MEP-803A wiring to a 50 amp plug (several questions)

[chilbun28]

Next week I'm getting a 200 amp manual transfer switch wired into my house with a 50 amp plug. I have a 50' 50 amp cord for my supply. We are going to make up a whip from the generator lugs to a 50 amp plug we will mount to the trailer fender. What wires go into which lugs on the generator for the (L1 L2 L3) for single phase 220? I'm sure the electrician knows or can figure it out with a multimeter, I'm just wanting to know before hand. As far as grounding the machine, is it necessary to bond it to the house grounding rod and if so where do I need to tie in my ground from the machine?

Also, I have a 5 ton A/C which list 152 Locked rotor amps on the sticker plate. I'm curious if the generator can handle that or if I should go ahead and install a soft start or a hard start kit before I even try.

I also have a 2015 Miller big blue 400 welding machine that puts out 10kw. Does anyone know anything about running them as a home stand by generator? In the manual it references doing it but I'm curious if the peak output and power quality is as good as what I hear the military generators produce. Basically its going to be a backup.

Guys, I'm really excited about getting my house prepped for power outages. I'm usually working during inclement weather systems and its going to be great knowing my family isn't in a bind if we loose power for an extended period of time. I really appreciate everyone's time and generosity steering me right.

 

[SCSG-G4]

Get the soft start kit. The machine will only produce about 125 amps for a short period of time. That 152 amps alone will stall the generator IMHO. More experienced individuals will speak up shortly.

 

[loosegravel]

The switch located inside of the main panel enclosure tells you what lugs to use based on the switch selection. The AM/VM switch on the main panel tells you what lugs the gauges are actually reading.

 

[loosegravel]

 

[Coug]

I see no issues with using the miller welder in power generation mode. It's a commercial level unit to begin with, and power output on generators these days is MUCH cleaner than it was decades ago, even for the cheaper gens.
The miller is also decades newer than the MEP-803A design.

I wouldn't hesitate in the slightest bit to hook that welder up to the same loads as the 803. Honestly, it might even be better than the 803 for fuel consumption and other things as well considering how much newer the engine design is.


peak output on the miller is 12kw, with 10k continuous. The 803 is rated to be 10kw at .8pf, so in reality it's a 12.5kw gen that some people have peaked out over 17kw if I recall correctly.
So if peak power is a concern, the 803 is better, but for running long periods of time the miller will probably come out ahead for fuel usage.

 

[loosegravel]

Get the soft start kit. The machine will only produce about 125 amps for a short period of time. That 152 amps alone will stall the generator IMHO. More experienced individuals will speak up shortly.

I’m also a believer in soft start kits. Even if you’re running on mainline power, they will increase the life expectancy of the equipment.

 

[chilbun28]

I’m also a believer in soft start kits. Even if you’re running on mainline power, they will increase the life expectancy of the equipment.

Thanks for your input, I think I'm going to go ahead and get it and be done with it.

 

[chilbun28]

I see no issues with using the miller welder in power generation mode. It's a commercial level unit to begin with, and power output on generators these days is MUCH cleaner than it was decades ago, even for the cheaper gens.

The miller is also decades newer than the MEP-803A design.



I wouldn't hesitate in the slightest bit to hook that welder up to the same loads as the 803. Honestly, it might even be better than the 803 for fuel consumption and other things as well considering how much newer the engine design is.





peak output on the miller is 12kw, with 10k continuous. The 803 is rated to be 10kw at .8pf, so in reality it's a 12.5kw gen that some people have peaked out over 17kw if I recall correctly.

So if peak power is a concern, the 803 is better, but for running long periods of time the miller will probably come out ahead for fuel usage.

Thanks for your time and thoughts regarding the Miller. The change/evolution in technology between the two was something I hadn't even considered. I think we will be sitting pretty good once my transfer switch gets wired in.

 

[WWRD99]

Next week I'm getting a 200 amp manual transfer switch wired into my house with a 50 amp plug. I have a 50' 50 amp cord for my supply. We are going to make up a whip from the generator lugs to a 50 amp plug we will mount to the trailer fender. What wires go into which lugs on the generator for the (L1 L2 L3) for single phase 220? I'm sure the electrician knows or can figure it out with a multimeter, I'm just wanting to know before hand. As far as grounding the machine, is it necessary to bond it to the house grounding rod and if so where do I need to tie in my ground from the machine?

Also, I have a 5 ton A/C which list 152 Locked rotor amps on the sticker plate. I'm curious if the generator can handle that or if I should go ahead and install a soft start or a hard start kit before I even try.

