Hey! If you are finding the answer, how to ground your generator at home, you are in the right place.
Today! I am going to show you how to ground your portable generator, as you know the portable generator is the most required electric tool, there are some points in life when you need it at any cost.
If you want to go on an adventure or face a power outage problem at your home or need to complete your office works, you mostly need a portable generator.
When we think about our safety then a portable generator is a safe tool as compared to the other motors-driven tools.
And,
Before grounding your generator you have to ask yourself two questions and its very important:
- Is my generator needs to be grounded?
- Do I know how to do it?
Sometimes you face circumstances, where you need to ground your portable generator and company, are not design all portable generator to be grounded and even you don't need to be ground all the generators.
In this article we are going to show you all the things how to ground your portable generator, should you ground a portable generator, and how do you ground a portable generator to your home? and how you can ground do it safely without any risk.
You can also read how to connect a generator to your home.
Understanding of The Electrical Grounding
All the generator whether it is large generators or small generators they all needs be grounded for the safe power operations. Grounding ensures the safety of the generators by allowing detection of the faults in them.
By providing the grounding we are providing a closer path for fault current because with the help of this we can detect the fault and can save the generator short circuit because it can cause a fire if it is not grounded.
That's why we connect a copper wire from the generator's frame to the ground. so it can provide a safe operation.
And,
The best way to know that your generator needs to be grounded or not, check the user manual but if it is not showing you have two options, you can check yourself or you can ask the manufacturer.
You need to ground your generator if your generator supplies a transfer switch that opens the grounded neutral conductor and if it is not, your generator doesn't need to be grounded, it is all about your and your generator's safety.
Do You Need To Ground Your Portable Generator or Not?
Before we do anything right or wrong we need to ensure our safety first and it is also about our generator, yes all the generator needs to be grounded, and also you can check the user manual of your generator, that it needs to be grounded or not.
because nowadays most of the generator's engine and fuel tanks come attached to the frame of the generator it means they don't need to be grounded.
Also, company always mention in their user manual what you can do or not, so this must read task for you.
How To Ground Your Portable Generator Step By Step
If your portable generator needs to be grounded then you need some tools to do that but first you have to wire your generator’s transfer switch to a grounding rod for safety.
The Tools You Needed to Ground a Portable Generator
There are some important tools you need to ground your generator:
- Copper Grounding Wire - Solid
- Copper Grounding Rod - 4 Foot
- Set of Wire Strippers
- Hammer or Mallet
Copper Grounding Wire: Copper grounding wire will help you to connect the grounding bolt on your generator with the grounding rod and don't be greedy in this case please make sure you have a bit more extra wire than you need.
It will help you in case you have to increase the distance of your buried rod.
Copper Grounding Rod: Copper grounding rod is the most important part of this all this process as it is designed to be driven into the ground but you have to ensure the length of the copper rod at least you need a 4-foot rod for safe grounding where any electrical current can be safely dissipated, and it's your wish you can increase the length but 4 foot is necessary.
Wire Strippers: It is small but also one of the important tools in this process and you need these tools to strip wires so you can connect them easily with the grounding rod and grounding bolt.
Hammer or Mallet: You need a heavy hammer so you can properly ground the grounding rod and also you have to be aware you are hitting it right because if you will hit it wrong it can be the reason for poor connection.
Now Here Is The Three Steps:
Step -1 Copper Ground Rod Installation
In this process, you have to hammer the grounding rod into the ground and you have to make sure that you ground it at least 8 feet deep into the ground for safety purposes, you can get the idea after look at the surface, how to bury it deep in the ground.
This is an important point while you are installing it, you have to keep in mind if you are grounding it in rocky terrain, then try to grounding it that it should not cross the 45% degree angle.
Step -2 Connect Copper Wire to Copper Rod
Now when we have successfully finished the grounding work now it's time to use the wire strippers and strip wire so you can wrap it around the copper rod and use the pliers to cover it fully and tightly.
Step -3 Connecting Process Generator to the Grounding Rod
This is the last and a very simple step left for you just strip the other side of copper wire and connect generator to the grounding rod.
safety tips: While connecting copper wire to the generator tighten the bolt.
Wrap Up
There is no doubt now days company is designing generator according to the customer facility so you don't need to take any headache but it is important to know all these things if you are the user of generator.
Maybe you can tell others how to ground your portable generator and can help them also this is very easy once you have rights tools in your hands.
I hope I have covered everything about this topic but if you have any question feel free to ask in comments.
Watch the video it will help you below: