Reverse Polarity ?

[Jon magowan]

Hello all,

I have just acquired a Honda Eu10i inverter.

I started it and connected it to the boats shore power plug.

Everything onboard is working as it should do. However, as you can see in the photo, the red ‘POL’ light is now illuminated. I think this is supposed to indicate a case of reverse polarity. Is anybody able to explain to me why this little red light has come on ?

Everything is working properly apart from this so I’m not really bothered by it. However it’s niggling me and my tidy mind !

Thanks, as always.

Jon

 

[rogerthebodger]

Reverse polarity indicated the line and neutral Ines is revered.

With an inverter it is a little complicated as very often the neutral line and earth which is normally connected at the substation is either not connected at the inverter of the inverter is a center tapped inverter that is different

 

[PaulRainbow]

Reverse polarity indicated the line and neutral Ines is revered.

With an inverter it is a little complicated as very often the neutral line and earth which is normally connected at the substation is either not connected at the inverter of the inverter is a center tapped inverter that is different

The Honda Eu10i is not an inverter, it's a generator.

 

[PaulRainbow]

View attachment 197535
Hello all,

I have just acquired a Honda Eu10i inverter.

I started it and connected it to the boats shore power plug.

Everything onboard is working as it should do. However, as you can see in the photo, the red ‘POL’ light is now illuminated. I think this is supposed to indicate a case of reverse polarity. Is anybody able to explain to me why this little red light has come on ?

Everything is working properly apart from this so I’m not really bothered by it. However it’s niggling me and my tidy mind !

Thanks, as always.

Jon

Who made the cable to go from the generator to the boats shore power connector ? You need to get it checked, it's wired wrong.

Reverse polarity might not stop appliances working, but if your boat has single pole circuit breakers you can have some safety issues.

 

[st599]

Who made the cable to go from the generator to the boats shore power connector ? You need to get it checked, it's wired wrong.

Reverse polarity might not stop appliances working, but if your boat has single pole circuit breakers you can have some safety issues.

Or if you use UK plugs - a blown fuse can leave the equipment live but inoperable.

 

[Jon magowan]

Thanks Paul. You’re correct of course, it’s a generator. I’ll check the cable. It’s branded ‘Rootoma’ and I got it off Amazon.

 

[Jon magowan]

I don’t know if you tell from this photo, but does it look correctly wired or not ?

 

[ylop]

Thanks Paul. You’re correct of course, it’s a generator. I’ll check the cable. It’s branded ‘Rootoma’ and I got it off Amazon.

Easy enough to check with a multimeter if the cable is “crossed” (unplug both ends check continuity between the relevant pins). Next step would be to test the output connections from the genny but whilst not difficult if you are asking here you may not be confident poking meters into mains supply!

 

[Boathook]

What are the markings on the socket. Does the correct colour wire go to the correct pin. Blue to N or - and brown to L or +.

Can't see on your photos.

 

[Jon magowan]

Actually I have checked my new cable against my existing shore power connection (which has worked perfectly for some time) and it’s exactly the same. So the cable is wired correctly.

When I got the generator I ran it at home and ran a regular electrical appliance from it (a grinder) and it worked perfectly.

So it’s all good apart from this little red ‘POL’ light. It’s telling me something but I don’t know what. This Honda generator is used widely and, so far as I can gather, has a good reputation. Very strange. I don’t pretend to understand electrics (obviously!) but I would like to get to the bottom of this. Any more ideas ?

 

[ylop]

Try this thread:
Post in thread 'Honda Generator Polarity question'
Honda Generator Polarity question

 

[st599]

Actually I have checked my new cable against my existing shore power connection (which has worked perfectly for some time) and it’s exactly the same. So the cable is wired correctly.

When I got the generator I ran it at home and ran a regular electrical appliance from it (a grinder) and it worked perfectly.

So it’s all good apart from this little red ‘POL’ light. It’s telling me something but I don’t know what. This Honda generator is used widely and, so far as I can gather, has a good reputation. Very strange. I don’t pretend to understand electrics (obviously!) but I would like to get to the bottom of this. Any more ideas ?

