CIVI Gen. thoughts.

[Floridianson]

OK do not know a thing about any of them. I bought this old diesel light tower that has been converted to just power. Kohler and she runs at 1800rpm. The guy I got it from wired up a 240 volt plug and two 120 plugs . My data tag says 67 amps 120 and 33 amps 240. Now the light tower has the main breaker at 25 amp. As it is I now can run my 240 well then unhook then hook to the 373 trailer for 120 volts 30 amps for AC, TV - play station and lights. Now the wire coming out of the head is only a # 10 stranded and per specs it only goes to 30 amps. So my question am I correct or can you pull out more amps with that 10 wire.

 

[Floridianson]

More pics. Has both 2 inch ball or flip and pintle hook up. If all I can get is my 30 amps I am more than happy as now if I loose power I can still take a shower or have running water. Then at night I can keep the 373 trailer going plus the fridge. If I can increase the main breaker and that 10 wire would hold I might just pull some more amps out of it. Most light towers say 6 k but this one says 8k but as is I can not pull even close to 8k. But as said I am ok with that if it has to stay like that. Also the pic of the two place receptacle the guy wired in. I will be removing it and just going with a 30 amp receptacle so it fits my M373 trailer 30 amp plug.

 

[DieselAddict]

For an RV I assume you are running it on 120v only?

 

[Abrant23]

Now the wire coming out of the head is only a # 10 stranded and per specs it only goes to 30 amps. So my question am I correct or can you pull out more amps with that 10 wire.

10awg THHN is good for 40 amps in open air (not in conduit)

If you're using NM or other types of jacketed cable, you'll have to derate accordingly

You're good for 33 amps, 240v or 67 amps 120v (since you'll be pulling off both legs at 120v and therefore be using two 10awg wires) No single wire will ever see more amperage than that.

 

[Jeepadict]

My brother took this route as well with an 8K Allmand. He got a generator with a built-in load bank and his wife got lights for their dog arena...all for a fraction of an MEP unit plus parts are commercially available.

We had a similar discussion as your post. Check out the attached pic...8k @ 240v is 37A. I'm unaware of any commercially available 37A breaker as they only go from 30 up to 50 so the only safe choice is the 30A. 30A calls for #10 wire by NEC and #6 for 50A under all circumstances that I'm aware of. I'm unsure why Allmand sized this the way they did, but you're right about there being some extra unavailable power in there.

On my brother's unit, we added the OE kit for the 30A 240 twist lock receptacle in the factory panel...so in theory the set can have 30A for his RV or to safely feed his house, and the remaining available current could be used thru the 15A outlets without fear of overloading the genset...but his gen head has #8 wire coming out of it so his is safe to pull 40A from the head (tho 8K is only 37A), yours only has #10 so you're limited to 30A but the tag I read said 33A so you're only loosing 3A nominally within spec.

I'd leave it alone and run it as it is with a 30A 240V service and send it! The most you're going to loose the ability to have is 7A no matter how ya look at it.

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[Abrant23]

yours only has #10 so you're limited to 30A

You’re showing the 60 degree table for jacketed conductors. If you look at the 75 degree table you can go 35 Amps. 90 degree table for THHN or open air conductors (which the ones coming out the head are) you can put 40 amps on 10awg.

also since they do not make a 35 amp breaker, you’re allowed to size up to a 40 amp which is readily available.

 

[Floridianson]

For an RV I assume you are running it on 120v only?

Yes 120 only for my military 373 trailer that is set up to just live in if there is a power outage here. I have a Honda 3 k gas engine that I used when I went to different rallies. It ran everything I needed. Now I am not going to drag the 373 trailer anywhere it just sits next to the carport. So this Kohler is just if I loose power here at the house I can run the well for a while then switch back to the 373 trailer . I am divorced and son is grown and gone so I do not need a whole lot to be able to live for a couple of weeks. Bed, AC, TV with play station and some movies on disc and I am good. I like that fact that it is diesel as said it holds a lot and my 915 always has 80 gallons in that I can pump out and use to keep the power going for awhile.

 

[Coug]

As others said, you can step up to the next breaker size.

However, unless there is some reason you need every single watt of power continuously, using a 30 amp breaker should work just fine.

Pretty much all breakers are the thermo trip type, which means they have to heat up before they will trip (bimetallic strip). This also gives you a little more margin of safety for the wiring and the gen head, as it's much harder to overload a generator when using an undersized breaker as opposed to an oversized one.

 

[Floridianson]

The guy wire in correct this two outlet 120 and the GFI outlet I believe was already there. I can leave the GFI but I do not need the line he put in. I rather redo it with the flex conduit and a 30 amp 120 receptacle for the trailer. 30 amps is more than enough for the trailer as it is just the small window unit AC. Then the TV / play station and all the lights are LED. Thanks guys.

 

[Floridianson]

As others said, you can step up to the next breaker size.

However, unless there is some reason you need every single watt of power continuously, using a 30 amp breaker should work just fine.

