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Originally Posted by Driver1 Hi again, I grounded the generator to our house ground (Scraped to bright copper and held connection with a Vice-Grip). Then fired up the Honda and then plugged in the digital monitor. The result is the same ground fault. Leipper, having the same result seems at least consistent with your statement "You do not need an earth ground with a portable genset...". But, since the neutral and ground are not bonded together in the generator, I understand that I should NOT see a ground fault. Please correct me if I'm misunderstanding. Does anyone else have a Honda eu2000i & Technology Research Corp. Digital Line Monitor model# AECM20020 (For specs try Technology Research Corporation / Select 'Other Products' / Select 'Digital Monitor -- Bought at Camping World) to try to duplicate what I'm seeing? Thanks, Walt |
I couldn't tell if you got the answer you were looking for. A simple three light receptacle tester will always show a ground problem when plugged into a Honda generator, i.e. mine indicates an open ground. This is because the regulations for portable generators are not the same as the regulations for home and commercial wiring or fixed or permenant generators.
Page 17 of the EU2000i manual states "Honda portable generators have a system ground that connects generator frame components to the ground terminals in the AC output receptacles. The system ground is not connected to he AC neutral wire. If the generator is tested by a receptacle tester it will not show the same ground circuit condition as for a home receptacle."
The manual for the EU3000is has the same or similar language.
You will get the same results when you have your trailer hooked to the generator and test the receptacles in the trailer. It will show an open ground. There are advantages and disadvantages of this design but we can't change it. I do seem to remember that the Canadian regulations do require the neutral and ground to be bonded in portable generators but that is not the case in the US.
It may be a mute point, the main reason to use the receptacle tester is when you plug in at RV parks and other commercial power sources; if the hot wire is switched with the neutral and or ground you could get a shock touching the trailer and devices within or outside the trailer.