My customer has purchased Generac's Guardian Home Standby Generator for their new custom home for which I am to install. Mike Holt's Grounding Seminar I attended earlier this year addressed breaking the neutral on separately derived systems, yet the Guardian doesn't. I feel as if I missed Mike's point entirely. Generac supports their units are UL approved for this application. Can you clear my confusion?
Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
- Thread starter jtttat
- Start date
- Status
bphgravity
Senior Member
- Location
- Florida
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
If the neutral from the utility is not opened at the transfer to the generator, then the generator is not a separately derived system which means no neutral to case bonding should be made at the generator or the generator disco/transfer switch.
If the neutral from the utility is not opened at the transfer to the generator, then the generator is not a separately derived system which means no neutral to case bonding should be made at the generator or the generator disco/transfer switch.
luke warmwater
Senior Member
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
I have a message to call Generac to become an authorized installer. I have been in contact with them, but quite honestly, I'm not impressed with their home units.
Anyway, from what I remember about them from their manuals, their home units have a floating neutral. (the neutral is not bonded to the frame) so they are considered Non SDS, and do not require (and Code doesn't allow in this case) the neutral to be switched in the transfer switch.
I have a message to call Generac to become an authorized installer. I have been in contact with them, but quite honestly, I'm not impressed with their home units.
Anyway, from what I remember about them from their manuals, their home units have a floating neutral. (the neutral is not bonded to the frame) so they are considered Non SDS, and do not require (and Code doesn't allow in this case) the neutral to be switched in the transfer switch.
curt swartz
Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
- Location
- San Jose, CA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
I have installed Generac?s Home Standby generators and they have a floating neutral. The transfer switches designed for these units are 2-pole.
I have installed Generac?s Home Standby generators and they have a floating neutral. The transfer switches designed for these units are 2-pole.
luke warmwater
Senior Member
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
Curt, thanks for confirming that.
Are you or your company an authorized Generac installer?? How do you like them??
Curt, thanks for confirming that.
Are you or your company an authorized Generac installer?? How do you like them??
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
Do these home standby units have receptacles for cord connections?
Don
Do these home standby units have receptacles for cord connections?
Don
curt swartz
Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
- Location
- San Jose, CA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
Don, I have never seen one with a receptacle. They have a 2-pole circuit breaker that you connect your load to.
Todd, I am not a Generac dealer. I frequently receive information from Generac asking me to become a dealer. I'm not a mechanic and not really interested in becoming one.
I purchase and install the generators then contact a local Generac dealer to do the startup. He inspects the installation, runs the generator connected to a load bank for about 2 hrs. He then reviews the maintenance requirements with the homeowner and collects his check directly from the homeowner. I tell the homeowner to call him directly for any future maintenance, repairs or questions about the generator.
Overall I am fairly happy with the Generac generators. There are definitely a few things I would like to see them improve but nothing drastic. I have been told that some of the other manufactures have better built units but they are also substantially more expensive. I have never installed one to be used for prime power. They usually only get used a few times a year for a short time during a utility outage.
Don, I have never seen one with a receptacle. They have a 2-pole circuit breaker that you connect your load to.
Todd, I am not a Generac dealer. I frequently receive information from Generac asking me to become a dealer. I'm not a mechanic and not really interested in becoming one.
I purchase and install the generators then contact a local Generac dealer to do the startup. He inspects the installation, runs the generator connected to a load bank for about 2 hrs. He then reviews the maintenance requirements with the homeowner and collects his check directly from the homeowner. I tell the homeowner to call him directly for any future maintenance, repairs or questions about the generator.
Overall I am fairly happy with the Generac generators. There are definitely a few things I would like to see them improve but nothing drastic. I have been told that some of the other manufactures have better built units but they are also substantially more expensive. I have never installed one to be used for prime power. They usually only get used a few times a year for a short time during a utility outage.
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
I have a number of generac 15-25 kw units and they are very cost effective, as they use a standard chevy vortec engine. parts are readily available. We run natural gas or propane for fuel
I have a number of generac 15-25 kw units and they are very cost effective, as they use a standard chevy vortec engine. parts are readily available. We run natural gas or propane for fuel
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
I was told that most installations of these generators require a replacement of the gas valve to get enough pressure to run them. Is that your experience?
luke warmwater
Senior Member
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
Thanx ,Curt.
Don, we are a CH installer and they do not have a receptacle for cord connections either.
IMO, they are eisier to install and to maintain.
Tom, I was told that the Generac units use gasoline engines converted to run on LP/NG.
Is that true?
The CH units use engines that were disigned to be run on LP/NG.
Thanx ,Curt.
Don, we are a CH installer and they do not have a receptacle for cord connections either.
IMO, they are eisier to install and to maintain.
Tom, I was told that the Generac units use gasoline engines converted to run on LP/NG.
Is that true?
The CH units use engines that were disigned to be run on LP/NG.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
The reason for my question about the receptacle was that if there is a receptacle mounted on the generator unit, then 250.8(B) would require that the generator neutral be bonded at the generator. If there is no receptacle then the required bonding can be at a remote location.
Is an equipment grounding conductor normally installed between the transfer switch and the generator?
Don
code section should be 250.20(B). Sorry
[ November 03, 2004, 07:07 AM: Message edited by: don_resqcapt19 ]
The reason for my question about the receptacle was that if there is a receptacle mounted on the generator unit, then 250.8(B) would require that the generator neutral be bonded at the generator. If there is no receptacle then the required bonding can be at a remote location.
Is an equipment grounding conductor normally installed between the transfer switch and the generator?
Don
code section should be 250.20(B). Sorry
[ November 03, 2004, 07:07 AM: Message edited by: don_resqcapt19 ]
curt swartz
Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
- Location
- San Jose, CA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
Don,
I always pull and EGC to the generator. One of my issues with Genrac is that they don?t provide a lug to terminate an EGC on so I have to add one. They also don?t provide a neutral lug, just a 3/8? stud to mount a lug on. I?m not sure if they are planning for you pull an EGC but if you don?t the neutral would need to be bonded at the generator and a 3-pole transfer switch used. I don?t think they even make 3-pole switched for the home standby units.
Don,
I always pull and EGC to the generator. One of my issues with Genrac is that they don?t provide a lug to terminate an EGC on so I have to add one. They also don?t provide a neutral lug, just a 3/8? stud to mount a lug on. I?m not sure if they are planning for you pull an EGC but if you don?t the neutral would need to be bonded at the generator and a 3-pole transfer switch used. I don?t think they even make 3-pole switched for the home standby units.
curt swartz
Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
- Location
- San Jose, CA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
Todd, CH?
Todd, CH?
luke warmwater
Senior Member
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
They are built buy Briggs with a special Vanguard engine.
Cutler Hammer.
They are built buy Briggs with a special Vanguard engine.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Re: Standby Generator Neutral Requirements
Mark,
Don
Mark,
I don't know where the .8 came from the correct code section is 250.20(B).
Don
- Status