I know from a previous thread that the feelings are mixed on having a genset as part of your preps. If you have one here's something you need to consider. If your genset has a groundfault on it and your house has groundfault recepticals in it there is a strong possibablity your are going to have a conflict between the two groundfaults and trip the groundfault breaker on the genset (meaning no power!). I was first alerted to the problem last week by a friend and two more of us had the same problem in testing. If you haven't tested your genset you better. If in testing the genset breaker trips you need to disable the groundfault on your genset, but remember why the groundfault is on the genset. If you use your genset apart from the house and the benifits of it's groundfaults reconnect the groundfault on the genset so you don't toast yourself.

-- Watching Goodman (ITgoodmanHK@juno.com), December 23, 1999

Answers

I have found that many Gen sets have NO ground fault interruptor.

I have also found that many Gen sets supply: **phase/ neutral/ phase** (with 120 V between each phase and neutral, and 240 V between the two "phases") WITHOUT an internal NEUTRAL to GROUND connection, as one will normally find in a distribution panel. But these Gen sets have *Grounding Screws* on their frame for establishing a SAFETY ground.

If you don't hardwire the Gen set to the panel (in which case the distribution panel would provide the safety ground,) GROUND the frame of the Gen set (you can do that by connecting it to the same ground rod that the distribution panel is already connected to.)

I am afraid that many will miss proper grounding of their Gen sets, because they will work with or without this safety measure!

-- W (me@home.now), December 23, 1999.