Disconnect Power When Using Generator?

[TechWriter]

We lost power to all sites in our park today. The park let us run our generators, but said we should disconnect our RVs from the power pedestal first.

Why?

[wnjj]

time2roll wrote:

wnjj wrote:
The park just doesn’t want every RV in the place to switch back to campground power at the same time when it returns. If people have to manually have to reconnect it spreads the load.

While you are correct... I understand that typically generator gets priority so I believe RVs would remain isolated until the generator was shut down.

I guess that makes sense in that the “normal” use doesn’t require energizing the relay coils full time, however much like unplugging you wouldn’t have an easy way to know the power was restored. I suppose you could have some circuits that only connect to shore power and/or a tattle tale indicator for shore power.

[time2roll]

wnjj wrote:
The park just doesn’t want every RV in the place to switch back to campground power at the same time when it returns. If people have to manually have to reconnect it spreads the load.

While you are correct... I understand that typically generator gets priority so I believe RVs would remain isolated until the generator was shut down.

[schlep1967]

Safety. Because if only legitimate electrician's worked on electrical systems and did everything to code, there is the chance of a malfunction and a worker encountering back feed from a generator.
Many people that work on RV's are not electricians nor do they have any clue what the code is. The things I've seen... Some people think it is perfectly acceptable to modify an extension cord so it has a male connector on each end. plug one end into your little generator and the other into any outlet on your camper and every electrical appliance running off of that breaker will work. AND power will be fed back into the pedestal and every other one on that breaker. It is likely at that point the breaker on the generator will continually kick. But what happens when the campground workcamper opens up a nearby pedestal to look for a bad connection when he knows the breaker for that loop has been turned off? And he grabs a wire just when extension cord guy resets the breaker on the generator?

[babock]

If they are having power issues, they may have power coming on and off as they restore it. Better to wait until its a constant good power before you reconnect your RV.

[2oldman]

All these answers are legit, but just for kicks I'd ask the park.

[wnjj]

The park just doesn’t want every RV in the place to switch back to campground power at the same time when it returns. If people have to manually have to reconnect it spreads the load.

[wa8yxm]

:When power fails you should keep it off for 3 full minutes Normally starting the Genny will take that long.. If you are in a trailer you will manually (most likely) Transfer the plug from the park to the genny. IN a motor home like mine you have an auto transfer switch

IF you transfer "HOT" (that is turn on the Generator or turn it off) especially with the A/C running two bad thins can happen

1: The ATS (Auto Transfer Switch) contactors can weld in place and disable the thing

2: damage to the air conditioner as it tries to Re-start with a full head of pressure (Takes 2-3 mintues to blead down)


Also if the ATS fails in one type of failure you can back feed the park. That one I've never seen happen personally. but I do know how it can happen.

Finally some folks have fancy "Back feed" systems (A cord with two male plugs, also known as a "Suicide cord" in this system you have to remember to flip switches (The main breaker) to OFF before you fire it up.. Very dangerous there is a reason it's called a "Suicide cord" and you can easily backfeed the park damagign your rig, the park's electrical system. your generator and killing a lineman.. Though that sounds extreme.. it has happened.

[gbopp]

I always disconnect from shore power before I start the generator, just in case the ATS malfunctions

[Beverley_Ken]

"With all the home wiring jobs discussed on RV.net it is a big unknown if all RVs still meet code to isolate the cord.

For a properly wired and maintained RV there is no issue."
X2. They
Probably had an issue umpteen years ago that fed power back into the park grid.

Ken

[time2roll]

TechWriter wrote:
We lost power to all sites in our park today. The park let us run our generators, but said we should disconnect our RVs from the power pedestal first.

Why?

With all the home wiring jobs discussed on RV.net it is a big unknown if all RVs still meet code to isolate the cord.

For a properly wired and maintained RV there is no issue.

[Dutch_12078]

The automatic transfer switch contacts can be damaged from switching power sources under load, especially larger loads like air conditioners, electric heaters, etc. There's also a remote, but very rare, possibility that a failed ATS could allow a back feed from one source to another due to welded contacts from arcing. Unplugging from shore power when running on generator power is just a reasonable safety measure. In those situations, I plug a lead light or night light into the shorepower utility outlet so I'll know when the line power is restored.

[pianotuna]

So that when the power returns you don't rely on the transfer switch to protect the generator in your RV.

[corvettekent]

So you don't back feed power back into the parks power grid.