Your last generator Maintenance Run

[shaeff]

Update on my situation, after much research, it seems my generator has TWO capacitors. Both test good at rest, replacing them both anyway as cheap insurance.

As mentioned previously, this generator is bonded neutral, and they did it in a very annoying way. Rather than bonding at one point, EACH RECEPTACLE is bonded! That makes it more difficult to change, but easier overall since I’ll never use the 14-50 outlet for anything besides powering my home. So I’ll just rewire that outlet to remove the bonded neutral and leave the rest as they are.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You can buy a cheap Capacitor tester for less than the price of capacitors. A good investment.

 

[daugen]

going to show some very admitted ignorance here, but....the third wire, neither positive nor negative, if those are even the right terms any more,
has to sooner or later wind up in the physical ground, either directly or tying into another grounded system, in order to be properly grounded, correct? And if it's not connected to ground, one has a floating ground setup?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Not sure what you are saying. I think the intent of grounding was to connect all frames, housings, structure, tanks, fences, whatever, that is conductive, not only to ground proper but to the Neutral point of the electrical system at source to the building, for reference only. So that should a live conductor touch such a metal item, it creates a short curcuit taking out the overload device and not allowing it to simply remain live.

 

[Fallon]

Update on my situation, after much research, it seems my generator has TWO capacitors. Both test good at rest, replacing them both anyway as cheap insurance.

As mentioned previously, this generator is bonded neutral, and they did it in a very annoying way. Rather than bonding at one point, EACH RECEPTACLE is bonded! That makes it more difficult to change, but easier overall since I’ll never use the 14-50 outlet for anything besides powering my home. So I’ll just rewire that outlet to remove the bonded neutral and leave the rest as they are.

That's a big negative there & not in the voltage sense. If neutral & ground are bonded anywhere on the generator, they are connected everywhere on the generator.

Unless each outlet is somehow isolated, bonding on your little 15@ outlet will also be shorting neutral to ground for your 50@ outlet. Only with wire rated at 15@, not 50@. Also that neutral or ground wouldnt be protected by a breaker (not that you ever should have a fuse or breaker on ground).

You would need to remove every neutral to ground connection on the generator. I'm not completely certain of the implications on doing that though.

You could just make a plug to connect the ground pin to neutral for your 50@ socket & plug that in to bond for stand alone operation.

 

[Fallon]

Not sure what you are saying. I think the intent of grounding was to connect all frames, housings, structure, tanks, fences, whatever, that is conductive, not only to ground proper but to the Neutral point of the electrical system at source to the building, for reference only. So that should a live conductor touch such a metal item, it creates a short curcuit taking out the overload device and not allowing it to simply remain live.

Safety ground should never be used except in case of system failure. It provides a means to return power to earth & trip a breaker or fuse.

Neutral & ground should be connected (bonded is the electricians term) only a the main breaker pannel. That way power flows through properly sized neutral wiring. If you connect neutral to ground in multiple spots you can get ground loops & power flowing in ways & directions you do not expect.

Both neutral & ground are connected to the ground rod hammered into the ground. But only in one spot.

 

[3930dave]

It's cold here too, -2F out side right now...

I just bring my Honda 2000 in the back hall way and leave it there until it warms up out side, as it easily produces enough electricity to keep my furnace fan going, and It doesn't take up much room.

And if needed, it's very easy to start at room temp...

SR

Rob - you and the regulars know,,,,,, PSA is for wide-web viewers......

^ Don't run generators indoors, or near doorways, open-windows, etc.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Here is one. Not over 5000, just rated at 3500 watts
View attachment 589488View attachment 589491

Curious...... any estimate on the production date of that unit ?

Rgds, D.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Not sure what bonding the ground conductor at the main box (to Neutral) (X-Former Center Tap) has to do with fault current flowing through properly sized neutral wiring.

I guess what you are saying, is that if the ground was connected to a neutral at some other point, yes, the fault current could conceivably go through some inadequate sized neutral conductors.

Having said that, ground conductors always seem skinny to me, if intended to carry the current of the much larger live conductor and trip the overcurrent device intended for that larger conductor.

 

[3930dave]

with this bitterly cold weather going on going to be a test of starting ability
for all kinds of machinery. How about starting your gen when it's -40??? yikes

I usually stay away from using it...... most of the time well maintained equipment shouldn't need it...... but, there's a good point there........ probably worth having a can of ether-equivalent on the shelf, just in case....

Rgds, D.