B&S Generator with Connecticut Electric Xfer Switch

Rick5150

I appreciate the input. I want to be very clear on this Briggs & Stratton. Are you saying that unbonding the generator will not work for my application?

AllanJ

Ideally the generator should have neutral and ground unbonded within for your situation.

Then you won't have problems with its own GFCI breaker tripping.

As a general rule, the generator should have neutral and ground bonded when running stand-alone out in the field or at a campsite or job site, and should have neutral and ground separated when powering a building electrical system.

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The average homeowner who lost his house in the Oklahoma tornadoes should move for good and not rebuild. Too much complexity watchdogging the contractor. Too much a chance to be defrauded.

Rick5150

I would actually like to use the generator to generate. We are getting nailed with storm after storm this year and B&S will not tell me if the unit can be unbonded or if not, why not.

I really appreciate all the responses as I think I understand this a lot better.

AllanJ

Ya know? This is

__________________
The average homeowner who lost his house in the Oklahoma tornadoes should move for good and not rebuild. Too much complexity watchdogging the contractor. Too much a chance to be defrauded.

AllanJ

Ya know? This is what I would do.

First choice.

Do not plug the generator into the house. Use ordsinary extension cords to connect the things you want to use to the four receptacles on the generator.

Second choice.

Disconnect the green wire from the back of the male receptacle on the back of your house. Leave everything else the way it is.

Put the generator on a platform (as opposed to sitting on the bare ground).

Plug in the generator and go.

As soon as the generator starts, do not touch it. When you want to shut it down to add fuel or for nighttime quiet, use a dry stick to press the off button. (If the generator has a TV style remote, you can use that with no restrictions.)

When you figure out how to unbond the neutral and ground inside the generator, do that and also reconnect the green wire to the male receptacle on the back of the house.

In the diagram below, breaking the green away from the white in three of the four places shown (cutting the green itself at point B) will prevent the generator GFCI from tripping. The idea is that starting at the white at any of the branch circuits (as shown) it must not be possible to trace starting with white over at the right of the diagram and back to the generator using any combination of white or green and not go through the GFCI box in the generator. Because neutral and ground wires may be mixed among the terminal strips in the main panel, separating neutral and ground there (point D) is likely to be complicated.

Attached Images

 

__________________
The average homeowner who lost his house in the Oklahoma tornadoes should move for good and not rebuild. Too much complexity watchdogging the contractor. Too much a chance to be defrauded.