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I have the new Powerboost with the 7.2kw generator. I have a plug in my home electrical panel to run my house off my stand alone generator. It works great, but when I try to run my house off the F150's generator, the message center says ground fault, and it wont power the house. Both generator's are the same wattage. The plug's are the same. Anyone have any ideas? Attached is a pic of the plug in my house. The truck generator powers an RV just fine, so I know it works.
The Propower is "also likely a floating ground" WRONG ! and the house not. The RV would likely be a floating ground as well.
I am not knowledgeable enough to tell you what to do about it, I know just enough to know that I do not fully understand the grounding requirements,
MAKE SURE that you have the correct isolating hardware when you use a generator, any generator, even your truck, on any house connected to the grid.
It is extremely DANGEROUS not to
Last edited by NoImMad; Apr 19, 2021 at 05:29 PM.
Reason: bad info
An electrician told me to try running a wire from the frame to a ground rod in the ground. Still get the same error. Guess I'll have to have them come out and see what they come up with.
Well the truck is being too cautious. This problem is because the neutral and ground are bonded at the service entrance and in the truck. You need to lose the ground wire that goes back to the truck. These trucks are setup to be OSHA GFCI compliant.
An electrician told me to try running a wire from the frame to a ground rod in the ground. Still get the same error. Guess I'll have to have them come out and see what they come up with.
Concerned a electrician said this. A ground rod is strictly to provide a electrical path to dissipate a static discharge voltage (which can be lightning or other forms of static electricity) to the earth.
Well the truck is being too cautious. This problem is because the neutral and ground are bonded at the service entrance and in the truck. You need to lose the ground wire that goes back to the truck. These trucks are setup to be OSHA GFCI compliant.
This would be my best guess too. Most generators come bonded and you can't bond your neutral twice. A good generator will let you remove the bond. Hopefully Ford was smart enough to include this feature.
Originally Posted by NoImMad
MAKE SURE that you have the correct isolating hardware when you use a generator, any generator, even your truck, on any house connected to the grid.
It is extremely DANGEROUS not to
Ford's product specialist is supposed to get in contact with me to see what is needed. I'll post when I get it resolved.
to plug the truck directly to the house you will need a transfer switch, BUT the correct kind, GFI protected
The Propower to my understanding was specifically designed with contractors in mind and needs to comply with certain codes to be kosher, hence the GFCI protected outlets on the truck, which are the source of your problems.
A simple way around it, is just use extension cords from the truck to the items you want to run in the house.
THE proper way is the correctly installed transfer switch
MY WAY, specific to my personal needs and I am not vouching for it, was a heavy duty full sub panel, breakers and all, on 40 feet of appropriately sized cable that I plugged into the 240 V outlet on my construction grade generators. Then I powered what I wanted off of that panel. The advantage being no spaghetti of cables coming from generator and a set up that I could use on any of the multitude of generators I had over the years. Still have the cable and panel and I now use it as a sub panel in the garage that I can plug into the 240 volt plug for my hybrid car plug in charger.
Most important, get right ! don't cut corners with electricity
to plug the truck directly to the house you will need a transfer switch, BUT the correct kind, GFI protected
The Propower to my understanding was specifically designed with contractors in mind and needs to comply with certain codes to be kosher, hence the GFCI protected outlets on the truck, which are the source of your problems.
A simple way around it, is just use extension cords from the truck to the items you want to run in the house.
THE proper way is the correctly installed transfer switch
MY WAY, specific to my personal needs and I am not vouching for it, was a heavy duty full sub panel, breakers and all, on 40 feet of appropriately sized cable that I plugged into the 240 V outlet on my construction grade generators. Then I powered what I wanted off of that panel. The advantage being no spaghetti of cables coming from generator and a set up that I could use on any of the multitude of generators I had over the years. Still have the cable and panel and I now use it as a sub panel in the garage that I can plug into the 240 volt plug for my hybrid car plug in charger.
Most important, get right ! don't cut corners with electricity
GFIs aren't a be all end all. They are only required because manufacturers and the city make money by doing so.
GFIs aren't a be all end all. They are only required because manufacturers and the city make money by doing so.
Is your sub panel properly bonded?
Sub panels are never to be bonded in the panel, all bonding must take place in the main panel/service entrance. Neutrals and grounds must be separate in any sub panel.
Some/most generators have a floating neutral. It is explained here much better than I can. Depending on which you have the wiring will have to be matched. I do not know how the Ford truck is set up but since it was designed for contractors I would say it is a bonded neutral.
Sub panels are never to be bonded in the panel, all bonding must take place in the main panel/service entrance. Neutrals and grounds must be separate in any sub panel.
Some/most generators have a floating neutral. It is explained here much better than I can. Depending on which you have the wiring will have to be matched. I do not know how the Ford truck is set up but since it was designed for contractors I would say it is a bonded neutral.
