Q: Jim, I'm a licensed NH Electrician I have a Honeywell 7500Watt Portable Generator that will be used to supply selected loads in a non-separately derived residential application as outlined by the 2011 NEC. The tag on this generator indicated that the neutral is bonded to the frame. I need to know if this generator can be made into a floating neutral generator without voiding listings or warranty. If the answer is yes then where and how does the manufacture recommend the removal of the bond? And will the manufacture send a new label that indicates the generator is now a floating neutral generator. This will be an issue with any generator that has its neutral bonded to the frame portable or stationary. Any info that you can give me will be a great help.
Regards,
Ron T.
by Ron Tasker from New Hampshire on January 08, 2012
A: The manufacturer does not recommend removing the bonded neutral from the generator and neither do I and just about 97% of generators on the market have a bonded neutral.
If you need to break the neutral in the generator backup set-up then you need to go with a GFI type transfer switch such as the Reliance Controls "X" series switches.....see link for details.
Note: Typically these switches are not required unless the large transfer switch outlet on the generator is GFI protected which is found on Professional generators such as the Generac "XP" models and not the "XG" model.
The biggest thing, is the fact that a generator has a bonded-neutral does not rule out compatibility with 2-pole transfer switches. The only time that a portable generator will not be compatible with a 2-pole transfer switch is if the generator has a bonded-neutral AND there is a GFCI breaker or GFCI mechanism protecting the receptacle they are using to connect the generator to the transfer switch.
Code does not require switching the neutral, so using a bonded generator with a Pro/Tran is perfectly fine as long as there is not a GFCI built into the receptacle that is being used. If there is a GFCI, it won't work because the breaker trips.
Any time a bonded-neutral generator is connected through a transfer switch to a house wiring system, there are two neutral-to-ground bond points: one at the main panel and one at the generator.
Having two bond points creates 'dual paths' on the ground and neutral, aka "ground loop", meaning the ground wire from the generator to the house panel will share everything with the neutral wire from the generator to the house panel.
This leads to there being a very small amount of current on the ground. If there is a GFCI breaker tied into the generator receptacle, it will sense this current on the ground and trip every time the generator is connected, even under No load.
* If the generator does not have a GFCI protecting the in-use receptacle, there will not be a trip and the generator will power circuits successfully.
A common argument against this is: "but the ground cannot have any voltage or current in any situation" - this is not true. The NEC states "the ground cannot carry 'objectionable' current".
The ground wire in question is the wire between the house panel and the generator, a small amount of power on this wire is not a safety concern in this type of application.
We have no record of a single injury, or a single inspection ever turned down, related to a bonded neutral generator connected to a home through a 2-pole transfer switch.
Note that this has been done historically for decades, using bonded generators without switching the neutral, ever since generators and transfer switches existed.
There was never a problem until about 10 years ago when generators started adding GFCI's (per OSHA job site requirements) and wiring them into the larger receptacles. GFCI's on the 15 amp 120v outlets are usually separate and not connected to the 4 wire 120/240 outlets, but it's a challenge to identify this without contacting the manufacturer. It varies greatly and is rarely specified in the owners manual.
The entire problem here is related strictly to the GFCI breakers built into bonded-neutral generators, not the fact the generator has the neutral bond alone. In knowing this, if we look at all of the portable generators that are bonded neutral, and then if we separate the models WITH a GFCI breaker protecting the 120/240 outlet, the percentage of these generators is extremely small. These are the only generators that will ultimately require a 3-pole transfer switch that breaks the neutral.
Breaking the neutral simply eliminates the ground loop (dual paths) between the generator and house panel created by having two bond points, and will eliminate the problem of the GFCI breaker tripping.
Q: Do I need Idle Control? Home Emergency Generator for Frig 1, Frig 2, Frez, TV, Computer, Well, Sump pump and Lights by Skip York from Georgia on October 15, 2011
A: Idle control is not required when using a generator but when you have idle control the engine will adjust its RPM's based on the load on the unit which usually makes the unit quieter. Generators that do not have idle control must run at 3600 RPM which can be loud depending on where you locate the generator.
Q: Does the Generac XG7000E run at full rpm all the time or does it idle down when no or less loads are present? by Steve from Missouri on February 06, 2011
A: This generator does not offer Idle Control so it will operate at 3600 RPM constantly.
Q: do you know what the decibes are for the xg 7000e generac never list them by Anonymous on January 17, 2011
A: Unfortunately, Generac, like many other generator manufacturers, do not publish the decibel ratings for their generators. This unit does come equipped with a Low Tone Muffler for Quiet Operation but do not have a decibel rating to give you. Currently, there are no industry standards or requirements for generator manufacturers to follow when testing their generators for noise. Due to this, manufacturers can test the noise level under any conditions they choose and, therefore, the results are not very reliable as each company will test under conditions that are favorable to their products.
Q: How does this generator start in cold weather with the electric start? What is the difference between OHV engine & Generac's OHVI engine? by Daryl Hammond from Ohio on January 17, 2011
A: Portable generators are normally stored inside and the B&S 30471 comes with a float style battery charger which is plugged into the generator when not in use. This allows the generator battery to have a sufficient charge when the generator is needed to start.
An OHV (Overhead Valve) engine is compact designed and generally makes the unit operate quieter. The Generac OHVI (Overhead Valve Industrial) engine is built robustly with premium power and high performance and comes with a fully pressurized oil lubrication system and spin-on filter. by Jim, Product Expert
Overall Rating
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September 28, 2011
John Havre Degrace, MD
Great Product
I had a great experience with Electric Generators Direct from the customer service agent all the way to the trucker who delivered the unit to my door, great job, keep up the good work...Thanks..
September 27, 2011
Mark Abingdon, MD
I love This Generator
Bought this Generator the night before Hurricane Lee hit our town. Stood in line from 4 am till store opened. All they had was Generac 7000 watt generators, took it home and set up was easy. Started right up and ran quite a few items in my home, generator ran for 17 hours without any problems. I give this Generac a 5 star. Now I will install a transfer switch before my next outage.
February 16, 2011
GW Great Cacapon, WV
Great Machine
We lose power fairly frequently. We need to run the water pump, two refrigerators and freezer, and enough lights in the kitchen and bath to be comfortable (our heat is wood).
Our first generator is a Generac 4000 Watt (great machine, too) but I felt we were near the max at times. This new one will give us the reserve we need.
Plus, the electric start is a real selling feature.
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