The Honda EU2000i Generator does not tie the Neutral and Ground connections
together. (View schematic he
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/G...f/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

Rather Play Pinball wrote:
The Honda EU2000i Generator does not tie the Neutral and Ground connections
together. (View schematic he
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/G...f/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.

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" wrote in message
y.com...

The Honda EU2000i Generator does not tie the Neutral and Ground
connections
together. (View schematic he
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/G...f/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

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 he
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/G...f/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.

On 07/31/06 01:47 pm wrote:

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

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/ul...=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

Talked to a tech at Honda in Georgia. They were very polite. They were
also very firm. On this model, you can NOT bond neutral and ground. Why
the hell they can't say that in their manual or marketing fluff is beyond
me.

No wonder these things end up like-new on Ebay...


:-(

Rather Play Pinball wrote:
Talked to a tech at Honda in Georgia. They were very polite. They were
also very firm. On this model, you can NOT bond neutral and ground. Why
the hell they can't say that in their manual or marketing fluff is beyond
me.


How would it know if you grounded the neutral wire external to the
generator (at the distribution panel) and let the frame float (or
connect it to a separate earth electrode).

Bob

"Rather Play Pinball" wrote in message
.. .

Talked to a tech at Honda in Georgia. They were very polite. They were
also very firm. On this model, you can NOT bond neutral and ground. Why
the hell they can't say that in their manual or marketing fluff is beyond
me.

No wonder these things end up like-new on Ebay...

Well, that's just not true. I use it on my transfer switch (and before that
backfed... oops). Since the neutral and ground are bonded at the breaker
box, it is exactly the same as bonding them at the generator.
I think what they mean is that the internal ground is not attached to
anything and/or that there is no internal provision for bonding the ground
like some generators have. If you attach it to a real ground (water
pipe...) and then attach the neutral to that it would be a bonded ground.

The EU2000 is kinda funny, in that the voltages off the hot and neutral are
pretty random until you ground the neutral. That forces the hot to 120v and
the neutral to 0v. Maybe that is why you are having a problem.

OTOH, I am not a generator expert. It seems clear, but maybe I am
overlooking something. Comments?

The EU2000 is kinda funny, in that the voltages off the hot and neutral are
pretty random until you ground the neutral. That forces the hot to 120v and
the neutral to 0v. Maybe that is why you are having a problem.

OTOH, I am not a generator expert. It seems clear, but maybe I am
overlooking something. Comments?

Is the EU2000 one of those generators that is actaully a DC generator
and has a built in inverter? Some inverter circuits will not work if
you connect either one of their outputs to ground.

Or is it a real AC generator?

Mark

In article . com,
"Mark" wrote:

Is the EU2000 one of those generators that is actaully a
DC generator and has a built in inverter?

Yes.

I own one and love it. It is only occasionally used and then only when
"camping" in my travel trailer without an electrical hookup.
--

JR

"Mark" wrote in message
ups.com...


The EU2000 is kinda funny, in that the voltages off the hot and neutral
are
pretty random until you ground the neutral. That forces the hot to 120v
and
the neutral to 0v. Maybe that is why you are having a problem.

OTOH, I am not a generator expert. It seems clear, but maybe I am
overlooking something. Comments?

Is the EU2000 one of those generators that is actaully a DC generator
and has a built in inverter? Some inverter circuits will not work if
you connect either one of their outputs to ground.

Or is it a real AC generator?

It is a DC/Inverter but, as I said, it works just fine when the neutral is
grounded.
Though it probably couldn't be called a neutral until it is grounded.

Toller wrote:
"Mark" wrote in message
ups.com...


The EU2000 is kinda funny, in that the voltages off the hot and neutral
are
pretty random until you ground the neutral. That forces the hot to 120v
and
the neutral to 0v. Maybe that is why you are having a problem.

OTOH, I am not a generator expert. It seems clear, but maybe I am
overlooking something. Comments?

Is the EU2000 one of those generators that is actaully a DC generator
and has a built in inverter? Some inverter circuits will not work if
you connect either one of their outputs to ground.

Or is it a real AC generator?

It is a DC/Inverter but, as I said, it works just fine when the neutral is
grounded.
Though it probably couldn't be called a neutral until it is grounded.

OK,

does that mean you connected the "generator neutral" to the "generator
ground" , i.e. to the frame of the generator and it works fine..
(this would be good)

or does that mean you connected the "generator neutral" to the
"building ground" i.e. the water pipes etc...and it works fine? (this
could be a problem)

which one, or both?

Mark