try a regular bonded plug like this one amzn.to/3N2YaNH OR you can do what I am about to do that is to create a loop with he neutral cable and this fuse loop amzn.to/3OKLlIY , and put it accessible on the side panel. is you need it bonded put the fuse, if you need it unbonded remove the fuse. I will be trying that soon.
@@JavierRivera I really like that idea, That would make switching usage modes very easy. Hope to see more video's. Thanks for the update.
Can you show us mas videos on using propane? Assume we kno nothing and explain us how and why and with what tanks hoses lengths of hoses size of tanks and every detail of running gen on propane. Gracias kind sir
Hi Javier, it’s been 9 months since I last reached out to you. I have since sold my champion generator (non-inverted model) and bought a Genmax 7250iedc, thanks to all of you on UA-cam that spoke highly of the quality of Genmax generators, it was a no brainer for me to buy a Genmax!
So I’ve been trying to convert my Genmax to a floating neutral and reached out to Genmax support for assistance a few times, but unsuccessful with my conversion attempts due to conflicting information provided.
Last week, I reached out to Genmax again, and I was given your UA-cam video (sent as an attachment) from tech support…kudos to you my friend! Following your steps, I believe I got it, finally!
So my concern now that the generator is floating neutral, is it still safe to use the 120v outlets for any electrical devices? Do you ground your generator or is the neutral bonding plug is sufficient enough? Thanks in advance and for sharing your expertise!
Hello, was the process the same for the 7250 as it was in this video for the 9000? I just bought a 7250 and will need to change it to floating. Thanks in advance.
Does Genmax give instructions on changing the bonded to floating neutral?
Not in the user manual. I asked Genmax and they told me what to do. They sent me a picture indicating where and which cable I need to disconnect.
Great video I’m using a 50amp interlock what will happen if I don’t un bond the generator ? I’m very confused
Hello see this link. www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/amp/stories/1021-How-to-Avoid-Tripping-a-Generator-With-a-Bonded-Neutral.html
That was the best explanation yet I understand now. Your bonding video was excellent your step by step made it very easy to to do. Only took me 30 mins and I check the Continuity before and after and the bond was definitely broken. I ordered the bonding plug from Amazon just in case I needed to use this generator without connecting it to the house. Thank you again for such an excellent step-by-step video.
@@patrickcoleman5867 great you are welcome I am glad it helped.
Love your videos! I am considering this unit. I saw another commentor mentioned that genmax parts are not available in the US and if it breaks then it may be a big hassle to get it fixed. Thoughts?
Hi. Thank you. They do have support in USA with base in California. About your question is a good question I might have an complete answer in 1-2 days, I will check. Now I can share my experience so far. I emailed Genmax Manufacturer at China (they are very responsive and answer every email I send) Because the Totals hour meter that is like a car Odometer reset to 0 hours every time you turned off and on and they are sending me a new Digital display from China. It should arrive in July 18. Then I will replace it myself with the new digital display and I hope that solve the problem. Also. Remember the Genmax warranty is 1yr but when you buy it through Amazon you have the option to buy an extended warranty and that is a local warranty.
@@JavierRivera did you receive the display yet?
Hi, OK I email them yesterday and this was their answer "We hired TOMAHAWK Power in US to provide the service for our customers. We have good relationship with this company. So we choosed them. Actually there are some other companies contacted us, we are considering if adding or just enlarge our current service team.
" so they are new but they are expanding.
@@deifiedtexan7691 Not Yet but I just checked the tracking and Shipment is out for delivery. So should arrive today.
@@deifiedtexan7691, I got it; I will be making a video replacing it.
Did the conversion on my Genmax 9000 ied following your instructions. Everything went smooth and I checked continuity readings along the way and all good. Started the generator after I was done and it will not stay running longer than 20 seconds. Restart and it shuts off again. Any suggestions?? Thanks for your time!!
I do not hink is related to removing the bonding. I have been having some issues, too, lately. This will sound weird, but I want to do a test; when you start the generator, and it seems like it is going to stop, grab the handles and shake it up and down a few times and see if that keeps it running. That is what I have sometimes been doing; I even recorded a video that I need to send to genmax to see if they know what is happening.
