NEC change

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William J. Cave III

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I'm looking to find the proposed change to the NEC covering portable generators / GFCI / neutral to ground connection. We are manufacturers of a meter based transfer switch that works with stationary and portable units. It seems the new proposals may negate the switch being compliant in use with portables.
 
Roger, I'm new to this forum. What am I supposed to put where it says "title"?

I went to the ROC section and could not find the section, comments that pertained to a Meter Based Transfer Switch used in conjunction with a portable generator. That is where I need the help. Could you point that section out to me?
 
Roger, more specifically, we've heard there is a code change regarding GFI requirements that is going to make them impossible to use with our switches with portable generators. Do you know the specific NEC article this will fall under ?
Right now it seems to be that because Briggs requires a switching neutral transfer switch, and we can't do that at the meter collar, our switch will not work with Briggs portable. Is this going to be true of all portable generators. Some of the early tests we did with Honda worked fine, Honda said nothing about needing the switched neutral.
If we are going to design a new switch is it primarily because of a Briggs issue or is it industry wide. Do you have any feel for what other generator manufactures are doing?
 
445.20 Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter Protection for Receptacles on Portable Generators. All 125 and 125/250 volt, single-phase, 15-, 20-, and 30 ampere recepctacle outlets that are a part of a portable generator shall have listed ground-fault circuit interrupter protection for personnel. [ROP 13-11]
 
ryan_618 said:
445.20 Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter Protection for Receptacles on Portable Generators. All 125 and 125/250 volt, single-phase, 15-, 20-, and 30 ampere recepctacle outlets that are a part of a portable generator shall have listed ground-fault circuit interrupter protection for personnel. [ROP 13-11]
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This looks like a problem that Briggs has to fix.

If I had a transfer switch on my service, and needed to buy a new generator, and Briggs told me that I would need a new transfer switch that switched the neutral, then I would get a different generator.

Many of the portable generators with receptacles up to 30 Amps, to which the new requirement would apply, operate off sub-panels or transfer only selected circuits. I can't yet imagine the implications to the user of trying to switch the neutral. How would that affect the whole grounding electrode system?
 
All generators that have the grounded conductor connected to the generator frame require the use of a transfer switch that switches the neutral or the modification of the bonding connection inside of the generator. That being said, it seems that you have to look at the wiring diagram of each generator to know if the grounded conductor is bonded or not. Even within the same brand, they are not all the same.
Don
 
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