A couple of thoughts.
I think the GFI may be telling you that it's a grounding problem rather
than a load problem... unless it's a *really* big load problem.
First - double check your grounds on everything. Check polarity on
your outlets.
Next, I'd unplug all appliances in the house. Don't just shut them
off, unplug them. Try back feeding with one cord from the generator,
and turn on a couple of lights or something with small load. Next try
it with two cords. If there's a grounding problem in the house that
may show up when you plug in the 2nd cord.
One other thought - since this is a different generator, are you *sure*
that the plug is wired the same way as your old one? Double check it,
and probably check the manual.
I live in the woods and have spotty power in bad weather, so I've got a
6.5k generator. I had to backfeed through a 220v dryer plug at one
point. I never tried the two 120v outlet trick. Hmmm, what's that
smell? burning insulation?
I know you are a big do-it-yourself king of guy... but a sub panel and
a few breakers aren't that expensive. I had an electrician come out
and wire in a sub panel, exterior port and rewire to my
furnace/fridge/kitchen lights for about $500.
It's really nice to be able to flip a switch in the sub panel and plug
in the generator outside without worrying that I'm going to blow
everything up.
-Chuck
NoGood wrote:
Is your house pulling too much current for the generator.
I had to live off a 6k generator for about a year and you can't have
many things running at the same time. I really saw the efficiencies of
those CFL bulb vs traditional bulbs when I was on the generator.
My generator would buck and moan if I put too much of a load on
it, maybe yours just trips the gfci
Another idea is that if it is the GFCI tripping maybe it is the
polarity of your plug wiring.
On Sep 2, 2008, at 10:57 AM, Robert McElwee wrote:
Several times over the past few years I have killed
my main breaker (as well as all the other breakers), hooked up two
extension cords I made that have double male ends on them, and powered
up both sides of my breaker box with a 5K generator. This year
hurricane season is here so I pulled out my "new" generator (a used 6K
generator my father traded me for a 10K generator I bought for him) and
fired it up. It is running fine so I killed my main breaker and all the
other breakers and tried to back feed into the house through the two
electrical outlets I have always used. Here is what I see:
1) As soon as I plug the generator into the house outlet the GFCI on
the generator trips.
2) Plugging two refrigerators into one of my extension cords (without
the double male patch) works fine.
3) Plugging the double male patch into my extension cord and back
feeding a power strip works fine (power from the generator coming into
one of the strip outlets - the male cord on the outlet just laying on
the ground).
Any ideas? It looks like to me that both my generator and extension
cords with double male ends are working fine. I've tried to plug into a
house outlet (all breakers still off) in several different rooms and it
trips the GFCI every time. I am confused since this is something I have
done many times before with another generator.
--
Robert McElwee and Blue Flash
"The 50 MPG Miata"
www.lightweightmiata.com/mpg
Lightweight Miata Forum:
www.lightweightmiata.com/forum
The Miata Trailer Project:
www.lightweightmiata.com/trailer
_______________________________________________
Miatapower mailing list
_______________________________________________
Miatapower mailing list
[email protected]
http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower
|
_______________________________________________
Miatapower mailing list
[email protected]
http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower
