GFCI Outlets on Generators: Why They Trip, Bonding, and the Safety Logic

Modern portable generators wear GFCI outlets — the test/reset buttons on the receptacles — and the feature generates more confused owner questions than any other generator spec: Why does it trip with my table saw? Why won't it work with my transfer switch? Why does the neighbor's older generator run the same tool without complaining? The answers live in one safety concept — ground-fault protection — and one wiring concept — bonding — that every generator owner should understand at working depth. What GFCI protection actually does A ground-fault circuit interrupter monitors the balance between current flowing out and current returning. In a healthy circuit the two match perfectly; when current leaks — through damaged insulation, through water, through a person who has become part of the path — the imbalance trips the GFCI in milliseconds, cutting power before the leakage becomes lethal. G…