Honda 2000i v. Shore Power Question

[chasgail]

Honda power, Ideal -Sperry 61-500 Receptacle Tester indicates "HOT / NEU" reversed; shore power indicates "correct" wiring? Any feedback on why the readings are different. Using 30 Amp RV Male Plug To 15/20 Amp Female Connector RV Adapter. Thanks for any feedback offered.

[Wingeezer]

I don't have my tester handy to refer to, but what I can tell you is that when plugged into shore power (assuming all is correct with the shore power) I get two lights on, and they are the correct two, indicating all is well.

However, when I am running off the Honda gennie using an adapter to the 30 amp plug, I only get one light on - perhaps that is what you are seeing?

Initially of course I was concerned, but I recall checking further on the internet and found that this was quite normal and ok.

All this was a few years ago and I don't recall the explanation, but do recall reading that it was ok!

No doubt others with more precise info will comment!


Brian.

[ROBERT CROSS]

You need to wire a dogbone to stop the fault code your getting....follow the link in that post.

Bob

[Phoenix]

Excerpt from Honda 2000i Owners Manual, "Ground System" section:

"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 the 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."

[StreamDog]

I seem to remember something about grounding the genny to the camper ground/frame to get proper readings, but it was [B]not[B] necessary for proper operation.

[aftermath]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

You need to wire a dogbone to stop the fault code your getting....follow the link in that post.

Bob

I read about this a few years back and in the end understood it to be a safe situation caused by the floating ground in the Honda.

I believe that the wiring suggested above will simply change the lights in your tester. I don't think it is going to "correct" anything as far as the grounding goes. Do this if it will make you feel better but your Honda is safe the way it is operating.

Once again, using a little common sense would tell you that this is not a problem. If it were we would have heard about it long ago and Honda would be out of the generator business.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by aftermath

I read about this a few years back and in the end understood it to be a safe situation caused by the floating ground in the Honda.

I believe that the wiring suggested above will simply change the lights in your tester. I don't think it is going to "correct" anything as far as the grounding goes. Do this if it will make you feel better but your Honda is safe the way it is operating.

Once again, using a little common sense would tell you that this is not a problem. If it were we would have heard about it long ago and Honda would be out of the generator business.

I do feel better......thank you very much ....It's not damage to the Honda that the procedure is preventing, a little common sense would tell you that.
Please re-read the the relevant posts and try to understand what has been written, then try NOT to understand what hasn't been written.

Bob

[tipidad]

I'm a newbie interested in getting an AS, but have no direct experience with RV and Marine systems (but have been a EE for decades).

On small land based systems, 115/230volt systems are normal
(single phase systems): you have 115v between each hot leg to neutral, and 230v between the two hot legs. With one power source the hot legs are synchronized: when hot leg 1 is 115v positive, hot leg 2 is 115v negative(which is how you get the 230v between them). The neutral load, in amps, is the difference between the amp loads on hot leg 1 & 2.

If you had two separate systems, and the neutrals were connected together(directly or through a ground possibly?) the neutral loads would not necessarily cancel each other out. The neutral load could be somewhere between 0 amps(the loads exactly cancel out), or double each individual load. It would depend if the generators were synchronized with each other(which is highly unlikely). Are the neutral(s) warm?

This is a theoretical discussion; I have no direct experience with RV's, although I have designed numerous emergency power systems (with transfer switches) for hospitals, etc.

I likes me a good nerd discussion!

[Al and Missy]

In addition to the two phases being synchronized, the loads on each leg would have to be the same. As you said, the minimum neutral current is 0, the maximum is the sum of the two hot legs, assuming the two phases are not in sync. In regular house wiring, the two phases are 180 out so the minimum neutral currnet is zero and the maximum is the largest of the two hot legs. That is why Nec requires, except for very circuits with only 240 volt loads, the neutral conductor to be the same size as the hot legs.

Al