Grounding necessary? question for extension cord style electrical system

[Nachowarrior]

i dont think the ground screw should be in if it is a sub panel.

[w8one]

Originally Posted by Nachowarrior

i dont think the ground screw should be in if it is a sub panel.

Ground definitely yes.
Bonding AC Neutral (household white wire) to ground NO.

[kazetsukai]

The All About RV's YouTube channel showed off a "surge protector":

RV Surge Protection Is It Worth It?

It was a "SurgeGuard Model 44280". In addition to surge protection, it would detect and diagnose common faulty wiring scenarios from the pedestal.

Are there any upstream fault scenarios that would make this worth the investment?

[JDOnTheGo]

I've never had a problem with shore power but I've heard stories from folks who have (real and imagined). I hard-wired in some protection (Progressive Dynamic Pd52Dcsv).

The scenario that I imagined was an event that destroyed all of my 120VAC electrical components (refrigerator, microwave, charger, etc.). I concluded that the added expense of some protection was cheaper than replacing all of those items. Obviously worst case and no guarantees.

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by JDOnTheGo

The scenario that I imagined was an event that destroyed all of my 120VAC electrical components (refrigerator, microwave, charger, etc.).

What was the scenario? Open neutral?

[Nachowarrior]

Originally Posted by w8one

Ground definitely yes.
Bonding AC Neutral (household white wire) to ground NO.

i sifted through some results. i need to referwnce.my.manuals again. but as far as i can tell, the green ground screw shouldnt be in. im not an eletrician, but i go with all the results. mine is set up like this;
50amp (dual 50amp 180 degrees out of phase)
full sub panel, ground bar and nuetral bar separate.
i have it on a dual gfci breaker.
the breaker does pop correctly, it has popped before, ie worked correctly.
i do not have the ground screw in the sub panel. im relying on the shore ground, which i have inspected and it is indeed wired and grounded properly.
i used a few resources. i have a few electricricians books that i referenced when i did mine along with search reaults and this web site;

http://www.myrv.us/electric/

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=sub+panel+...&t=fpas&ia=web


edit; this thread is about just sub panels;

http://www.contractortalk.com/f5/und.../topics/109377

forums are not always sooper reliable, but i tend to go where i see concensus over multiple results. the sub panel should not be bonded. ie; the green screw gets removed according to the results. i prefer electrician manuals myself.

[JDOnTheGo]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

What was the scenario? Open neutral?

Oh, sorry... I didn't have any specific scenarios in mind - just something very, very bad like a huge power spike. I'm imaginative enough to come up with bad things but not smart enough to know how real they might be. So, I just provided some reasonable protection for my system.

[Rivetboy]

" im not an eletrician"

Dammit Jim, send that matchbook cover in to Sally Struthers Pronto!

If only one person gets this I am leaving happy..

[Rivetboy]

Originally Posted by JDOnTheGo

Oh, sorry... I didn't have any specific scenarios in mind - just something very, very bad like a huge power spike. I'm imaginative enough to come up with bad things but not smart enough to know how real they might be. So, I just provided some reasonable protection for my system.

Most all of these type of current limiting devices use MOV devices which is a varistor that physcially degrades internally when it takes a hit and you have no clue how much degradation has taken place. When you get that big hit later on in this devices life is when they occasionally fail spectacuraly and blow out the case. Or, if they take a hit as in when two high lines touch in the wind or the neutral is lost and blow out the case. If your site does not burn down it is easy to locate and repair the problem.
They certainly have a place in protecting your electrical system and making you aware of the status of what you are plugging into but are no substitute for a properly designed, wired and maintained electrical system.

[formulagirl]

cant over ground, ground everything, safety first.

[dan-fox]

Originally Posted by Rivetboy

Most all of these type of current limiting devices use MOV devices which is a varistor that physcially degrades internally when it takes a hit and you have no clue how much degradation has taken place.

In a previous life I worked for a company that did (among other things) power quality analysis for computer rooms. Back when computers were much larger than one person could carry around. I do know that one of the metal oxide varistor's limitations is that it is too slow by two orders of magnitude to catch your typical incoming spike. It'll protect motors, switches, and relays, but not electronics. Beware. Real power protection devices cost real money.

[formulagirl]

Originally Posted by dan-fox

In a previous life I worked for a company that did (among other things) power quality analysis for computer rooms. Back when computers were much larger than one person could carry around. I do know that one of the metal oxide varistor's limitations is that it is too slow by two orders of magnitude to catch your typical incoming spike. It'll protect motors, switches, and relays, but not electronics. Beware. Real power protection devices cost real money.

To protect my really nice electronic stuff i have used capacitors to even out the charge of electricity, fight the spike. I guess the more stuff you plan on running the more money you need. I keep it simple. easy.....

[easy rider]

Proper RV chassis grounding to prevent "hot skin" condition - RV Travel

https://yourfulltimervliving.com/rv-...of-a-young-boy

Lee County Sheriff John Varga told Saukvalley.com: 'It was determined by an electrician that [the camper] was poorly grounded.'
Boy, three, fatally electrocuted by touching parent's trailer door handle while standing on wet ground | Daily Mail Online