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My girlfriends family have been without power due to recent storm. The just got a generator today and a family member installed it. I am a little concerned about how they hooked it up though.
Due to timing, they did not have it professionally done, nor do they have a transfer switch. They hooked it up to the outside breaker for the a/c condenser. Cord from generator: Red to one breaker switch, black to the other, but they tied neutral and ground together on a bar.
The main power switch was made certain to be OPEN or OFF at the main breaker box to prevent back feed. However, not all lights or outlets work. I believe this has to do with how they have the neutral and ground wire tied together.
What are the dangers of this if any?
If this isnt going to be wired with a transfer switch or at the very least at the main breaker box itself where the neutral can be tied to the neutral bus bar, I take it then they have to expect that not all circuits will work properly...
Bonding neutral and ground together shouldnt matter as far as your circuits.
Its not good practice depending where in the circuit its done.
Why? Because a neutral is an every day current carrying conductor.
A ground is for fault currents and safety and not for every day use as a current carrying conductor. .
grounding the neutral at the panel is okay . but doing it at the end of your circuit is not okay. then that little bond wire in the romex or the armor of the bx becomes current carrying all the time.
many times a rubber cord with 4 equal size conductors is used. in that case its not a big deal if you bond the neutral to ground at the generator since they are all rated as full time current carrying conductors anyway.
more important though is back feeding a generator is not legal as well as dangerous.
If that main breaker or switch is accidently left on you can kill a utility worker.
matty j
united electric power.
Last edited by mathjak107; 11-02-2012 at 04:46 PM..
My girlfriends family have been without power due to recent storm. The just got a generator today and a family member installed it. I am a little concerned about how they hooked it up though.
Due to timing, they did not have it professionally done, nor do they have a transfer switch. They hooked it up to the outside breaker for the a/c condenser. Cord from generator: Red to one breaker switch, black to the other, but they tied neutral and ground together on a bar.
The main power switch was made certain to be OPEN or OFF at the main breaker box to prevent back feed. However, not all lights or outlets work. I believe this has to do with how they have the neutral and ground wire tied together.
What are the dangers of this if any?
If this isnt going to be wired with a transfer switch or at the very least at the main breaker box itself where the neutral can be tied to the neutral bus bar, I take it then they have to expect that not all circuits will work properly...
They may find their home insurance to be worthless since a Pro electrician didn't install it or sign off that it is ok.
Desperate people do desperate , sometimes stupid, things at a time when it can harm them the most.
They may find their home insurance to be worthless since a Pro electrician didn't install it or sign off that it is ok.
I am certainly going to pass on that its not legal and if something were to occur while this is set up, theyd be pretty much screwed. I was hoping to press them more to change it by certain dangers but perhaps its pretty much safe, just not legal. And certainly explains why not all outlets are working in the house.
Im going to press them on making sure to get a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician once they get their power back.
They may find their home insurance to be worthless since a Pro electrician didn't install it or sign off that it is ok.
Desperate people do desperate , sometimes stupid, things at a time when it can harm them the most.
unless your policy forbids you doing work , which they dont ,anyone can do work on their home and while legally your locality may require a license the insurance company must cover you.. they can cancel you but they must pay you unless they can prove it was intentional.
I am certainly going to pass on that its not legal and if something were to occur while this is set up, theyd be pretty much screwed. I was hoping to press them more to change it by certain dangers but perhaps its pretty much safe, just not legal. And certainly explains why not all outlets are working in the house.
Im going to press them on making sure to get a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician once they get their power back.
Please do press!! You could wind up saving not only their home but their lives as well.
unless your policy forbids you doing work , which they dont ,anyone can do work on their home and while legally your locality may require a license the insurance company must cover you.. they can cancel you but they must pay you unless they can prove it was intentional.
Your insurance company lawyers will slap you with a law suit for negligence at the first sign of trouble.
Actually i would bet you cant find one instance of an insurance company actually refusing to cover unlicensed work.
Fire is a peril specifically covered unless it was intentionally set.
I also thought they could keep from paying you but i now learned they can not.
There is a distinction between you doing the work though and having someone else doing the work that may open up a can of worms but i have yet to find a case of an insurance company denying coverage since their policies have no such restriction.
Having work performed by an authorized person is a locality rule and can in fact change from state to state or even town to town.
Your policy states no where they wont pay if the work wasnt done by the authorized person or even on negligence. Only thing in your insurance contract is it
Says it wont pay if an intentional act.
In fact liability insurance covers us when we are found negligent and responsible for the act and sued by others.
You will see contractors post warnings about you doing the work yourself and the fact insurance companies wont pay but it looks like more myth than fact.
Last edited by mathjak107; 11-02-2012 at 06:28 PM..
Actually i would bet you cant find one instance of an insurance company actually refusing to cover unlicensed work.
Fire is a peril specifically covered unless it was intentionally set.
insurance companies will challenge claims that are negligent. Home dofer work that goes bad is negligent work.
Now lets be clear on what the word "negligent" means........ failing to exercise the care expected of a reasonably prudent person in like circumstances
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