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Author Honda EU200i Generator Question
Rather Play Pinball

2006-07-29, 1:25 pm


The Honda EU2000i Generator does not tie the Neutral and Ground connections
together. (View schematic here:
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/...df/31Z07603.pdf)

If I attempt to power an A.O.Smith water heater (gas fired, but a little
control panel to control the thermostat and power vent) with the Honda
generator, the water heater faults and will not operate. The resulting LED
code on the water heater control pad indicates a wiring problem with the
Neutral and Ground. Will sure - a simple circuit tester shows an "open
ground". This is because of the Neutral and Ground being independent from
the generator and not tied together.

What's a solution to fix this? I'd like to run the water heater from the
generator during times of power outages. Note that I'm not hooking this
generator up to the building's main power panel - just plain ol' extension
cords from the generator into the house.

Thanks



Rich256

2006-07-29, 1:25 pm

Rather Play Pinball wrote:
> The Honda EU2000i Generator does not tie the Neutral and Ground connections
> together. (View schematic here:
> http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/...df/31Z07603.pdf)
>
> If I attempt to power an A.O.Smith water heater (gas fired, but a little
> control panel to control the thermostat and power vent) with the Honda
> generator, the water heater faults and will not operate. The resulting LED
> code on the water heater control pad indicates a wiring problem with the
> Neutral and Ground. Will sure - a simple circuit tester shows an "open
> ground". This is because of the Neutral and Ground being independent from
> the generator and not tied together.
>
> What's a solution to fix this? I'd like to run the water heater from the
> generator during times of power outages. Note that I'm not hooking this
> generator up to the building's main power panel - just plain ol' extension
> cords from the generator into the house.
>
> Thanks
>
>
>



For this purpose I would tie the ground and neutral together at the
generator and hook it to an earth ground too. The generator doesn’t
because it does not know what kind of circuit it will be seeing. Two
common ground tie points are also to be avoided. That would most likely
happen if you hooked the generator to the buildings power panel.
Stormin Mormon

2006-07-31, 9:25 am

Buy a short extension cord. Cut the socket off. Wire the cord into a
junction box, with an electrical socket. Wire the cord to the socket,
and a jumper between neutral and ground.

Plug WH into custom made cord. Custom cord into extension cord.

Store custom cord near WH.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Rather Play Pinball" <123@123.net> wrote in message
news:m2Myg.137565$dW3.115756@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...

The Honda EU2000i Generator does not tie the Neutral and Ground
connections
together. (View schematic here:
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/...df/31Z07603.pdf)

If I attempt to power an A.O.Smith water heater (gas fired, but a
little
control panel to control the thermostat and power vent) with the Honda
generator, the water heater faults and will not operate. The
resulting LED
code on the water heater control pad indicates a wiring problem with
the
Neutral and Ground. Will sure - a simple circuit tester shows an
"open
ground". This is because of the Neutral and Ground being independent
from
the generator and not tied together.

What's a solution to fix this? I'd like to run the water heater from
the
generator during times of power outages. Note that I'm not hooking
this
generator up to the building's main power panel - just plain ol'
extension
cords from the generator into the house.

Thanks




Percival P. Cassidy

2006-07-31, 1:25 pm

IIRC, it was generators belonging to this series that some electrical
inspectors were threatening to "red tag" whenever they came across one.

Perce


On 07/29/06 12:30 pm Rather Play Pinball wrote:

> The Honda EU2000i Generator does not tie the Neutral and Ground connections
> together. (View schematic here:
> http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/...df/31Z07603.pdf)
>
> If I attempt to power an A.O.Smith water heater (gas fired, but a little
> control panel to control the thermostat and power vent) with the Honda
> generator, the water heater faults and will not operate. The resulting LED
> code on the water heater control pad indicates a wiring problem with the
> Neutral and Ground. Will sure - a simple circuit tester shows an "open
> ground". This is because of the Neutral and Ground being independent from
> the generator and not tied together.
>
> What's a solution to fix this? I'd like to run the water heater from the
> generator during times of power outages. Note that I'm not hooking this
> generator up to the building's main power panel - just plain ol' extension
> cords from the generator into the house.

gfretwell@aol.com

2006-07-31, 1:25 pm

On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 12:23:40 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
<Nobody@NotMyISP.com> wrote:

>IIRC, it was generators belonging to this series that some electrical
>inspectors were threatening to "red tag" whenever they came across one.
>
>Perce


They would have a hard time coming up with a code section to cite.

Percival P. Cassidy

2006-07-31, 8:25 pm

On 07/31/06 01:47 pm gfretwell@aol.com wrote:

[color=darkred]
> They would have a hard time coming up with a code section to cite.


OK, it may not have been this specific model. In fact it may have been
all Honda generators.

The discussion to which I am referring is at

http://www.mikeholt.com/codeforum/u...t=001253#000000

They refer specifically to 250.20(b) and other sections. Sorry; I am a
simple home owner, and most of this stuff is above my head. I happened
across it while looking for something else.

Perce
LinkBot





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