Generator installed - shared neutral?

chorty55

Member
Location
Usa
Occupation
electrical enegineer wannabe
215.2(A)(1) Requires a feeder to be sized at 125% of continuous load.

If its sized @ 125%, then derate 80%, shouldn't he be able to use a 50amp breaker?
 

wwhitney

Senior Member
Location
Berkeley, CA
Occupation
Retired
215.2(A)(1) Requires a feeder to be sized at 125% of continuous load.
But there's no discussion in this thread so far about any continuous loads. It's not appropriate to default to the assumption that a load is continuous. The definition of continuous load is quite strict so most loads are non-continuous.

Cheers, Wayne
 

chorty55

Member
Location
Usa
Occupation
electrical enegineer wannabe
I would of assumed a generator is running under a load for a house continuously, in an emergency situation. Or at least wire it accordingly.
 

wwhitney

Senior Member
Location
Berkeley, CA
Occupation
Retired
I would of assumed a generator is running under a load for a house continuously, in an emergency situation. Or at least wire it accordingly.
In the context of 215.2(A)(1), it is the loads that must be determined to be "continuous," not the generator (although it would be unlikely to taxed to run at 100% output power for 3 hours uninterrupted). About the only continuous loads in a house are lights if you leave them on for 3 hours or more (but that's usually a small load) or an EVSE.

Anyway, the only thing we know about the generator in the OP is that there is a "50A generator hookup". Presumably that means a 50A OCPD is involved, and thus the generator hookup has a maximum capacity of 9.6 kW continuous or 12 kW non-continuous. As long as the generator's ratings don't exceed those ratings, the generator will be the limiting factor.

Cheers, Wayne
 
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