GFCI and Generators

It's entirely possible that the GFCI outlet is feeding the twist-lock receptacle - most GFCI outlets can be used in pass-through mode.

Check the wiring on the generator.

John

John-

I posted this inquirey both here and on the generator forum of

Since no one has come forward to say it is a common problem, I went ahead and replaced the outlet. A new one is unlikely to be any worse than the old one! So far, it has been run about an hour and has not tripped yet.

The instructions that came with the new outlet showed how to connect additional outlets in the pass-through mode, and the original was definitely not connected that way. Both the GFCI and twist-lock outlets have separate feeds.

Someone at smokstak suggested that a switching transient might be causing the tripping. Although my loads are non-inductive, one of them has a thermostat that cycles periodically. If that happens to be the cause, it may not matter that the GFCI is not feeding the twist-lock outlet. The theory is that the switching transient at the input side of the GFCI outlet may be enough to make it trip. Time will tell.

Thanks for commenting.

Fred

You can run more protected outlets off the downstream side and more unprotected outlets off the upstream side.

the source is inductive, not the load. Very inductive in fact.

NT

NT-

Normally you would be correct. This little Yamaha generator has a 3-phase alternator whose output is rectified and sent to an inverter. The inverter produces a synthetic sine wave that is a constant 120.0 VAC at

60.1 Hz for resistive loads up to at least ten percent over the power rating.

Neither the owners manual nor the service manual has any information about what is inside the inverter module. The output may be inductive, but I can't tell.

If you can believe the advertising hype, the inverter's output should be cleaner than other generators.

Fred

The gen itself is a wound component, and will be as inductive as ever. What happens to the kickback that happens when the load is dumped? I suppose the invertor must have some energy absorption in there, otherwise it would die. Either way, if you dont use the gfci it wont cut the load. On portable gens you dont even get earthing much of the time, theyre pretty basic on the safety side. IT supplies in British/French terminology.

NT

snipped-for-privacy@care2.com spake thus:

IT as in "information technology"?

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