Recommended neutral type (bonded/floating) for generator to charge portable power station
Posted by kirkdi@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 11 comments
I just purchased portable power station that I will charge using a generator during power outages.
Does it matter if the generator has a bonded or floating neutral, I'm not able to find this information anywhere.
OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit
The charger may not mind either way, but why would anyone choose a floating neutral for anything?
kirkdi@reddit (OP)
Apparently if you are connecting to your panel to power the house then you want a floating neutral since the panel would already be bonded, but I'm new at this so not 100% sure.
Enigma_xplorer@reddit
This is actually not true for most cases. In most legitimate generator installations they have a transfer switch which when set to generator mode actually isolates the ground from the neutral and they MUST be bonded at the generator. Some more modern generator transfer switches use a mechanical interlock to lock out the main in the existing panel that leaves the ground a neutral bonded together. Then of course you have the redneck way of just wiring a generator directly into the panel or back feeding into an outlet (which is both super illegal and dangerous).
Whatever the installation though, it is crucial you have your ground and neutral bonded somewhere and it is bonded in ONLY 1 place be it at the generator or at the panel. If you do not have it bonded at all, you have no safety ground, it's just floating. Dangerous. If you have the ground and neutral bonded at the generator and the panel then the safety ground is wired directly in parallel with the neutral and thus becomes an energized current carrying conductor just like the neutral except it includes all the exposed metal parts that you come in contact with. Again, also dangerous.
Icy-Structure5244@reddit
Interlock kits are common and are 100% within NEC standards. You make it sound like if you aren't using a transfer switch, you are doing something dangerous or illegal.
Enigma_xplorer@reddit
No no don't miss understand, there is absolutely nothing wrong with interlock kits and frankly they seem to be the superior choice. They are just much less common just by virtue of the fact they have only been around for the last 10-20 years and even after they came onto the scene many people still chose to have transfer switches installed for whatever reason.
Icy-Structure5244@reddit
This is correct. If you plan on using it with your house, then remove the bond. Keep a dummy plug handy for when you want to use it standalone which will make it a bonded neutral again quickly.
Out of the box, portable generators come bonded for standalone use.
Willing_Spirit_3962@reddit
Thanks, That's what I thought and I remember now did this with my XP9000IH and did purchase the plug according to my Amazon order history, just need to find it.
OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit
Huh. I had no idea. This is a thing where I use an electrician.
Alkali@reddit
I just took the bond out of my Firman from costco since that is the primary purpose of the generator and will use a bonding plug when not hooked up to the house. I made one myself for $5 from lowes and piece of scrap wire I had
You just wire it like this: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71gCOSrxOSL.jpg
In your case you would want the bonding plug plugged in if you were just using the generator to charge the power station and you had a floating neutral generator.
Willing_Spirit_3962@reddit
Thanks for confirming...
I was looking to purchase a Westinghouse generator that is very fuel efficient and has the 30amp RV plug my power station will take to charge.
I noticed it had a floating neutral and I realized that might not work.
Tinman5278@reddit
If you aren't connecting to an existing power distro system it doesn't matter.