Generator questions

[John in Santa Cruz]

Re generator grounding... Rather than hacking an extension cord, you can buy an inexpensive ground bonding plug, plug that into the generator, plug your extension cord into that

Re solar .. get external panels with an integrated charge controller, and hook them directly to your battery... I would use a powerpole connector, but folks use a variety of different connectors for this...

[mapoos]

so I plug the bonded plug into my generator and then where do I plug in the trailer power cable? (is this what you mean "plug my extension cord into that"?)
Do I plug my trailer power cable into the second outlet on my generator?

[John in Santa Cruz]

The bonding plug is a lot like a three-prong adapter. It's got a plug on one side and a socket on the other. So you plug it into the generator and you plug the power cord into it.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by mapoos

thanks for sharing your experience. Glad I asked as your set up is different from what I was guessing was the workable solution. Do you verify your batteries are charging by watching the percentage and or voltage reported on the solar meter or by testing the battery terminals, or watching hydrogen gas be released or Do you need to turn on or off the battery disconnect to charge the batteries or does it not matter?

We have a small inexpensive LED readout, battery voltage device that plugs into one of the 12 volt outlets in the camper. We look at in in the morning especially if we’ve run the Maxfan and or the furnace during the previous night. Say it reads 12.8 volts. We know the battery is down some. If it’s a sunny day and the solar is getting sun it’s not long before the meter readout starts to go up. Maybe and hour or two later we are up to 13.4 or something like that. If we start the generator up, we can hear the converter running and again the battery voltage increases. We’re not big power consumers we do not have an inverter. We don’t worry about exactly where we are on the voltage level. I can also see the battery level through the solar readout where 90% means a fully charged battery. I only ever turn the battery switch off by accident or if I’m working on something electrical. It just says on. We have a 30 amp RV receptacle in our Escape Garage and the trailer is plugged in when it’s in the building. I have a 7.6 kWh solar array setup in the yard so electricity only costs me the distribution charge each mont which is $.42 per day. I have an auxiliary 150 Amp panel in my adjacent shop garage with a 50 amp as the original owner here had a welder. That panel feeds the 30 amp receptacle in the bigger garage. I check the two six volt lead acid batteries we have for adequate water on a regular basis.
Hope this helps.
Iowa Dave

[Iowa Dave]

Here’s my setup
Pic 1 trailer plugged into 30 service
Pic two Honda 2200i wit neutral bindingplug on t
Right and 30 amp to 20 amp adapter pegged i t the generators second s
Receptacle and the trailer cord now plugged into the adapter. Starting fluid at the ready if it’s been a month or better since the Honda was started.
Third pic my original removable trailer cord had a beat up end on the trailer end. I bought a new unused cord from an escape form person and then cut the end off the old cord and got a new end that would allow me to use it as an extension cord.
I also have a conventional 20 amp 12 gauge wire 50 foot drop cord in my front box.
The old Scoutmaster still living by the motto” Be Prepared”
Iowa Dave

[DT6]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Here’s how mine works on the 2200i Honda we have.
On the male end of our trailer power cord we push on a 30 amp to 20 amp adapter. On one of the two outlets on the generator, plug in your neutral bonding plug. I did not build mine, I bought one on Amazon that is made by Southwire.
Iowa Dave

Dave - is this the one you purchased?

Southwire Company LLC Neutral-Ground Bonding Plug:
https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-Com...ustomerReviews

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by DT6

Dave - is this the one you purchased?

Southwire Company LLC Neutral-Ground Bonding Plug:
https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-Com...ustomerReviews

Yes that is the one. I am aware that I could make one but I did not have the plug at home and it costs me about $5 to drive to town so I just called one of my son in laws and he had it sent to me on Prime.
Iowa Dave

[Centex]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

The bonding plug is a lot like a three-prong adapter. It's got a plug on one side and a socket on the other. So you plug it into the generator and you plug the power cord into it.

Can you point me to a vendor for a bonding plug with that nifty configuration?

All bonding plugs I've run across are a male-only 'blind plug' with no female 'pass-through' socket (to be installed in one of the sockets on a genny, leaving only the other genny socket(s) for 'neutral bonded' line-out power).

Thanks!

[HABBERDABBER]

Yes. That action should isolate the trailer system from your batteries.

To the other queries, I'll defer to more knowledgeable members.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Centex

Can you point me to a vendor for a bonding plug with that nifty configuration?

All bonding plugs I've run across are a male-only 'blind plug' with no female 'pass-through' socket (to be installed in one of the sockets on a genny, leaving only the other genny socket(s) for 'neutral bonded' line-out power).

Thanks!

I agree. I have a generator with only one 120V outlet.

[btroxell]

I made my neutral bonding plug to also adapt the 15A to 30A connectors using these parts:
http://https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076HF93QC?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_detail s
and
http://https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQU576?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_detail s
The blue tape is so that this adapter stands out from my standard dog bone adapter.

Ben

[ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by mapoos

so I plug the bonded plug into my generator and then where do I plug in the trailer power cable? (is this what you mean "plug my extension cord into that"?)
Do I plug my trailer power cable into the second outlet on my generator?

That’s what I do.

[Mike Lewis]

It is possible this question has been answered in this long thread and I missed it, but-- what is the purpose of the ground bonding plug? When is it needed? Thanks.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

It is possible this question has been answered in this long thread and I missed it, but-- what is the purpose of the ground bonding plug? When is it needed? Thanks.

regular 120VAC 3-wire electrical circuits have the 'neutral' wire tied to ground at the main panel, usually where the power enters the building. neutral is the return path for the 120VAC power, while ground is strictly for safety and under normal conditions should have no current on it.

Most generators have no ground bonding, the neutral is floating, the ground goes nowhere.

the EMS thats in many Escapes detects the lack of ground, and shuts the power off. a ground bonding plug ties the neutral and ground together at the generator, so the EMS is happy.

[splitting_lanes]

Originally Posted by btroxell

I made my neutral bonding plug to also adapt the 15A to 30A connectors using these parts:
http://https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076HF93QC?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_detail s
and
http://https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQU576?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_detail s
The blue tape is so that this adapter stands out from my standard dog bone adapter.

Ben

Thanks, I just ordered your links to build one myself.

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by splitting_lanes

Thanks, I just ordered your links to build one myself.

Dead simple to make one, and 1/2 the cost.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

the EMS thats in many Escapes detects the lack of ground, and shuts the power off. a ground bonding plug ties the neutral and ground together at the generator, so the EMS is happy.

Thank you for this explanation.

[splitting_lanes]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Dead simple to make one, and 1/2 the cost.

My electrician friend suggested I just run a 30amp circuit to where the trailer is parked, maybe next year. Meanwhile, I’ll have a handy adapter for plugging in to the shed.

This forum is a wealth of information.

[btroxell]

As a word of warning, if you make the adapter as a neutral bonding plug (with a wire connecting the neutral and ground), you can't use it with a GFI receptacle; it will trip it. It is meant for a non-bonded generator only.

Ben

[splitting_lanes]

Originally Posted by btroxell

As a word of warning, if you make the adapter as a neutral bonding plug (with a wire connecting the neutral and ground), you can't use it with a GFI receptacle; it will trip it. It is meant for a non-bonded generator only.

Ben

Thanks! My parts arrived. I’m going to duplicate yours, maybe no blue tape, unless I have some.