Grounding a portable generator?

[criley]

I borrowed a portable generator during a recent outage, and simply ran a wire to my furnace circuit to keep the house warm- no ground. Now, I bought my own for the next storm, and the manual refers to grounding the generator. There is a bolt on the generator to attach a ground wire to. I have read a lot of articles that refer to driving a ground rod in the ground. Instead, could I run a wire to the water pipe where it enters my house? It is near where the generator will be. Also- what is the best way to connect a ground wire to the pipe? Just wrap it around the pipe a couple times? Solder? other? Thank you!

[Bruno1949]

somewhere. Hopefully a ground rod. Grounding to a water pipe is very out of date but still exists. Follow the ground from your main breaker box and bolt a ground wire from your generator to that ground. Do not just wrap it around the pipe or whatever. It has to be mechanically bonded to the ground. Bolts, clamps, something solid.

Also, to save the life of your utility workers, install a proper change over switch next to your breaker panel. I know it’s expensive, but if you put 220 volts into the main lines the transformer down the street turns into 2400 volts. It will kill a worker down the lne unless you only use extension cords to connect to the generator.

[Billhart]

If the neutral on the generate is bonded to the ground then the generated needs to be connected to a ground electrode system.

That makes the generate a Separatelty Derived System. That is turns requires special neutral transfer switch.

You won’t want to do there.

Unbond the generator and connect the ground terminal to a ground wire from the house.

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