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Trailer mounted temp ground?
- Thread starter Fry199
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- 7,720
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- Charlotte NC
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Pretty simple rule is always drive a ground and test it's continuity before making power. Yeah, I know. It can be a pain in the anatomy to drive a ground and test it, but dying is even less fun...
Here is a two page OSHA piece on grounding. It talks about frame ground and the need.
Why are we grounding ? Why are we tieing the trailer to earth ground ? Nothing i know of mobil on rubber tires sinking a ground rod unless maybe the guys that rent the BIG generators for temp service and most of them dont ! Unless you have a solid metal box on your trailer your turning into a feriday cage . And if you do need to put ground rod in the ground carry a gallon of water and a 2 lb thing of table salt and a 4 ft copper rod and 2 lb sledge keep wetting the hole and pouring salt when driving the rod the salt will make a better earth ground than just driving a rod in dry ground !
- 7,720
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- Charlotte NC
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I don't disagree very often, but these MEPs are designed to have ground. It is safety more than anything and bonding the frame and trailer is just one step more - but the code calls for it.
NEC code has a little 3 page doc and about 40 words than talks about grounding.
Is the generator mounted on a trailer on rubber tires? Thats my main question cause there would be no difference between a generator running on a parked bus vs a trailr mounted generator because if there was any hint of that senario being code every union electrician i handed my tails to would have put a rod in the ground and that never happend in 30 yrs and them guy dont let you get away with nothing lol
- 7,720
- 19,767
- 113
- Location
- Charlotte NC
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Yes sir. As I understand it, the generator is on the trailer. On rubber tires, but they also don't stay attached to the truck (all the time) and the legs are steel on dirt. So it is similar but different?
Agreed 100% that the card carrying electrician isn't going to let you get away with anything! I did more reading and there are supposedly generators that don't require grounding - but these military generators specify grounding.
- 16,790
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- Burgkunstadt, Germany
No. Simply no. If you do not ground the trailer, you become the ground when you walk over to do something to it. I know people who have not just gone to the hospital for getting shocked by a trailer mounted gen set, but have had to be medically retired due to the damage the shock caused their body. The Army kills at least 2 people a yer, due to no ground/improper grounding of trailer mounted gen sets.
- 16,790
- 24,135
- 113
- Location
- Burgkunstadt, Germany
All gen sets come with a ground rod and cables. All trailer mounted gen sets come with a ground rod and cables. If they were not needed, you can bet they would not be there.
- 16,790
- 24,135
- 113
- Location
- Burgkunstadt, Germany
This is the CECOM document covering grounding and bonding. Good read.
- 7,720
- 19,767
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- Location
- Charlotte NC
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Thanks Guy!
That was what I was attempting to say... These GenSets are a lot like bucket trucks. That ground driven in the dirt makes a better path to ground that the human that walks around the front of the bucket truck - and leans against the truck - as the bucket gets close to an energized line. And when "the juice" jumps from the line to the bucket to "the leaner" really bad things happen.
Think about it in terms of the path of least resistance
Copy that on them requiring ground rod im always trying to pay attention when useing great big generators we had a cat generator we carried with us on a tour years ago it was so big it was the entire 48 ft trailer and you had to enter walk in doors in the side of it . It would power the show if the buildings didnt have enough power to run both lights and sound plus it would put out distribution ports for all the busses to tie into them to kill all the small generators from running all day and this thing was so quite you would see a puff of smoke ever once in a while when it would cycle i always loved seeing how all of that stuff worked but i pittied the poor guys dragging all that massive cabble out every morning and then back in every nite them boys went straight to bed when we got rolling every nite no lolly gagging around !
See comment below I plan on grounding, I'm looking for efficient and quick ways to ground then remove.ground when I'm ready to pack the trailer up and go home
I know you know generators in all forms so for the non knowing like myself for me to understand this why dont i have to tie to a ground rod while running a 25 k generator on a bus or motorhome ?
have you ever seen a t post puller you can get them at tractor supply
I'll check them out and see if they'll work. Also on my stationary ones I drive the full length rod in to ensure good ground but is that necessary on a quick temporary day or 2 setup? Or will 4 or 5 feet work?
- 7,720
- 19,767
- 113
- Location
- Charlotte NC
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A lot of "quick and efficient" is how involved you want to get in the removal before driving away. I have seen many folks use bolt cutters below the dirt. I was going to suggest a post puller but @chucky beat me to that suggestion.
Another idea is finding the official driver and removal tool that looks a lot like a dent puller on steroids.Me personally, I think I would try to tools. Then whip out the bolt cutters (below ground level please) and drive on. Good copper clad grounding rods are not so expensive.
Minimum in the dirt should be 4 feet.
ONnly a meter can tell but an old union electrician showed how to get ground when we couldnt driving in dry ground the water and salt made a hell of a difference on the meter when they would test the difference
OR a chain and a high lift jack and a pair of vice grips on the ground rod