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MJW
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2013 10:00pm - Edited by: MJW
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We are finishing up the electrical now and I want to hook up these 2 Hondas I recently bought to see exactly how they will do as a backup to the solar we have planned.
We put a 100 amp panel box in our place and wired it standard as you would a regular, on the grid place.
No 220 appliances are being used. The stove, water heater and back up heat are all propane. The ac we are using when needed is 110, plugging into a standard outlet.
The microwave (for occasional use) is a 900 watt unit.
For you guys that are using them to power your cabins, exactly how are you running them through your panel box?
Can you use only the companion unit during times when you have very low power needs or do they both have to be hooked up in parallel at all times to use them in this way?
Thanks for any help.
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MJW
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2013 07:48pm
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wow...56 looks and no one knows? 
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davey25
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2013 08:37pm
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Wouldn't you just use them to charge our batteries when the solar isn't keeping up
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ShabinNo5
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2013 08:40pm
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We have a separate cut over panel that accepts a 220 connection from our generator. The cut over panel is then wired to the main service panel. This setup services six circuits allowing power to feed from either the generator or the grid. Currently we only have power from the generator.
I had an electrician install our setup. If you want more details I will take pictures on our next visit north. 
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2013 08:49pm
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Quoting: MJW We are finishing up the electrical now and I want to hook up these 2 Hondas I recently bought to see exactly how they will do as a backup to the solar we have planned. We put a 100 amp panel box in our place and wired it standard as you would a regular, on the grid place. No 220 appliances are being used. The stove, water heater and back up heat are all propane. The ac we are using when needed is 110, plugging into a standard outlet. The microwave (for occasional use) is a 900 watt unit. For you guys that are using them to power your cabins, exactly how are you running them through your panel box? Can you use only the companion unit during times when you have very low power needs or do they both have to be hooked up in parallel at all times to use them in this way? Thanks for any help.
I use a single Honda EU2000i and it runs my 1000 watt microwave. But I make sure nothing else is running at the same time except lights.
OK, if you are going to feed your 220V panel, you need to tie the 2 input (line 1 and line 2) together. Use a very large gauge chunk of black wire and jump across the top of the panel where your service would normally come in. (it need to be rated for the generator amps you will feed it with. I'd recommend 10AWG, good for 30 amps or even larger) You will have the 2 line inputs and the neutral. Jump the 2 line ones together. I suspect you are feeding it through a 110VAC input plug?
If you dont do this jumper, you will only power up every other breaker/circuit on each side. Basically only half will have power.
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GomerPile
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2013 08:50pm
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If you have a companion unit you can run one or both.
If you wired your box like an on grid home then you have 4 wires: ground rod which is tied to neutral in the panel, and 2 hot wires which connect to the main breaker. This arrangement is problematic since your generator is a 120v only unit.
To power the entire house you have 2 options: 1) only power half the panel...put breakers and circuits on one side (depends on panel you are using QO 6 circuit panel is every other breaker for example), or 2) tie the two hot leads on the main breaker together and this ties to the hot wire from the generator.
Nothing wrong with doing it the way you are.
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MJW
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2013 09:16pm
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Thanks guys. I appreciate the help.
I knew there were several of you here using this same model to run your cabins so I knew it could be done just not sure how. I have read everything on the web I could find about it from the questionable to the downright unsafe and thought it would be best to just ask here.
So, Gomer, can you break it down a little more for someone not as well versed in electricity as you?
We wired the house exactly as it would be for on grid living. With this in mind, can we run a heavy wire (10/3) from the 100 A main breaker to a 30 A twist type generator plug for the companion unit?
The only additional step to make this work (to run the entire house and all circuits instead of every other one without putting all breakers on one side of the box) would be to tie the two hot leads on the main breaker together?
Any other steps I am missing?
I am assuming, per tmt's comment, that one EU2000i will run pretty much everything in our place using some common sense power management. We have become pretty proficient at that, living in a 30 amp powered RV for over a year.
I just want to make sure that what we do is a safe set up to use now while the house is being completed and for the interim if needed until the solar can be installed.
The guy that is supposed to do our solar is currently in Haiti doing a big job there and I am afraid he is not going to be back in time to complete our set up before we are ready to move in. I am looking at running the house using the generator(s) as a possible solution in the meantime just in case.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:30am - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Yes, you can run an "input" or "inlet" as its called. If you are going to use 10AWG wire, then 30 amp circuit breaker is needed. I would just run a 10-3 to a 30 Amp RV inlet plug, run it off of a 30 amp single pole 120V breaker. So the black would go to the breaker, white to neutral and bare to the ground bar, which will be bonded at the panel.