The other possiblity is that the cable you're checking against is also wrong or that the plug end of the cable is wrong.. Does your cabling colours match the markings on the plug and socket connectors?

It's not "all good". I don't think you're understanding the issue. A device with an inductive load like a grinder will work fine with a phase inversion BUT the fault condition is deadly. If you're using UK plugs, or you're using single pole breakers, then the fault condition will see the device stop working, but still be live with 240v present.

(This isn't an issue in much of Europe as they use double pole fuses, switches and breakers - phase reversal doesn't matter then. But that means there's no consistency to wiring - if you plug a British plug in to something powered by shore power in for example Germany or France, you have a 50:50 chance there's a reversal)

 

[Jon magowan]

Thanks st599.

Yes, you’re correct. I’m not understanding the problem. I’ve bought a generator to provide 240V to charge my batteries. It’s fitted with a standard UK socket and I’ve connected it to my boat with a correctly wired cable. Why doesn’t it just work ?

I had never heard of ‘reverse polarity’ before I had bought a boat !

I haven’t a clue what the fault I have is, if I do have a fault. I plan to continue to use the generator despite the little red light.

Thank you so much for replying and trying to clarify what might be the problem.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Thanks st599.

Yes, you’re correct. I’m not understanding the problem. I’ve bought a generator to provide 240V to charge my batteries. It’s fitted with a standard UK socket and I’ve connected it to my boat with a correctly wired cable. Why doesn’t it just work ?

I had never heard of ‘reverse polarity’ before I had bought a boat !

I haven’t a clue what the fault I have is, if I do have a fault. I plan to continue to use the generator despite the little red light.

Thank you so much for replying and trying to clarify what might be the problem.

Sorry Jon, but that's just foolish. I hope you don't have any family or friends onboard, be a shame to electrocute one of them.

 

[jakew009]

Isn’t this just because the neutral is floating on the generator?

You will need to make up a plug that has the earth and neutral bonded. Then your RCD will work and the reverse polarity indicator will go out.

 

[billskip]

This isn't an issue in much of Europe as they use double pole fuses, switches and breakers -

Do they?

Sorry Jon, but that's just foolish. I hope you don't have any family or friends onboard, be a shame to electrocute one of them.

Bit extream that, whilst I agree with safety and caution, your advice would extend to anyone thinking of going to Tenerife, Mainland Spain, and many other EU countries, many have reversible socket outlets and plugs.
I've said before in the apartment I live (over 100 apartments on the estate, the standard reversible socket outlets and no bonding or cross bonding ,the ground wire stops in the consumer unit.
There is a reason for the Pol light to be on
And should be investigated.

 

[billskip]

View attachment 197535
Hello all,

I have just acquired a Honda Eu10i inverter.

I started it and connected it to the boats shore power plug.

Everything onboard is working as it should do. However, as you can see in the photo, the red ‘POL’ light is now illuminated. I think this is supposed to indicate a case of reverse polarity. Is anybody able to explain to me why this little red light has come on ?

Everything is working properly apart from this so I’m not really bothered by it. However it’s niggling me and my tidy mind !

Thanks, as always.

Jon

It's quite likely that with your generator you have a "floating" earth/ground.
When on shore power you have an earth/ground cable connection (I think mentioned by another poster reply) but with a generator it's possible there is not an earth /ground connection.
Your socket outlet will allow you to "reverse polarity" anyways if you don't know which way round you plug in.

 

[Jon magowan]

Sorry Jon, but that's just foolish. I hope you don't have any family or friends onboard, be a shame to electrocute one of them.

Thanks Paul. I didn’t realise that it’s actually dangerous.

Isn’t this just because the neutral is floating on the generator?

You will need to make up a plug that has the earth and neutral bonded. Then your RCD will work and the reverse polarity indicator will go out.

How exactly do I do this? Simply connect the neutral and earth within the plug ?

 

[billskip]

Then your RCD will work and the reverse polarity indicator will go out.

Why do you think his RCD doesn't work?

 

[jakew009]

How exactly do I do this? Simply connect the neutral and earth within the plug ?

This is from the Honda generator’s instruction manual

However, I’d recommend you consult with a qualified electrician before doing it.