Any tips from anyone or things that you did or problems you ran into in regards to this from anyones experience?
Installing shore power
- Thread starter Erbardy
- Start date
Any tips from anyone or things that you did or problems you ran into in regards to this from anyones experience?
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,984
Can you expand on this connection? How is this ground associated with your work on your Shore Power connection?
I will try to get a diagram on point. But, I have all ground coming to the terminal bus. One connection from the terminal bus is going back to the shore power ground and it goes through the galvanic isolator before it goes back to shore. Another ground goes to the middle ground for the lightning ground.
1. Please learn how to spell.
2. Pictures of wiring with questions about it without a wiring diagram are useless. Makes it impossible to help or to answer your question.
2. Pictures of wiring with questions about it without a wiring diagram are useless. Makes it impossible to help or to answer your question.
Way back when you first started this project, I and others suggested that boat wiring is different from house wiring. You seem to not heeded that suggestion.
In the first photo there are wire nuts sitting on the counter. Wire nuts have no place on a boat. This can cause your boat to catch fire.
Without seeing the actual connections and a schematic no one can provide any helpful advice, beyond finding someone who understands marine wiring to help you.
In the first photo there are wire nuts sitting on the counter. Wire nuts have no place on a boat. This can cause your boat to catch fire.
Without seeing the actual connections and a schematic no one can provide any helpful advice, beyond finding someone who understands marine wiring to help you.
AC grounding in a boat is "free floating" and only grounds to shore. Grounding to the bonding system is not advisable.
I don’t think that’s correct. Calder’s diagrams show the AC ground connected to the DC negative / grounding bus. The important thing is that the AC ground not be connected to the AC Neutral anywhere on the boat. He also shows the galvanic isolator between that bus and the shore ground exactly as the OP describes, so I think he got that part right.
+1 for dlochner’s point about the wire nuts though - that’s a no-no.
I will be back with a wire diagram. I did not use wire nuts. I had a few in the mix of a bag of terminals and set them aside. I used marine ac wiring and used flanged spade terminals for the gfci water resistant receptacles.
Stay tuned for a diagram .
This is the exact diagram of the system I am installing. Below are pictures of the panel and the wire products I have used. The only difference from the above diagram is that I do not have a ground to the engine, it is to the ground used for the mast (lightning ground).
Flange Spade Terminal for the receptacles and panel.
10/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire for main feed from shore power to breaker.
I used 12/3 AWG stranded AC wire (bought from Ace hardware) for feed from the breaker to the receptacles.
Finally, I used water resistant 15 amp gfci receptacles. One placed in the galley area, and another placed under the galley in a grounded metal gang box to serve as power for a NOCO water proof marine charger.
Hi. I did not explain things well. Hopefully the added post in this thread I just made helps. Thanks.
1. I used voice to text and missed a few spell checks. Apologies
2. I added another post with more explanation.
The additional information helps.
The reason stranded wire is used on boat is that it less prone to work hardening from vibration and movement. The stranded wire you bought at ACE is THN wire, AWG marine wire has more and thinner strands making it more flexible and less resistant to work hardening. Marine grade wire is also tinned which helps to prevent corrosion of the wire especially inside the insulation. While less of an issue in fresh water, moisture will intrude into the wire, unless the ends are properly crimped and sealed with heat shrink terminals.
Are you using an ELCI? This is perhaps the most important part as it will prevent current from leaking into the water.
The reason stranded wire is used on boat is that it less prone to work hardening from vibration and movement. The stranded wire you bought at ACE is THN wire, AWG marine wire has more and thinner strands making it more flexible and less resistant to work hardening. Marine grade wire is also tinned which helps to prevent corrosion of the wire especially inside the insulation. While less of an issue in fresh water, moisture will intrude into the wire, unless the ends are properly crimped and sealed with heat shrink terminals.
Are you using an ELCI? This is perhaps the most important part as it will prevent current from leaking into the water.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,984
Dave is discussing at your panel. The current panel design is to use an ELCI breaker on the incoming line. It serves to protect the system at the main entry point.
The concern I raised, is you stated "a ground goes to my lightening rod ground." THIS IS NOT CORRECT.
The lightening system is one that shunts a strike from the mast to the water and a "ground Plate" attached to the side of the boat.
Here is a discussion of the ABYC info Lightning Protection - ABYC Recommendations
and a simply image of connections.
This is more complex and you should review the ABYC specifications "Standard E4 or consult a qualified marine electrician concerning your boat.
The concern I raised, is you stated "a ground goes to my lightening rod ground." THIS IS NOT CORRECT.
The lightening system is one that shunts a strike from the mast to the water and a "ground Plate" attached to the side of the boat.
" Boats with internal ballast should have a copper ground plate of at least one square foot in size installed externally on the hull bottom."
Here is a discussion of the ABYC info Lightning Protection - ABYC Recommendations
and a simply image of connections.
This is more complex and you should review the ABYC specifications "Standard E4 or consult a qualified marine electrician concerning your boat.
Thanks for the help. I just purchased an ECLI breaker to install in my panel. It takes up an extra breaker location and I happen to have one that is free. I am also going to rewire the ground to the engine. I have an outboard, but I never raise the motor out of the water. All my engine controls are in the cockpit including start and stop so I never bother raising it out of the water. Thanks again, see below for the picture of the breaker.