Dirty Electric GENERAC Gasoline 8000 Watt Back Electrical Panel: SOLVED!

[NJGUY]

DISCLAIMER: I AM A PLUMBER WHO THINKS HE KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT ELECTRIC. OK?

Lost power at pole

Back Fed a 2 Pole 30 AMP breaker with a Generac 8000 WATT Gasoline. 12/3 WIRE. Also grounded circuit to the house 1" K Copper copper water main.

The entire house worked, TV, lighting, Internet, even latest componentry-based refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashing machine etc.

My house has two HVAC zones. Two separate Carrier HVAC Units (Natural Gas Heat) weeks old and they just did not seem to be playing nice with my Generac Gasoline generator. I could do some power resets and try and clear the led error code sequence (45 , 5 slow blinks followed by 4 fast blinks) which is all about the computer boards not liking some electrical current issues. This is documented with my system.

So, I went and installed a panel surge protector device in this 200 amp service.

Followed best practices, killed heating circuit(s) at the panel. Waited one hour.

No good. Same code, 45.

Seems that even though the surge arrestor protector was properly installed it could still not clean the dirty electric.

I actually got the heat on once briefly after this after more resets but only for like 2 hours before it stopped again back to code 45.

So I do not want to fry my boards.

My research compelled me to buy a 3500 WATT Inverter Generator (120 20 AMPS was my need). Real quiet by the way and uses very little gasoline vs. standard gasoline construction generators such as my afore mentioned 8000 watt Generac gasoline powered generator.

So I stood up this secondary gasoline powered 3500 watt invertor generator and grounded it immediately to the 1" K Copper.

So now I have 2 gas generators grounded to the homes water main.

I disconnect the HVAC wires for only one zone. The circuits Ground, Neutral and Line. i.e. I remove the ground and neutral from the panel as well.

I created a circuit from the standard 110 plug receptacle output on the generator as the sole source energy for the HVAC circuit.

Waited another hour.

HOUSE IS RED HOT. ITS 23 DEGREEES HERE. NEEDED HEAT ON. I WON!

CONCLUSION:

When dealing with computer boards on heating systems, use clean electric invertor gasoline generators. Which is doable. At least for me it worked.

YOU CAN USE A GASOLINE GENERATOR AS I DID ABOVE AND NOT EXPERIENCE COMPUTER BOARD HELL.

These are my unqualified findings.

 

[itsmoked]

Sounds like those Carrier HVAC Units are far too tender.

There are so many different reasons for that lame error code you could still have a problem.

I hope you've correctly tied the ground and neutral together on that one circuit hooked to the lone generator.

I also hope you have the generators 10 feet from any opening what-so-ever on the house. I also hope that you've most definitely purchased and installed Carbon Monoxide detectors with displays in the living spaces near the generators.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[EdStainless]

My Trane is fine with my generator (rough old one). But there was something in the house that I don't recall now that didn't play well. I didn't bother with isolation transformers or filter caps.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[TugboatEng]

Grounding is 100% unnecessary on low voltage systems for operation. Safety is another story. But, if you're chasing grounding issues when diagnosing operational problems you're barking up the wrong tree.

I have seen issues with induction motors starts on low capacity generator sets. The induction start causes such a voltage drop on the system it knocks out other systems. I've seen it so bad it drops out maintaining relays on three wire motor controllers.

 

[TugboatEng]

And just tonight I got a phone call about DC bus undervoltage on a variable frequency drive. I just installed the drive last week so there is suspicion there but I suspect a failing voltage regulator on the tugboat's generator.

 

[Crowbar1]

The burner controls on modern furnaces rely on proper neutral grounding/bonding for the flame sensors to operate properly. It's likely code 45 is for control lockout after ignition was not proven.

Rich

PRA