A properly grounded generator ensures the safety of yourself, your family and your equipment.

Here, we’ll look at why generator grounding is important and when it’s needed. We’ll also provide you with a quick guide on how to safely ground your generator for your next camping trip.

What Is Grounding & Why Is It Important?

Grounding involves connecting your generators’ neutral electric conductor terminal to the ground using a low resistance copper grounding wire.

The grounding wire moves any faulty electricity away from the generator and into the ground, instead of through people or equipment. This prevents any potentially dangerous electric shocks or overloading the generator and the appliances it’s powering.

Do All Generators Need To Be Grounded?

In most cases, yes – but it depends on the application.

You do not need to ground the generator if you’re solely using it with extension cords.

However, if you’re connecting your generator to an electrical panel, such as a building electrical system or caravan, you must ground your generator. This will ensure the safety of yourself, your equipment and those around you.

Some modern portable generators, including Blue Diamond’s entire portable generator range, are already ‘pre-grounded’ to their metal frame. Other generator models will need to be manually grounded via a grounding rod.

To know the specific grounding requirements of your generator, always check the manufacturer recommendations.

What Happens If You Don’t Ground A Generator?

If your generator short circuits while not grounded, it may lead to:

• Electrocution
• Damage to your generator or electrical devices
• Electrical overload of your generator
• In the worst cases, explosion due to stray or excess electricity coming into contact with the fuel tank

4 Simple Steps To Ground Your Generator

Now you know the importance of grounding your generator, here’s how to do it safely and effectively:

1. Gather The Right Tools

To ground your generator, you’ll need:

• A grounding rod
• At least 1.2m of copper wire
• Wire stripper
• Hammer or mallet
• Wrench
• Pliers

2. Install The Ground Rod

Hammer the grounding rod into the soil at least 3 feet deep (exact depth will be determined by your local electrical codes). The deeper the grounding rod, the safer it will be.

Cover any remaining parts of the rod with a protective clamp to protect anyone who may come into contact with it.

Note: As a safety precaution, always ground the rod a decent distance from your campsite.

3. Strip & Wrap The Copper Wire

Use wire strippers to carefully remove 15-30cm of insulation from each end of the copper wire. Be careful to not strip off more insulation than required.

Then, wind the stripped part of the copper wire tightly around the grounding rod using pliers.

4. Attach The Copper Wire To Your Generator

Ensure the generator is turned off before completing the next step.

Loosen the generator's grounding bolt with a wrench and twist the other end of the copper wire tightly around it using pliers. Then, tighten the grounding bolt back again with your wrench.

Lastly, check all connections to ensure they’re secure. Then you may start using your camping generator safely.

Get the Right Advice, Contact Us Today

A well-grounded generator is the difference between a safe source of power and a potentially dangerous one. So, it needs to be done right.

If you feel out of your depth or need some assistance, you can rely on Blue Diamond Machinery to provide the right advice or a pre-grounded camping generator to meet your requirements.

Contact us today or speak to one of our expert team on 1300 998 647.