grounding generator

[ltrcrr]

attention campers:
 when I use my new honda generator eu3000...should I ground the generator ?  There is a grounding bolt  but is it necessary to ground the unit when I camp?

[He Ruide]

Like you I own a for your Honda EU3000 and I've seen the grounding bolt but I never grounded my generator.  

So I'm glad you asked this question as it force me to do some research.  I actually found that this is a hotly debated topic with folks on either side.  

However, the answer is that portable generator grounding is not required in the US per the National Electrical code (NEC  - Section 250.34) if it meets the following conditions:

250.34 Generators-Portable and Vehicle-Mounted
(A) Portable Generators. The frame of a portable generator is not be required to be grounded to the earth if:
(1) The generator only supplies equipment or cord-and-plug-connected equipment through receptacles mounted on the generator, or both, and
(2) The metal parts of generator and the grounding terminals of the receptacles are bonded to the generator frame.

Now there are some folks that ground their generators.   However, to be correctly grounded you need an 8 foot grounded rod - which would be impossible to either put in or take out of the ground at a camp site.  In addition, some jurisdictions  it is "illegal to dig or drive a ground rod in the ground unless you first call the local utilities and request a survey of the area".

Hope this helps.

Ruide

[wavery]

It would be pretty hard to get shocked in your PU. Almost everything that we have in our PU (that runs on 110v) is cased in plastic.

The issue is, if your 110v appliance develops a short, you can receive a shock because the electricity does not have a clear path to ground. However, you cannot receive a shock from plastic. You must touch a part that conducts electricity (usually metal). That's pretty hard to find these days.

If you would feel more comfortable having your generator grounded, look for a water faucet that has a metal pipe. You could clamp your grounding wire to that pipe and receive adequate protection.

One tip is to plug a 12g extension cord into your generator, instead of your camper's power cord. Then use a plug strip with a breaker on it, to plug in your appliances. If you plug your camper's power cord into the generator, a short in an appliance could be fed back through the converter to your campers frame (which is not grounded) and you could receive a shock from touching anything metal, anywhere in the camper, including your front door.


If you want to run your AC, it might be best to run it on a separate 12G extension cord.

IMHO, you should only use your camper's power cord when you plug into a campground or home power outlet that is properly grounded.