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***URGENT*** MEP 803a set-up question ***SOLVED***

Guyfang

Guyfang

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When you are feeding into the system, the neutral ground needs to be removed IF you are feeding into the distribution box. It already has a neutral ground, and you can not add another one. Also, if you can not disengage from the grid, you can kill someone with ease, by not doing so. Back feeding is not good.
 
peapvp

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Guyfang said:
Peter, you do a better job of explaining about the neutral bod, and SAFLY adding an Aux power source. So I will back out here. Its a tad late to learn how to do this, but better late then never.
Click to expand...
Guy, this house installation is so old it has only the P + N outlets with no earth ground……. there is no bonding anywhere at this point except at the generator for the first time since Edison lived there in Fort Myers…,

Great, this bonds the generator neutral to its chassis and your ground rod.
This is your current main bond and the only bond since you have no ground wires inside your breaker panel

Your Generator is going to fall off the pallets!! Move the Generator to the Ground where it cannot sink in if the ground is still soaked

Tape off the incoming Neutral in the box!!!!!
Lock the Box!!!!!

Pull The Meter if at all possible!!!!

You have to be completely off Grid before you can proceed!!!!!
 
Islandfarmer

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peapvp said:
Guy, this house installation is so old it has only the P + N outlets with no earth ground……. there is no bonding anywhere at this point except at the generator for the first time since Edison lived there in Fort Myers…,

Great, this bonds the generator neutral to its chassis and your ground rod.
This is your current main bond and the only bond since you have no ground wires inside your breaker panel

Your Generator is going to fall off the pallets!! Move the Generator to the Ground where it cannot sink in if the ground is still soaked

Tape off the incoming Neutral in the box!!!!!
Lock the Box!!!!!

Pull The Meter if at all possible!!!!

You have to be completely off Grid before you can proceed!!!!!
Click to expand...
Neutral is insulated. Did that after taking the previous related picture.
Pulled the meter.
I have 800lbs of neat melting.....

20221011_134817.jpg20221011_135241.jpg20221011_135313.jpg20221011_135313.jpg20221011_135241.jpg
 
NDT

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The scenario that everyone is worried about is that WHILE YOU ARE SOMEWHERE ELSE, a family member will try to solve an issue that may arise and FLIP THE MAIN ON.
If a lineman sees your backfeed setup, he will become infuriated, pull your meter, report you to the local government permit office, who will require you to hire an electrician at great expense to pull permits, get inspections, all before the utility will replace the meter.
 
peapvp

peapvp

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NDT said:
The scenario that everyone is worried about is that WHILE YOU ARE SOMEWHERE ELSE, a family member will try to solve an issue that may arise and FLIP THE MAIN ON.
If a lineman sees your backfeed setup, he will become infuriated, pull your meter, report you to the local government permit office, who will require you to hire an electrician at great expense to pull permits, get inspections, all before the utility will replace the meter.
Click to expand...
The meter is pulled - end of the story - pine island is a disaster Zone with curfew
 
Islandfarmer

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NDT said:
The scenario that everyone is worried about is that WHILE YOU ARE SOMEWHERE ELSE, a family member will try to solve an issue that may arise and FLIP THE MAIN ON.
If a lineman sees your backfeed setup, he will become infuriated, pull your meter, report you to the local government permit office, who will require you to hire an electrician at great expense to pull permits, get inspections, all before the utility will replace the meter.
Click to expand...
Sir all your concerns have been addressed and replied to in previous posts.

Meter IS pulled.
 
peapvp

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@Islandfarmer when ever utility power is restored, when ever that maybe proceed as follows:

1. remove generator with all wires

2. reconnect neutral in disconnect box

3. remove protective cover from meter box

4. set disconnect breaker to off!

5. insert utility meter

6. call utility company to install new tamper tag
 
Daybreak

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To answer the one question so you understand.

The Metal strap is the bonding strap. Connected or Disconnected. That all revolves around the grounding situation of what you are powering. Has nothing to do with wether its 120, 120/240/ or 3 phase.

Future Notes: How was the Honda Generator hooked-up? Look into a proper generator disconnect/tranfer switch/interlok.
some reading, so you have some ideas for future work. Contact a electrician to be up to code as well.
Generator connection choices | SteelSoldiers

Put the generator on the ground.
 
Last edited:
Islandfarmer

Islandfarmer

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Daybreak said:
To answer the one question so you understand.

The Metal strap is the bonding strap. Connected or Disconnected. That all revolves around the grounding situation of what you are powering. Has nothing to do with wether its 120, 120/240/ or 3 phase.

Future Notes: How was the Honda Generator hooked-up? Look into a proper generator disconnect/tranfer switch/interlok.
some reading, so you have some ideas for future work. Contact a electrician to be up to code as well.
Generator connection choices | SteelSoldiers

Put the generator on the ground.
Click to expand...
Just a quick picture of how the Honda was connected, just the 2 phases and neutral.

Yes Sir the generator will be put on the ground when I get a second person here.
 

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peapvp

peapvp

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Islandfarmer said:
Just a quick picture of how the Honda was connected, just the 2 phases and neutral.

Yes Sir the generator will be put on the ground when I get a second person here.
Click to expand...
Glad you replaced this honky donk Genset btw, the meter should always be pulled if no transfer panel with interlock is installed no matter what generator is hooked up to it.

Most people forget that the utility transformer works in both directions.
If you feed accidentally 240VAC back into the secondary side with your Genset then you are going to have 3,300 + VAC coming out of the primary side which then, if the main pole utility fuse is still intact and in on position, will feed that high voltage to every point wherever the high voltage line is connected to. Every house, transformer station etc etc including to any downed electrical line - at this high voltage a very very deadly mistake
 
Evvy Fesler

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One more thing. You have aluminum wire on copper connectors. Even if the connectors are AL/CU it’s best to put compound on them. If you can get some. I understand your situation. If you can’t get some be sure to inspect the connections for oxidation every couple of weeks.

The reason they wanted you to isolate the neutral in the service disconnect is that if there’s a short the generator can back feed power to the grid on the neutral and then a lineman comes along to repair the line they could be hurt. They’re expecting the line to be dead and safe. In emergency situations like this it’s also quite possible that the grid becomes energized and shorts to neutral and forward feeds to your disconnect switch box. Again dangerous. When things are in disarray you have to assume that anything can happen and take extra precautionary steps to isolate your house to just you and your equipment. And by all means label the disconnect and lock it up so that a lineman or anyone else doesn’t accidentally open it and flip that circuit breaker should you not be there.
 
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