Happy Days? MAYBE SO
- Thread starter sdagro
- Start date
porthole
Retired
I believe this is very dangerous and certainly not the way to get around the portable generator issue.
Although, I am not an electrician, so your mileage may vary.
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
What if... Take a short, say 3 foot, grounding rod and ground the trailer frame directly. Would that serve the same purpose? I had to do this once in Corpus Christi to keep the GFI from going nuts. It appears the pedestal didn't have a very good ground. (I was on a full concrete site)
wdk450
Well-known member
Duane:
This is not very dangerous. It is akin to taking one side of a battery (floating power supply like a portable generator), and and attaching it to the ground wiring. This is exactly the wiring connection in the park supply pedistal. The fundimental thing the jumper does is make the neutral supply potential to ground 0 volts, rather than the "floating in air", undefined to earth ground voltage it was. Ideally there will never be any current flow in a ground wiring circuit absent of an electrical short. The short should trip the hot breaker on the circuit and remove the power very quickly. That would be the only time this jumper wire has current flow on it.
Ray:
Simply grounding the frame of the trailer to earth does not do what the EMS wants to see to allow current flow. The EMS wants to see a CONNECTION between the ground and neutral feed. Your trailer gets some grounding (how good is extremely variable) from the front landing gear feet on the earth/concrete (and yes, I can tell you from a shock I once got in high school that concrete DOES conduct electricity).
My statements come from experience both as an RVer and a 30 year career in medical electronics. I am familiar with floating (ungrounded) 110VAC power systems and their properties, as they are routinely used in operating rooms. I am also pretty familiar with ground referenced power systems as they are part of all the hospital electrical safety testing done on new and existing medical devices.
This is not very dangerous. It is akin to taking one side of a battery (floating power supply like a portable generator), and and attaching it to the ground wiring. This is exactly the wiring connection in the park supply pedistal. The fundimental thing the jumper does is make the neutral supply potential to ground 0 volts, rather than the "floating in air", undefined to earth ground voltage it was. Ideally there will never be any current flow in a ground wiring circuit absent of an electrical short. The short should trip the hot breaker on the circuit and remove the power very quickly. That would be the only time this jumper wire has current flow on it.
Ray:
Simply grounding the frame of the trailer to earth does not do what the EMS wants to see to allow current flow. The EMS wants to see a CONNECTION between the ground and neutral feed. Your trailer gets some grounding (how good is extremely variable) from the front landing gear feet on the earth/concrete (and yes, I can tell you from a shock I once got in high school that concrete DOES conduct electricity).
My statements come from experience both as an RVer and a 30 year career in medical electronics. I am familiar with floating (ungrounded) 110VAC power systems and their properties, as they are routinely used in operating rooms. I am also pretty familiar with ground referenced power systems as they are part of all the hospital electrical safety testing done on new and existing medical devices.
Received my EMS in mail yesterday. Missing 2 of the 4 screws that attaches the lid. Is this normal. Gonna save it to install in whatever my new camper will be this. Been looking hard and can't find one to match my 3670 as far as comfort, live-ability and storage. Might be in another Bighorn after all. Still looking. Steve
JohnDar
Prolifically Gabby Member
Try calling Progressive, Steve? You should not be missing any screws...or have any loose
boatto5er
Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Same here. Check the baggie.
jnbhobe
Well-known member
Me Too!!! Me Too!!! What they said.
boatto5er
Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Sorry Steve - I don't think we're trying to gang up on you here. Heck, I lost a pencil one time and found it behind my ear when I scratched my head wondering where it could be. DOH! Now that I'm older I don't have that problem because I forget to scratch my head!
JohnDar
Prolifically Gabby Member
Since the first install of mine was by the dealer, all the screws were in place when I worked on it. Forgot about that tidbit. One word of advice, though, if you're installing it yourself. Getting the ground wire connected inside is almost as bad, if not worse, than connecting the main leads. The screw is short and tricky to get #6 wires under. I managed to drop mine into the belly of the trailer, never to be seen again. A machine screw, slightly longer, with a washer, works fine.
Sorry for the delay. Computer has been down. Other screws were in the bag under the cover. Thanks. Steve
