generator backfeeding question

[calhoun]

Hi,
I had an old overhead service to my garage (50amp, 220v). It came down and
has been disconnected. I am going to put in an underground service. In the
mean time I want to continue to use the garage.
I have an 8HP generac 220 volt 30amp generator. It has 2 - 110 volt and 1 -
220 volt outlets.
I wired from the old service panel into the 220 outlet. one hot to each side
and the neutral to the ground post. Just like the old service was wired.
For some reason I can't get 110v on at the garage receptacles. Some are low
(60v) and some are high (160v)
At the generator I get 220 across the hots and 110 between the hot and the
neutral. Anyone know why this won't evenly split when hooked up to a service
panel?

 

[Kilowatt]

It is because you have no neutral connection.

 

[SQLit]

Hi,
I had an old overhead service to my garage (50amp, 220v). It came down and
has been disconnected. I am going to put in an underground service. In the
mean time I want to continue to use the garage.
I have an 8HP generac 220 volt 30amp generator. It has 2 - 110 volt and 1 -
220 volt outlets.
I wired from the old service panel into the 220 outlet. one hot to each side
and the neutral to the ground post. Just like the old service was wired.
For some reason I can't get 110v on at the garage receptacles. Some are low
(60v) and some are high (160v)
At the generator I get 220 across the hots and 110 between the hot and the
neutral. Anyone know why this won't evenly split when hooked up to a service
panel?

You did ground the generator? An ISOLATED system needs to be grounded.
If not your cruising for a bruising. Walking on water I leave to the
professionals

 

[Kilowatt]

I should have said the sub panel is probably 220 only and no neutral is
present.

 

[calhoun]

and the neutral to the ground post.

The 220V outlet ground post?

Thanks for the response,

I think I am confusing everyone with my terminology.

The 220 outlet on the generator has 3 prongs. I am calling the center prong
a neutral. The generator also has a lug on the frame, I am calling this the
ground.

The sub panel box (in the garage, wired by a licensed professional about 10
years ago and working fine with grid power) has a neutral and ground but
they are both tied together.

I have hooked up the generator neutral to the neutral
on the panel box, the same way grid power was hooked up.

Your responses got me thinking about the grounding. This sub panel used to
be grounded though the house ground rod. Now it has no ground. I will
separate the ground/neutral in the sub box. It is too frozen to drive a
stake, for a separate ground, so I am going to run a separate wire from the
gensets ground lug to the, now seperate ground on the subpanel. See if this
works.

Coffee first and wait for some sun. Might get to 40F today, first time in
the 40s since Jan 3

..

 

[uray]

Thanks for the response,

I think I am confusing everyone with my terminology.

The 220 outlet on the generator has 3 prongs. I am calling the center prong
a neutral. The generator also has a lug on the frame, I am calling this the
ground.

The center prong may just be a ground that is not connected to nuetral. If
you have a ohm meter check the resistance between the nuetral on the 110
volt outlet and the center 220v prong. You hay have to open it up to get at
the nuetral bus, or pull it off the 110 volt outlets. The wires going to
those may not be large enough though.