@@JavierRivera Shaking it did not help me at all. It starts up perfectly runs 20 seconds then shuts off. Going to try running on running on LP next and see what happens. Could one of the sensors be doing this? Maybe the wiring to the sensors was disturbed when I had the panel off?
@@richdelbridge5354 If you belive that could be a wiring ifssue after removing the panel I suggest to remove the panel again and look that there is no cable loose just to be sure.
@@JavierRivera I will check it out and then also try LP. I will keep you updated. Thanks for your time!
Can you please make a video on the new updated GENMAX GM9000ied? GENMAX made changes to the back of the panel, it’s nothing like the version in this video, I have looked at the web and can’t find the newer version.
Same. My wires on the strip are all green and yellow
@@johnhooks1902 I called GenMax. They told me to make it floating neutral you have to remove the white neutral wire off of the far right GFI. I did that and it works. You’ll see where the neutral wire is underneath the ground wire on the far right receptacle.
@no1but24 been working on it today. Mine is different but, I see what you are saying. Far right loops all the other grounds on a terminal. (Mine is not white). I believe my problem is that the ground on that gfi is stripped and was never tight. The screw was threaded out and just hanging with the ground wire hanging on the screw. Wonder if this was a refurbished model. It was purchased from Amazon. Definitely a stripped thread in the plug. Thanks for responding.
What type of transfer switch do you have ? i think that you said that some transfer switches are neutral bonding ready and do not need a floating neutral ,do you know which one they are ? Thank You
Hello. I don’t have a transfer switch. I have a power inlet connected directly to the breaker panel using an interlocking system. Cheaper. The interlocking system is just a safety metal plate that doesn’t let you turn on the 50amp power inlet breaker unless you turn off the main BIG breaker that is feeding the breaker panel. Then I manually only turn on the breakers that I need, as you do with a transfer switch. I believe you will need a 4-pole transfer switch if you do not want to modify your generator. Look for Panel/Link X-Series Neutral Switching Panels
@@JavierRivera Thank you , i have a transfer switch and all of the outlets on the Genmax 9000 are neutral bonded so i will have to modify the generator for a floating neutral, Fantastic Video !!!!!
All depends if your transfer switch has a neutral switching option. If has it you don’t have to modify the generator if not you might have to. If you are not sure you might need to consult an electrician so you can be sure about what to do.
Is it a way to convert/adjust the frequency of this generator to 220v/50HZ (Europe)?
Hello. No. There is no option to switch to 50Hz. I am sure Genmax will make 50Hz model for Europe.
Magnetic Dipstick: the Wen GNA200 20MM x 2.5 is a prefect fit, Amazon
Hi. FYI. The drain plug size has to be M12x1.5x15
Just a question. Would it be easier to splice in a switch to the white ground wire so you can still use the 30amp plug as a floating ground also.
I thought about a switch. But I did not know where to install it at the moment; also, I guess will need to be a rubber or plastic switch for security reasons, and, In my case, I do not need the 30amp plug. I will do some research and see if I find something to put it with a switch is a good idea.
@@JavierRivera good information. I learned a little something.
Great 👍🏻. That is the goal. To Teach a little especially to new home owners.
@@jerrygania4458 You could cut the white wire and then put male/female spade connectors on the two ends so you can reconnect them as needed. Then no need for a switch. Get the style of spade connectors with insulation over the pads and then maybe wrap it in electrical tape just for good measure. Or use any other kind of connector, like one side of an XT60 connector.
That is also a good idea but. I might need to open the unit to connect and disconnect the spade connectors. With a switch, the idea was to cut a hole on the control panel face and install the switch.
Do the Genmax 9,000 generator has a electric start or a remote start ? And what types of oil it use ? Is it better to use ethanol free gas for this generator ? Can I plug a electric stove that has a 220 line ?
Hello yes it has an electric starter and a remote start. Oil is 10w-30. Use only fresh 87+ octane stabilizer-treated unleaded gasoline. Do not use gasoline with more than 10% ethanol (E15, E20, E85, etc.). And yes you can connect a 220 stove to the 240v / 50amp outlet.
@@JavierRivera For other name brand generators, is it better to use 90 because it's ethanol free.They say for cars it's better to use ethanol free gas I was wondering is gas generators similar ? Do some gas generators perform better with better gas ?
