I'm getting ready to wire up a Prosine 1800 in my fifth wheel. I've purchased the Subpanel breakers/breaker box, conduit, 50' of 12-2 with GreenGround wire. (The inverter AC out wires will be the source for three outlets even though we will only use one appliance at a time) I've already figured out the load capacity.
I've read the 1800 manual pretty darn well but would like to verify the physical connections (Sub Panel and Outlets) for the Neutral and Ground wires specifically. An electrican I met at Home Depot provided some advise but would like some clarification about the wires that connect to the neutral bar in the sub panel and where the Green Ground wire connects in the sub panel. I can more or less read a schematic but photos always seem to help me feel more confident. Any help would sure be appreciated. That thread near here about some stray voltage makes me want to be even more cautious.
2004 2500 LS Crew Cab Shortbed (LLY-Duramax with OilGuard ByPass Filtration (2 Micron) and Nicktane Cat(2 Micron)for Fuel, 2007 HitchhikerIILS 32.5LKSBG. SuperGlide 16K, Twin Honda EU2000i's
In the main electrical panel, where the electric meter is at your house, or the campground, the white wire is bonded to the ground wire from the electrical service provider. The white wire is not bonded any other place to the ground wires (with the exception of some generators and inverters, when a relay is used to bound the neutral to ground while inverting or running the generator).
Basically you want to do this. The hot and neutral wires go to the inverter where it has an internal transfer switch. Then the output from the inverter goes to the sub-panel where the hot wire goes to the 30 amp main breaker and then the white is to a isolated white bussbar, and the grounds all connect to a bonded ground bussbar, that also has a wire going to your exsisting electrical panel (or to the green wire from the panel to the inverter if that is easier). You could run a ground wire to the RV frame, but that would be redundant.
By isolated, I mean that the bussbar for the white wires should not touch the ground metal in any way, and if you used an ohm meter, it would read the white bussbar to ground as open.
The ground bassbar should be less than 1 ohm to a ground on the RV frame or metal surfaces. That is where all the green wires or bare ground wires connect.
The white wire is sometimes reffered to as a grounded conductor, because that is basically what it is. It conducts the power back to the neutral bussbar from the loads, and if it should become disconnected, then the loads can see 120 volts to both of their terminals, but still not conduct power, and might become a device that can shock you if the white wire had been in-correctly connected to a ground wire, or grounded surface.
I hope this explains the purpose of the white wire not being grounded at any sub-panel. It is only grounded at the metered panel - because if the white wire breaks, you do not want it to be grounded someplace else, because that ground could start to conduct power in a un-safe way.
Fred.
Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche or Country Coach!
2005 Chevy Silverado 3500 Diesel Dually.2003 Newmar Kountry Star 35LKSA Fifth WheelRetired July 06 along with our Golden Retriever,Bonnie's memory 03/27/08Follow our Rainbow
Prosine is very simple IN the prosine are 4 wires and 2 screws (There is a 3rd screw you need to know about) as I recall.. Let me check... Yes
Two pair of wires and 2 screws
At the main breaker box you hook up the line to the Prosine (I would suggest using 10ga) just exactly as you would any other line,, Bare wire to the ground buss, black wire to the breaker, white wire to the neutral buss
At the sub panel you hook up the line FROM the prosine in much the same way.. White wire to the neutral (Insulated from box) buss, Bare to the Ground (Connected to box) buss, Black wire to the input buss or breaker (normally the buss in this case)
IN the prosine it's black to black, white to white and ground to screw.
There is one more screw.. This is not connected to but it's labeled, it has two holes you hook it into.. Mine is in the "Bonded" hole. This may cause issues with up-line GFCI breakers if you plug the rig into one.. If it does, move it to the "NON BONDED" hole
And again I'd recommend 10ga to the sub panel.. 2 reasons 1 is the prosine can pass more than it can generate, and the other is you might upgrade to a 2.0
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business John is Near Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
If I understand CAMike's question, at least part of it centers on the wiring INSIDE the sub-box he bought at Home Depot, and the nature of neutral/ground bonding vs separation.
I have this question also. I wired up a new inlet box with 30A breaker, which feeds my Prosine 2.0 (which also has a dynamic neutral bonding) and then returns to the GFCI panel which previously was the inlet. Everything works fine, but I want to make sure.
Could HVAC or others speak more about neutral/ground separation INSIDE the box? I'm looking at it and the neutral buss seems connected to the same panel wall that the green ground screw is.
--Does this constitute a bonding?
--Would a box normally bond as its default?
--Would any of this show up in testing the outlets?
--Would the use of the Prosine, with it's own ground bonding gibberish, make this issue go away, or make it even worse?
Thanks.
EDIT: I just saw wa8yxm's post re/the Posine, which is identical to mine. My Prosine instal is whole house, BEFORE the pre-existing entry point for shore power. I used all deffaults, including the default for bonding. Since it works perfectly, can I assume that the potential risk with incorrectly bonded/open neutral is no longer an issue?
I saw the photo with the inside of the subpanel box. Could someone verify that the ground and neutral wire do in fact get connected together on the same block (as is in the photo). I was told Not to connect those two together in the panel. Thanks for all the input so far. I appreciate the help.
By isolated, I mean that the bussbar for the white wires should not touch the ground metal in any way, and if you used an ohm meter, it would read the white bussbar to ground as open.
06 F250 V10 SB 4x4 Gulp Gulp
WW FSC2800
Rincon 650, Rhino
Power Wheels 750
"Shoot, I'm the world's best backwards driver!"
All I can add,is ,this installation has been working for the last two years without any problems.Also,my install was checked by a master electrician...he said I did good.
Offline
Online