Pretty much all breakers are the thermo trip type, which means they have to heat up before they will trip (bimetallic strip). This also gives you a little more margin of safety for the wiring and the gen head, as it's much harder to overload a generator when using an undersized breaker as opposed to an oversized one.

OK need my eyes checked there is a 35 amp main. Just had to get close up. So I am golden right.

 

[Coug]

OK need my eyes checked there is a 35 amp main. Just had to get close up. So I am golden right.

yes, 35 amp is perfect.

 

[Floridianson]

Yea never took a close look at the breaker been draining and removing the fuel tank for a quick clean. Was not real bad but real nice now. I will go get new glasses some time. Thanks again guys.

 

[Mullaney]

Yea never took a close look at the breaker been draining and removing the fuel tank for a quick clean. Was not real bad but real nice now. I will go get new glasses some time. Thanks again guys.

.
Either that, or do like us other old people do...
Take a picture with the camera on your phone and then zoom in

 

[Jeepadict]

You’re showing the 60 degree table for jacketed conductors. If you look at the 75 degree table you can go 35 Amps. 90 degree table for THHN or open air conductors (which the ones coming out the head are) you can put 40 amps on 10awg.

also since they do not make a 35 amp breaker, you’re allowed to size up to a 40 amp which is readily available.

Lots of people live in climates with temps far below 60 degrees. While you're technically and rightfully correct, if a guy were to take that course it removes the margins for error and I've never enjoyed operating my equipment at the maximum of its service rating. I'd rather use the lower 90-95% and get the most useful life instead of tempting fate. Kudos for hilighting the fine print.

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[Scoobyshep]

10 awg 12 awg and 14 awg actually are rated higher than 30 20 and 15 respectively. In the ampacacity tables of the nec theres a foot note that restricts them to 30 20 15. The other thing to consider is insulation grade, routing method (conduit cable free air) and length (tap rule)

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[M37M35]

I'm unaware of any commercially available 37A breaker as they only go from 30 up to 50 so the only safe choice is the 30A.

also since they do not make a 35 amp breaker, you’re allowed to size up to a 40 amp which is readily available.

40 amp breakers are very common. I know Cutler Hammer makes a 35 amp breaker because I just bought one for a similar generator project.

OK need my eyes checked there is a 35 amp main. Just had to get close up. So I am golden right.

Apparently Square D makes a 35 amp breaker too.

 

[Abrant23]

Lots of people live in climates with temps far below 60 degrees. While you're technically and rightfully correct, if a guy were to take that course it removes the margins for error and I've never enjoyed operating my equipment at the maximum of its service rating. I'd rather use the lower 90-95% and get the most useful life instead of tempting fate. Kudos for hilighting the fine print.

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The table is referring to 60 degrees Celsius. I’d say *everyone* lives in a climate below that temperature

NM and the other jacketed cables are rated at that lower rating due to bundling derating concerns. If you have more than three current carrying conductors in conduit you are required to de-rate as well.

 

[M37M35]

As others said, you can step up to the next breaker size.

However, unless there is some reason you need every single watt of power continuously, using a 30 amp breaker should work just fine.

Pretty much all breakers are the thermo trip type, which means they have to heat up before they will trip (bimetallic strip). This also gives you a little more margin of safety for the wiring and the gen head, as it's much harder to overload a generator when using an undersized breaker as opposed to an oversized one.

This is definitely something to keep in mind about breakers.

My generator is a 7.5kw Onan. I found some good info on breakers while doing research on it. The info here about overload protection will apply to any generator.

Overload Protection for a 7.5JB

I've been thinking about ways to protect my JB from overload. It'll be used for standby power at our house. It carries a single phase "standby service" rating of 31 A. I'm assuming that protecting a generator from overload is a lot like protecting an electric motor from overload. And that is...

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I am in the midst of building a control box for my housed 7.5JB. I have the B150 code so I get full output with single phase. I need advice on a two pole MAIN circuit breaker size. The single phase, 120/240 amp rating of the JB per pole is 31.2 amps. I have looked at a few breakers and found a...

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My 1972 5.0CCK, RV generator never was equipped with circuit breakers. I installed 2, 20 amp, 25 amp trip breakers. It has the designation of 62 on the delay which according to Carling breakers web site is a long delay breaker. every ONAN supplied breaker I look at is also a 62 delay. SO.... The...

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[Floridianson]

OK got the 30 amp RV plug wired correct. Last question. Myself and now my son knows not to run both 120 and 240 at the same time. But if anyone else gets hold of it I wanted to wire in this transfer switch so after the main you can only draw on where the switch is. Will this switch hold what I need as in amps / volts?

 

[M37M35]

Myself and now my son knows not to run both 120 and 240 at the same time.

There's no problem at all with running 120v and 240v devices at the same time. You just don't want to exceed the rating of the generator, which is where the breaker comes in.

OK got the 30 amp RV plug wired correct.

Are you planning to switch a single plug between 120v and 240v? If so, that could cause a bigger problem if someone comes along and flips the switch, sending 240v to the 120v devices...