Working Pro Power using Generator Lockout Kit to Feed the Whole Panel

[Maquis]

Interesting, but you would have to touch both, which doesn't seem to be easy if you have a cable connecting and providing power. Not to say you couldn't do it, but it would be kind of difficult if you were parked on your driveway and the ground for the panel was on the side of the house driven into the ground. Am I correct in this thinking? My background is not electricity, so I have no issues sounding dumb.

Basically correct. If you were barefoot on wet pavement, you could feel a shock touching the truck. Depends on a lot of factors.

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[Henry Ford]

To add…the reason that the truck chassis could be at some voltage potential relative to ground is due to voltage drop on the neutral wire between the truck and your panel. So you could feel a shock if you touched the truck and your home’s ground point. It’s not going to be much, but you could feel it, and yes, it will trip the GFCI. Everything from your panel, downstream into your home is no different than running on utility power.

I discovered this phenomenon while playing guitar and singing (both poorly) into a microphone that was attached to an old ungrounded amp. The circuit was completed through me when my lips touched the metal mic at the same time my fingers were touching the guitar strings. In my case there was no GFCI to protect me.

Basically correct. If you were barefoot on wet pavement, you could feel a shock touching the truck. Depends on a lot of factors.

I think a more likely scenario would be touching some metal object that is plugged into your house while touching your truck. I don't know what that object would be but it didn't occur to me that I would electrocute myself playing Sweet Home Alabama either.

 

[dww]

I discovered this phenomenon while playing guitar and singing (both poorly) into a microphone that was attached to an old ungrounded amp. The circuit was completed through me when my lips touched the metal mic at the same time my fingers were touching the guitar strings. In my case there was no GFCI to protect me.



I think a more likely scenario would be touching some metal object that is plugged into your house while touching your truck. I don't know what that object would be but it didn't occur to me that I would electrocute myself playing Sweet Home Alabama either.

Wouldn’t it be if you were touching a grounded metal box/appliance/tool connected on your house plugs (that was not separately GFCI protected) and also touched the truck while you were using the truck as a generator. You would be two unconnected grounds that were bonded to two unconnected neutrals. I have a garage plug next to the truck that when using Pro Power could be such a plug.

 

[Maquis]

I discovered this phenomenon while playing guitar and singing (both poorly) into a microphone that was attached to an old ungrounded amp. The circuit was completed through me when my lips touched the metal mic at the same time my fingers were touching the guitar strings. In my case there was no GFCI to protect me.



I think a more likely scenario would be touching some metal object that is plugged into your house while touching your truck. I don't know what that object would be but it didn't occur to me that I would electrocute myself playing Sweet Home Alabama either.

I used to do a lot work on old guitar amps. They had a circuit that connected the chassis to one of the incoming power lines and a switch to alternate which incoming line went to chassis. No polarized plugs or equipment grounds in those days. If the switch was in the wrong position, the hot line ended up connected to chassis and hence the guitar strings. A microphone plugged in to a properly grounded PA results in what you experienced. I’ve seen a lot of guitar players get zapped like that.

In most cases, I can’t see something plugged into the house in the vicinity of the truck. Especially if you’re only powering necessary loads. If I needed to run a tool or something near the truck, I’d just plug in directly to ProPower. But you’re right, it could happen.

 

[Henry Ford]

Wouldn’t it be if you were touching a grounded metal box/appliance/tool connected on your house plugs (that was not separately GFCI protected) and also touched the truck while you were using the truck as a generator. You would be two unconnected grounds that were bonded to two unconnected neutrals. I have a garage plug next to the truck that when using Pro Power could be such a plug.

Exactly. I was thinking a vacuum cleaner or power tool but most everything these days is made of plastic and/or battery powered. In reality, the odds of electrocuting someone with an ungrounded power inlet box is pretty low. It's not zero though.

 

[EVpower]

Consider the situation if a Lightning or portable generator with a neutral to chassis bond, and no ground connection is feeding a 120/240 panel with the neutral to earth connection. Should the generator source neutral to panel connection become open, the truck/generator chassis would become hot to earth from 120 to up to 240 volts depending on the total load resistances on each line leg. Additionally, high line voltage would be applied to some of the 120-volt loads.

Steve

 

[Danface]

Consider the situation if a Lightning or portable generator with a neutral to chassis bond, and no ground connection is feeding a 120/240 panel with the neutral to earth connection. Should the generator source neutral to panel connection become open, the truck/generator chassis would become hot to earth from 120 to up to 240 volts depending on the total load resistances on each line leg. Additionally, high line voltage would be applied to some of the 120-volt loads.

Steve

Question, the truck has GFCI built in, wouldn't that trip if chassis went to ground (by say trying to passing through a human)?

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