1200w Inverter

[jap]

120v Christmas lights on a parade float 16' trailer powered from a 1200w 12v input to 120v output (2 single receptacles on the inverter) mounted on plywood on the tongue of trailer (inverters case lug bonded to metal trailer) with stand alone battery.

Pretty standard setup but is there a shock potential to anyone one the trailer or walking next to the trailer in contact with it should any of the wiring happen to become compromised?

Inverter would be quiet and simple but needs to also be safe.

Jap>

 

[LarryFine]

Pretty standard setup but is there a shock potential to anyone one the trailer or walking next to the trailer in contact with it should any of the wiring happen to become compromised?

No. At worst, there would only be a single point of contact with the circuit.

 

[jap]

Thanks, is that due to the fact that you are actually part of the circuit and not between any difference of potential ?

Jap>

 

[LarryFine]

Thanks, is that due to the fact that you are actually part of the circuit and not between any difference of potential ?

It would be no different than touching your meter base or panel during a branch-circuit fault.

To create a shock hazard from the chassis, you would have to connect the 120v out to a ground rod.

 

[jap]

It would be no different than touching your meter base or panel during a branch-circuit fault.

To create a shock hazard from the chassis, you would have to connect the 120v out to a ground rod.

I don't know that I've ever been in contact with a meter or a panel during a fault to actually know that.

Thanks.

Jap>

 

[hbiss]

Drive an 8' ground rod at each corner of the trailer and bond them together then to the inverter ground lug with #4 copper...

-Hal

 

[jap]

Drive an 8' ground rod at each corner of the trailer and bond them together then to the inverter ground lug with #4 copper...

-Hal

But then one couldn't get it to the parade.

Jap>

 

[jaggedben]

If you are not bonding either conductor to the trailer frame, for there to be a serious shock hazard there would have to be one fault to the frame and exposed live parts connected to the other conductor. Seems pretty unlikely and not much worry. If you want to worry about it, and the inverter has no provision for grounding or ground fault protection, one way to make the setup a bit safer would be to run the inverter output through a GFCI receptacle with the EGC bonded to the trailer frame.

 

[tortuga]

Check the specs / mfr instructions of the inverter, I worked on a little 120V vehicle mounted inverter and it explicitly said not to bond either conductor to the frame. The inverter actually was 60/120V and each hot leg was 60V to the equipment ground / metal frame of the inverter.

 

[jap]

Check the specs / mfr instructions of the inverter, I worked on a little 120V vehicle mounted inverter and it explicitly said not to bond either conductor to the frame. The inverter actually was 60/120V and each hot leg was 60V to the equipment ground / metal frame of the inverter.

I wouldn't intentionally bond either conductor to the frame, but, If the inverter is metal, and is mounted to the vehicle, is that not already bonding it to the frame?

Not sure what is taking place on the inside of the inverter as far as any case to conductor or housing of the inverter connection.

Jap>

 

[tortuga]

I wouldn't intentionally bond either conductor to the frame, but, If the inverter is metal, and is mounted to the vehicle, is that not already bonding it to the frame?

Some portable generators have a sticker that says 'floating neutral' there is a bond strap you install if your using it for a RV or camping or whatever. (not back feeding a service during a outage)
I had a 1200W inverter going in a trailer similar to you and noticed no continuity between the white wire and the frame, so I was thinking of bonding the white wire to the frame making a the white a properly 'grounded' conductor.
However when I checked the specs of the 12VDC - 120 VAC inverter it was 60/120V split phase.
Both lines (white wire and black wire) float 60VAC to DC frame ground 120V line to line (white to black) and 60V from either black or white to frame (EGC).
I have never seen a gas generator like that but they may also exist.

 

[jap]

I would think a generator would be the same concept.

As long as you're only using the receptacles on the generator itself it would be best "not" to intentionally bond any of the conductors to the frame of the trailer.

But,

What I don't know is, is there an internal bond strap to the case to trip a reset or throw it into overload should one of the conductors come in contact with the generator or the inverter enclosure ?

If that were the case, and, the enclosures are metal, and it's sitting on a metal trailer, you would be bonding to the trailer whether you wanted to or not.

Not sure.

Jap>