mystereons41
Member
- Location
- Ulster County, New York, USA
I am using a portable generator that I will only be using with cord and plug connected equipment. I have checked with the meter and the neutral and ground are not bonded. The manual states that the frame needs to be earth grounded.
My questions are:
1. Should the neutral and ground be bonded? From what I understand, since the system is not connected to the house service panel, the neutral and ground should be bonded on the generator. This is to prevent electric shock/fire by providing a low resistance path for current and thus allowing the GFCI to trip in an emergency. Is this correct?
2. Does the frame need to be grounded? According to NEC:
250.34 Portable and Vehicle Mounted Generators
(A) Portable Generators. The frame of a portable generator shall not be required to be connected to a grounding electrode as defined in 250.52 for a system supplied by the generator under the following conditions:
1) The generator supplies only equipment mounted on the generator, cord and plug connected equipment through receptacles mounted on the generator, or both and
2) The normally non current carrying metal parts of the equipment and the equipment grounding conductor terminals of the receptacles are connected to the generator frame.
The first condition is satisfied because I am using only cord and plug connected equipment through receptacles mounted on the generator.
The second condition I think is requiring the neutral and ground to be bonded. Is this correct?
I think what I have determined so far is that for my use, the neutral and grounded should be bonded and that I am not required to earth ground the frame.
But I wanted to double check.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
My questions are:
1. Should the neutral and ground be bonded? From what I understand, since the system is not connected to the house service panel, the neutral and ground should be bonded on the generator. This is to prevent electric shock/fire by providing a low resistance path for current and thus allowing the GFCI to trip in an emergency. Is this correct?
2. Does the frame need to be grounded? According to NEC:
250.34 Portable and Vehicle Mounted Generators
(A) Portable Generators. The frame of a portable generator shall not be required to be connected to a grounding electrode as defined in 250.52 for a system supplied by the generator under the following conditions:
1) The generator supplies only equipment mounted on the generator, cord and plug connected equipment through receptacles mounted on the generator, or both and
2) The normally non current carrying metal parts of the equipment and the equipment grounding conductor terminals of the receptacles are connected to the generator frame.
The first condition is satisfied because I am using only cord and plug connected equipment through receptacles mounted on the generator.
The second condition I think is requiring the neutral and ground to be bonded. Is this correct?
I think what I have determined so far is that for my use, the neutral and grounded should be bonded and that I am not required to earth ground the frame.
But I wanted to double check.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!