@@drrobotnikmeanbeanma That is correct if you can find ethanol-free gas use that one but if not used one that contains less than 10%. Performance is the same, you would get the same watts with or without ethanol.
Hey Javier how is the Genmax9000ied holding up? Any problems? I'm still waiting for sales in in California.Thinking about Duromax lots of sales going on right now. I just don't comfortable with the company.
My Generator is working fine so far. I hope they release the CALIFORNIA VERSION SOON.
Are there any adverse consequences connecting the genmax as-is (neutral-bonded) to your household breaker box? That is, can the genmax as-is function normally when connected to the household breaker box? Thanks!
Hello. Please check this video. ua-cam.com/video/RkjjZJgaINA/v-deo.html
@@JavierRivera Great reference! It seems there are many different viewpoints on this subject. Maybe to be practical, under normal conditions, would a multimeter and its probes tell you whether any part of the genmax, say frame or other equipment part, pose a shock hazard?
Doesn’t matter. The rule of thumb is having a neutral bonded at 1 place only.
There really aren't many points, it's very dangerous to have the neutral bonded at the generator and in the house, virtually all house are neutral bonded, therefore either you have to break the bond at the generator, or at the house using a power/ neutral disconnect. If this sounds Greek to you? Don't be stupid, hire an electrician. What I did, is add a jumper disconnect on the battery side of the generator, putting a jumper off the main white ground wire, that way I can just remove the battery panel and easily plug, or unplug the quick disconnect. Depending on whether the generator is connected to the house, or being used on a job site.
Dont follow this guys advice.There is a much easier way that allows you to keep your generator stock
Hello Javier..... I did all the steps... and took off the panel but there is no single white wire for Neutral going to the ground bar.... there are many white wires ... they seem to go to each plug and then jumper to somewhere else. If I disconnect the set of white wires that go to the 50amp plug..... will that work?
I wish I could attach a picture here. A few months ago someone told me that the white neutral cable wasn’t on the ground bar in his generator and told this “The white oval is the back of the last/fourth/far right receptacle in series (20A GFCI). I disconnected the Green/Yellow wire that was tied to the white from the back of the outlet and it appears that there is no more neutral bonding!”
@@JavierRivera thanks for the quick reply. Yes i looked further to the Right of the panel where the 120v plugs are and i saw the Green/Yellow wire and the white cable tied together on a screw. It leaves from there and jumps to every single outlet receptacle. Thanks for all the videos very helpful. I hope i don't have problems with my Unit. I live in the Caribbean so shipping back to Genmax is not an option for me..... and although i got the Amazon 3 year Accidental protection Plan... i dont think they would send me an entire Generator for Free.
Hey Javier! I've been continuing my research on this generator and have run across a few (not many) reviews of poor quality craftsmanship and the lack of good customer service. I'm not particularly handy (as you appear to be), so I'd like your honest feedback on purchasing the GM9000iED. Is it a crap shoot? I know you need to be careful when posting any concerns you may have, but many of us depend on an honest evaluation from folks like you. Thanks, Gene
Hi. 1st most of other people complaining about craftmanship is because is made in China. The question is what is not made in China now a day? Also do they own one? Most if not all of those who criticize do not own one. Now this is my honest opinion. I own one and I am happy with my generator. About customer service you could call or email. I decided to email because I sent them pictures and videos and I decided to contact Genmax china directly. Every time I sent an email every time I received an answer. Genmax is a new company that is still developing in US and expanding. So far I only had a problem with the total hours display and I received a new one in one week straight from China. Now that being said I understand your concern and I am curious myself about how support would be if I had major repair that has to be done by an expert. I would contact Genmax with a. Few questions and I would update you.
Javier....so I have a food trailer and plug a 50 amp. I have used this generator 3 times for a total of 7 hours. Now my volts drop from 240V to 1 Volt. when I plug up anything. Even when i plug an extension cord with nothing attached. Is this my solution or is there another problem? Also, if it is the solution, can I use the 110 outlets and the same time when i have changed it out?
Sorry but I can not understand your message. You might need to rephrase it.
@JavierRivera I am not getting power from the generator when I plug anything to it. The meter reads 240 volts when started. When I plug a cord into the generator, the volts go down to 1 volt and no power to what is plugged into it. Even an extension cord with no item plugged into it. Prior to this, I would plug my 50 amp cord into it and it would run my food trailer. Now no electricity due to the voltage dropping to 1 every time I plug something into it. Is this because of the grounding?
