Can the generator be grounded? If so, how?
1487766
The unit comes with a ground terminal that should be connected to the frame of the generator. The manual suggests connecting this to a copper rod driven into the ground. I get around this by using the ground of a 3-prong wire and plugging it into an outlet (but my purpose is as backup power for the house during a storm).
898916
You might want to consult an electrician on that question. We only use the generator to charge the battery on our rv.
1141523
There is nothing to ground. Power (positive) goes in, then through the fuse(s), and back out to what you need to feed. Fuses themselves don't get "grounded".
826388
I installed this on a motorhome that has a series wired 12v system from 2 6v batteries. If by negative grounded you mean grounding to the negative terminal on the battery, I have had no problems.
1688345
It depends... If you're using it for emergency power in your home using a transfer switch the answer is no. While hot and neutral are disconnected, ground is not. Thus, the home electrical box provides a proper ground. If you are using it in a non-transfer switch scenario, then yes, you should consider using an independent earth ground. If you have copper or iron pipes, simply tie the ground of the generator to one of them. They will work fine. If plastic plumbing, then drive a three for four foot galvanized or copper rod into the ground close by and attach to it and you'll be fine. That, or run a ground wire to the frame of your electrical panel if more convenient. It will provide a proper "common" ground. If you're not using it for emergency power in the home, just use GFI protected extension cords. They will reference the electrical ground of the generator. If there is any possibility of making contact with a "hot" wire, the GFI will immediately open and protect from a dangerous shock.
815875
You can, make sure your portable generator is sized appropriately for the circuits you plan to protect. You will need to manually transfer the power from the utility to generator and back to the utility when utility power returns.
2184228
There is ground wire attachment point on the front to attach a wire to run to a ground point. It will work without the ground but most generator manufacturers now recommend using an external ground for additional safety.
693806
yes you really should ground the system otherwise you will have a floating neutral situation which is not very good for most power sensitive appliances etc.
418834
You should always ground your generator. If you can't ground it to a nearby water "main", then you should get an inexpensive ground rod with a clamp and drive it into the ground.
723372
For this question call tech support at HotMax.I had an interesting conversation with them about using power from a regular generator and the answer was don't use that power because of frequency fluctuations that will mess up the electronics inside the unit.
176321
They make kit to hook the generator into your power system for your house. If you are not experienced, then have an electrician do it. You could cause a lot of damage if you tried it yourself.
359250
You need a grounding bus that attaches.all devices to battery negative terminal.
338729
Yes! The generator isn't hooked up permanently but this set up is hardwired next to your service panel. This is supposed to allow a safer and more efficient power switch to your backup power supply. I ordered a long cable so I could run from the panel all the way through my house to the outside of our garage.
1896498
Sorry, that one needs to be plugged in. You would need a generator or a converter.
525347
Why wouldn't you connect the generator to the proper ground? Forget the UPS, it is a safety concern. As for charging the APC UPS - I do have a Back-UPS Pro 900 and it is happy with the power this generator is providing, however I can not guarantee that it is will work in your case as it is running at 240V and my circuit is properly grounded.
2252267
If the generator has an outlet that you can plug the battery charging station into, yes.
442835
I am not an electrician so what I would do is Google it. Check out this site... http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/why_grounding.html