Here is your inlet:
http://www.amazon.com/Park-Power-301ELRV-Standard-Inlet/dp/B000E3V9R6
As for the service inlet at the panel (this is where utility would tie into your panel) jump across where line 1 and line 2 would hook (this is only if you are powering it with a 110V generator. It must be removed if you use a 220V generator to power it). Just make sure your jumper is also a 30AWG wire. Not smaller than what you are feeding the system with. Then the single pole 30A breaker you installed for this circuit is now your main. If your panel has a main, it must be on also to tie both legs together via the jumper you installed.
Now you just need to make your "patch cord" that fits between the generator and cabin inlet. One end will have the std 15 amp plug, opposite with have a female 30 AMP RV style plug. This makes it also safe too.
For hooking up inside the plug ends on your patch cord, black wire to the gold screw, white wire to the silver screw bare or green wire to the green screw. Applies to both ends.
Does this make sense?
My Honda (just one) runs it all, with ease. And on "eco mode" too. I have all CFL bulbs, just to free up energy for others, but it would run std bulbs with ease anyway. I have used this generator to run my 6 gallon air compressor and all air nailers, shop vac, skil saw. My worm drive start up load is the only item is labors on. I just need to start it, give it a second to spool up before i get into the wood. Once its spooled up, cuts with ease. Everything else, the gennie doesn't even work up a sweat.
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:28am
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Not claiming to be an expert, but this is what's obvious to me:
You should not connect 2 hot wires together from 2 generators which could be running at the same time. AC is not like DC in this regard. Each generator produces it own sinusoidal wave, independent of each other (I am not aware of the way to sync them).
You could wire 2 generators to power 2 separate circuits at the same time, but you will not be able to use 200V appliances for the same reason of sin-waves not being synchronized.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:09pm
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Can you try one generator and see if it works before worrying about the other? It doesn't sound like you use a lot of power. Also if one generator works then you will know better than anyone how many panels you will need when its time to buy. If half the panel has enough slots I would stay on the one side, keep it simple and obvious.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:11pm
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C/B, he speaks of the 2 Honda EU2000i and the parallel kit which ties both 2000 watt gennies to make 4000 watts. The kit uses the phasing of the 2 inverter gennies to get it all in time/synchronized using solid state circuitry. These gennies make AC electronically.
The 2 gennies phased together still only have a single output which comes off the parallel jumper kit which he would tie into his inlet plug. I'm certain he can run it all on a single Honda gennie though. Based on my first hand experience anyway.
I dont think he was thinking of running one leg with one gennie, other leg with other gennie.
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 01:00pm
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Oh, thanks for the clarification, toyota_mdt_tech.
Didn't realize the 'parallel kit'.
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GomerPile
Member
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:51pm
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exactly what Toyota_mdt_tech said.....
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rayyy
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:38pm
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Using both genny's together is only to generate 220 volt for an electric dryer or a 220 welder or 220 motor.If you have no 220 volt appliances,you only need to run one genny into your cabin.I'll give you some examples.Just having your T.V. on won't even make your genny rev up at all.Sterio,computer,a few light's,all those little loads will be fine.A toaster or a microwave,vaccuum cleaner,hair dryer,now those will make your genny rev up to produce enough electricity to run them,which is ok but you never turn 2 on at the same time.Just run one at a time. If you wired up your 100 amp panel to both gennys(One on the left,one on the right)That's ok but only if your using a double pole breaker to power up somthing 220 volt.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:54pm
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Quoting: rayyy Using both genny's together is only to generate 220 volt
No, it is to double the total wattage output, voltage remains at 120
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:57pm
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its called a parallel kit for good reason think batteries batteries in parallel double amps but volts stay the same
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GomerPile
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# Posted: 22 Mar 2013 07:08am
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The companion kit only boosts the amperage you can draw not the voltage. For example you want to run an AC unit and the single generator stalls out when it tries to start. You fire up the companion unit (doubling the available amperage) and the unit starts ok.
I like the idea of dual Hondas rather than one large generator because it provides redundancy. Odds that 2 generators fail at the same time is low and 2000w will power 90% of what you own.
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MJW
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# Posted: 24 Mar 2013 01:05pm
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OK, here is what we have wired up.
We ran a 10-3 wire from the main panel box, through the wall to a location outside of the house where we will be housing the generators. A 30 amp generator plug was attached that will plug into the Honda there.
Clear as mud right now on what needs to be done INSIDE the box to make this thing work.
Gomer or TMT....can we try this one more time? Anybody got a picture?
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