I recently converter my Genmax to a floating neutral as well; however, when plugging in a neutral to ground bonding plug in a 120V outlet, it trips the GFCI. Any ideas why this is happening? I checked voltage between neutral and ground when the unit is running. Shows about 2V when idle, but if a load is plugged in to the 120, there starts to be a decent voltage diff, between 8V and 20V depending on the load. The voltage diff is on both the 120V and 240V plugs.
Did you build the bonded plug 🔌 like I did in the video? If you will be connecting things directly to the generator you need that bond that is why I created a bond plug with the plugs that came with the generator. Another thing. GFCI outlets don’t like things that fluctuate in amps and voltage. For example if you are connecting a refrigerator is very likely that will trip. But if you connect something that will draw a constant amps and voltage then will not trip the GFCI.
@@JavierRivera I bought a bonding plug to put in one of the 120 plugs so I don't lose the 30A. I confirmed with a multimeter it does bond neutral and ground back together, but if the unit is running and you plug it in, it trips the GFCI.
@@jmurph44 just to double-check. Build one like the one I built and test it.
@@JavierRivera The 30A bonding plug worked correctly. I guess putting a bonding plug in the 120 one didn't play well with the GFCI. Thanks for your help.
Great news. 👍🏻
So when you buy this generator it's not ready to use on your home?
The answer is NO if you would be connecting it to your breaker panel. Come ready to connect appliances directly to the generator or even an RV can be connected to the generator. But If you would be feeding a breaker panel that already has the Neutral Bonding connection you need to break the bonding in the generator. Unless you connect it to a type of transfer switch that comes ready to accept a Neutral Bonded Generator.
Wouldn’t it be better to extend the white line to a switch and back to the bar? That way the generator can be switched back and forth depending how it’s being used?
Was thinking the same thing. Taking that off one time would be enough for me to do just that.
I thought about it but I am kinda a perfectionist and 1- I couldn’t find a 30 amp switch that I like. 2- by that I like I mean compact and mountable 3- I couldn’t find a good location to mount it. Suggestions of switches and location are welcome.
just go mine from home depot, Genmax must of just updated the 9000ied, I followed your video and behind the panel is different, there is no white wire to remove from the bar, just 4 yellow wires
also the bar is on the right side of mine, so if there's an update on how do it please let me know.
Hello, yes it looks like something was changes. I wish I could attach a picture here. A few months ago someone told me that the white neutral cable wasn’t on the ground bar in his generator and told this “The white oval is the back of the last/fourth/far right receptacle in series (20A GFCI). I disconnected the Green/Yellow wire that was tied to the white from the back of the outlet and it appears that there is no more neutral bonding!”
Thanks for the info, I wish you post pictures in replies.
I'm guessing that with this floating neutral mod, you can no longer use the generator indendently as a power source?
Yes I can. See the video at minute 14:42. ua-cam.com/video/rHqQQMKY8dQ/v-deo.html
I need the 30 amp plug so if I make this a floating neutral than I can't use the 30 amp plug?
Hi. Yes, you can. All you have to do is use a regular bonding plug. Here is the link. Neutral-Ground Bonding Plug - amzn.to/3Rb6XgA
Ok but I'm using the 30 Amp plug to my inlet box I'm not using the 50 amp.If I take the white wire off will the 30 Amp twist lock plug still allow me to use my extension cord to inlet plug which is 30 Amp plug?
@@mitch461000 the bonding plug is ONLY to use the generator (if needed) by itself after you removed the neutral bond cable. If you would be using a generator like me with a power inlet, all you have to do is to remove the neutral cable as I did in the video. Then use the 30amp outlet. Skip the 30amp bonded plug that I created on the video. BUT. If some day you decide to use the generator by itself and connect appliances for example directly to the generator then is highly recommended to use a bonding plug.
Ok Javier thanks I understand now
You are welcome. Thank you for watching and asking. Is good to interact with viewers to know I am not alone creating videos.
I just noticed one flaw with this generator while watching this video as I need to do this. The 50A plug is right above the cover that sticks out, so my cable while the correct type cant plug in.