I also have a 2015 Miller big blue 400 welding machine that puts out 10kw. Does anyone know anything about running them as a home stand by generator? In the manual it references doing it but I'm curious if the peak output and power quality is as good as what I hear the military generators produce. Basically its going to be a backup.

Guys, I'm really excited about getting my house prepped for power outages. I'm usually working during inclement weather systems and its going to be great knowing my family isn't in a bind if we loose power for an extended period of time. I really appreciate everyone's time and generosity steering me right.

One thing to consider is the genset will do 52 amps at 220 so since it can go over that by several amps you might want to look at getting a bigger plug or hard wire it to the house from the genset with bigger wire...that depends on how far away the gen is from the house on how big of wire you'll need. What I am getting at is if you pull more than 50 amps through that plug it could catch fire. I did mine hardwired to the 200 amp transfer switch from the genset so all I have to do is flip the switch and I am off line. It runs my entire house but I only have a 3 ton ac with no soft start but it does start mine no problem. A soft start would be a great thing for your system though...the micro air 368 should work good and is 369.00 now online...does a 6 ton compressor so should be big enough. If you don't do the bigger wire you'd probably need to split your fuse box for what the genset powers and not the entire house, depending on your load too though. As far as the ground rod goes I did one at the machine and another at the house just to be safe...you should have one outside of the house already but I wanted another just for the genset side.

 

[chilbun28]

One thing to consider is the genset will do 52 amps at 220 so since it can go over that by several amps you might want to look at getting a bigger plug or hard wire it to the house from the genset with bigger wire...that depends on how far away the gen is from the house on how big of wire you'll need. What I am getting at is if you pull more than 50 amps through that plug it could catch fire. I did mine hardwired to the 200 amp transfer switch from the genset so all I have to do is flip the switch and I am off line. It runs my entire house but I only have a 3 ton ac with no soft start but it does start mine no problem. A soft start would be a great thing for your system though...the micro air 368 should work good and is 369.00 now online...does a 6 ton compressor so should be big enough. If you don't do the bigger wire you'd probably need to split your fuse box for what the genset powers and not the entire house, depending on your load too though. As far as the ground rod goes I did one at the machine and another at the house just to be safe...you should have one outside of the house already but I wanted another just for the genset side.

Thanks for your insight on the amperage output capabilities of the machine. I wasn't aware that it produced over 50 amps. Since my Miller puts out 50 I assume got caught up in just thinking the 803 did as well.
Where did you bond your ground to the generator? Did you tie into the grounding lug and go to the rod or did you just connect to the frame of the generator?

 

[loosegravel]

Definitely consult with your electrician. On single phase 120/240 you’re using lugs neutral, L1 & L3. There’s no power on L2 in single phase. Please refer to the previous photo of switch S8. The larger MEP’s don’t have the ability to switch between single and 3 phase. It’s what makes some of the smaller units more desirable.

 

[chilbun28]

Definitely consult with your electrician. On single phase 120/240 you’re using lugs neutral, L1 & L3. There’s no power on L2 in single phase. Please refer to the previous photo of switch S8. The larger MEP’s don’t have the ability to switch between single and 3 phase. It’s what makes some of the smaller units more desirable.

Thanks, I did see the switch and felt pretty comfortable that that was correct but it was just me assuming. Thanks for your help. Although I feel confident on wiring in the plug I'm certainly going to have the electrician do it while he installs the switch.

 

[WWRD99]

Thanks for your insight on the amperage output capabilities of the machine. I wasn't aware that it produced over 50 amps. Since my Miller puts out 50 I assume got caught up in just thinking the 803 did as well.
Where did you bond your ground to the generator? Did you tie into the grounding lug and go to the rod or did you just connect to the frame of the generator?

There's a bar on the lugs you have to remove...can't remember which one they're on now but it's extremely obvious when you look at the lugs...I think it's on the bottom 2?? I'm not sure what code is where you're at so have the electrician do that part. Oh and this machine will produce a ton of power...it thrives on being pushed...that 4 cylinder diesel has to be run under a load or it gets mad...wetsack exhaust...make sure you can run at 60 or 70 percent load for the most part. The gen is rated at 52 amps at 220 but it does more very easy. The wiring is pretty straight forward though. Should be able to find my thread on my install through my profile. I take a ton of pics so it's not to bad to look at.

 

[Ray70]

I think you're talking about the bonding strip in the lower right corner of the lug panel, remove it to separate neutral from ground when running a 4 wire hookup.