As I look online EVERY N14-50 cable is a right angle like that so none of them will fit. So it almost forces you to use the included piece to make your own, or buy another one online to make your own cable. I cant find any pre-fab cable with a straight plug, or a small pigtail to extend it to prevent me from having to cut the cord or buy a different one.
Hi. It took me a second to understand your message. If you talk about the black cover that I removed on the video. I don’t think it would be a problem it is very shallow. But I haven’t tried with a right angle plug yet so you could be right. If you order a pre-fab right angle 50amp cable make sure is at Amazon and that the Return Policy is Returnable just in case. I would suggest that you build one. Most of pre-fab 50amp cords are 6/3 + 8/1 instead of 6/4. What that means is that 3 cables are #6 but the ground is #8. It will work? Yes but I prefer all 4 cables to be #6 and installed. Also when you build it you have the chance to pick a better quality cord.
@@JavierRivera Got too good a deal 30ft cable for $60, It is is code to have a smaller ground wire so not too worried about that. But I do understand the piece of mind.
They (electrician) actually used #8 wire for power too, I didn't like that but they know there stuff and I looked it up #8 THHN wire is rated up to 55A. It's a short run though and its specifically THHN so woudl not use #8 for the connection cable to the generator.
I would redo it, (have to patch the holes and increase the conduit size) but since the 9000 is only like 35A at max load its more than enough.
If I was running 2 of these and getting 50A then yeah I think I would redo it, but I have not maxed this out even close to 6700w running as long as we do not use hot water or the stove.
So yes you saved a ton of money using #8. All comes down to temperature and distance.
Does anyone know what would happen if you where double bonded?
Yes😂 why do you ask?
It's just as easy to install the MEN bond into a switch on the front panel. This takes about the same time you took to open the unit. This gives you the options to use the generator off-site or with extension cables for power tools and other devices apart from your house circuits......
How you will remove the bond between neutral and ground without opening the generator? You have too.
Use a 30amp rated spst on/off toggle switch connect the white neutral wire to one side of the toggle switch, connect another same gauge extender white neutral wire to the other side of the toggle switch, then connect the new exterder white neutral wire/jumper to the generator ground bar. Drill a hole in the front cover, insert toggle switch then label: onboard neutral engaged / onboard neutral dis-engaged aka on/off - no need for building a bonding plug. You just need to understand what position to put the toggle switch when generator neutral to ground bond is needed or not needed.
I cannot find. 30a 120v on/off toggle switch.
@@JavierRivera Amazon - Gama Electronics 30 Amp Toggle Switch $18
@@JavierRivera EATON 7576K2 Switch, Toggle, SPST, 30A, 250V
After I remove the bonding wire, when I connect the surge protector to the 50amp plug with my house back up line connected, the 50amp breaker is off on the generator but the red light on the surge protector is on (open neutral). After I turn on the circuit breaker on the generator, surge protector is showing green blue and red. The red means open neutral blue means neutral connected. Why is it showing open neutral as well? When I remove the back up line, it goes to just green.
First, did you tested your Home Power Inlet by itself that is neutral bonded?
@@JavierRivera yes it is bonded
@@JANAKJ006 Secondly, connect your electric cable from your power inlet directly to the generator and test if the generator then has a neutral bonded connection. If your generator has a neutral bonded connection is seeing your house panel neutral bond. Then the problem is the Surge protector that is only checking for neutral bond one way only and is not allowing your generator to see your house neutral bond.
So i tired 2 high end surge protector. (Watch dog and progressive industries ) Both doing the same thing but when i bounded the generator surge protector it’s showing correct. It’s only seeing one way I think. So having 2 bounding neutral it’s gonna be problem right?
@@JANAKJ006 there is something I do not understand. Why you want your use a surge protector between the generator and your house panel?
Seems like a good generator I purchased one about 3 weeks ago it arrived damaged so i got a refund
Ah that sucks. It happens. What kind of damage? Did you ordered another one?
Does anyone that has a Genmax9000iE know where I can find the Serial number?
The serial number is a white sticker with a bar code and a number. Usually is located on top of the generator to the side.
If you dont want to modify tour generator you need a 4 pole transfer switch.
I tried too check my work after I did the changeover. But, I can’t stick the probe of my multimeter into the GFCI outlet because of the stupid plug safety doors! What do I do?
Did you try to stick both probe at the same time?
@@JavierRivera Yea and those doors won’t let me push through. Should I try and force them? A regular plug goes in and out without issue.
@@MrBritrider just do it at the 50a plug 🔌
@@JavierRivera Oh yeah haha forgot. So looking at it on the gen, top @12 o'clock is ground (black probe) left @9 o'clock is the neutral (red probe) correct? Also, if I may ask, when you test the dummy plug, the cord comes from the TS, do you need to turn on all the breakers in the TS? And is your main panel live?
@@MrBritrider the 50a outlet is @12 ground and @6 neutral @3 & 9 are hot.
I just tried to perform this conversion on a 9000ied delivered in August 2023 and the back of the panel is a lot messier and I can’t find a terminal block. That makes the online instructions from Genmax useless. I called them for help and was told I needed to hire a qualifie electrician. Has anyone else run into this apparent change in design? And better yet, have they figured out how to accomplish the floating neutral conversion? Thanks.
They have not changed the design for 9000ied. The white wire is attached to the ground bolt on the back of the panel. Give a second look.
Thanks for the quick response, Javier! It looks like 2 yellow wires are attached to the back side of the ground nut. I’ll disconnect those tomorrow and see what we get. Really appreciate your help. 😊👍
@@bdy8218 Or they may have changed the color of the cable.ua-cam.com/video/rHqQQMKY8dQ/v-deo.htmlsi=bLa96VHo5vcwllus&t=433
Hi, Javier. No luck. Still had continuity after disconnecting those two Green/Yellow wires. I swear this unit does not look them same as your’s or the one shown in the Genmax tutorial on how to unbond the neutral. I’ve removed every panel and can’t locate where that connection is made. Multiple calls in to Genmax with no response this morning. Looks like their customer service is living up to it’s billing. Maybe others will start to see the same issue if they really have made a change and report the solution. 🤞Thanks.
@@bdy8218 so you have a 9000ied? did you tested before disconnecting anything? To be sure that it was neutral bonded from the factory? Like I said I am not aware of Genmax switch the 9000ied to Floating Neutral from the factory. Can you send me pictures or video to javieryter@outlook.com ?
So what happens if you don't open or interrupt the ground circut on the generator and hook it up to the house?
Why don't manufacturers put a switch on generators to do this
That is the same question that I have, I thought about installing a switch, but I have not found one switch that I like. If you found one that will work with wire #8 and that the switch is plastic or covered in rubber, let me know. OH, and that can be installed on the front panel.
It was an error on their part to not make this easy to do, like just flipping a readily accessible switch.
Then the 50 amp receptacle would still be available for use.
I mean. I don’t know 🤷🏻♂️ any generator that comes with a Neutral Bonding switch. But. Yes is a simple feature that would make things easier.
Well THAT is a major design flaw! It should be a freaking switch.
All generators have the same issue
Your making it more difficult and more dangerous with this suggestion if someone forgets to insert the plug when using the generator stand alone. The simple solution that accomplishes the same is to not connect the ground wire from your panel on your inlet box. Again the 50 amp inlet box you use to connect the generator to your panel, lift the ground wire from your panel so your generator will be ground when powering your house panel.
Is by code
Terrible advice and illegal. The generator comes bonded for a reason. Connecting an inlet to your house is supposed to be bonded and grounded.
No. Is required by code to have 1 bond only. If you connect it to a house is the right thing to do. Portable generators come bonded because are meant to be used standalone meaning you connect everything directly to the generator but if used to feed a house breaker panel you have to remove the bond.
@@JavierRivera Understood. Thanks
Odd, usually most bonding is done at the powerhead with a ground wire to the neutral but it is manufacture specific. Know your equipment, just remember if the generator is used in a stand alone configuration again that Bond must be reestablished for safety.
How did you know about the wire to disconnect? Does this affect the warranty if you ever needed service?
Hello 👋. I contacted the manufacturer directly asking where was the Neutral Bonding so I can disconnect it and convert it to Floating Neutral to connect it to my home. They send me the picture that I showed in the video. They know is a necessity if you want to power a breaker panel. So does not affect the warranty.
@@JavierRivera ok thanks