Hello Sailors, I am about to install a charger into my Hunter Legend 37, it plugs into an A.C. outlet to draw power to charge my battery banks. I am pretty sure my A.C. receptecle is grounded, but I just want to make sure. What do I look for? Is it similar to a house ground where its grounded to the base of the housing box holding the receptecle or does the ground wire go elsewhere? Or could I just run a ground wire from the metal casing of the charger to some ground location? Thanks in Advance for your assistance. Barrie
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
R
Rick
AC grounds to shore
Your boat's AC is grounded thru the shorepower cord to a stake buried somewhere in the marina. To ensure that you are using grounded AC appliances make sure that they have 3 pronged plugs. A good quality marine battery charger will have it's case grounded internally. Do not run a wire from the charger's case to anything, especially not to the negative (grounded)side of your 12 volt system. Do not ground your boats AC ground wire to the DC neg or engine of your boat! You will cause galvanzation problems for yourself and other nearby boats in the marina. Also, only use a marine grade battery charger. Cheap automotive chargers DO combine the ac and dc grounds together and you and your neighbors will be wondering why your zincs only last a few weeks. For a better understanding of your AC and DC systems, how they inter-relate and the effects on your boat (and your neighbors) I suggest you get Nigel Calders book "Boatowners Mechanical & Electrical Manual".
Your boat's AC is grounded thru the shorepower cord to a stake buried somewhere in the marina. To ensure that you are using grounded AC appliances make sure that they have 3 pronged plugs. A good quality marine battery charger will have it's case grounded internally. Do not run a wire from the charger's case to anything, especially not to the negative (grounded)side of your 12 volt system. Do not ground your boats AC ground wire to the DC neg or engine of your boat! You will cause galvanzation problems for yourself and other nearby boats in the marina. Also, only use a marine grade battery charger. Cheap automotive chargers DO combine the ac and dc grounds together and you and your neighbors will be wondering why your zincs only last a few weeks. For a better understanding of your AC and DC systems, how they inter-relate and the effects on your boat (and your neighbors) I suggest you get Nigel Calders book "Boatowners Mechanical & Electrical Manual".
P
Paul Akers
Just replaced mine
I just replaced mine this week on my L37. The old Dytek was located under the nav desk and I used the existing wiring. It was already grounded. Shut off ALL power and disconnect the batteries. Then match up the connections on the old and new charger. Replace one at a time. I cut the AC power cord at the charger as close as I could. Then strip off about 2" of the outside insulation and add the two prog connectors. The AC cord should have a white, black and green wire. The green is the ground, black is negative, whire is positive and then hook them up. Review your connections. Hook up the batteries then turn on the power. You should be in business.
I just replaced mine this week on my L37. The old Dytek was located under the nav desk and I used the existing wiring. It was already grounded. Shut off ALL power and disconnect the batteries. Then match up the connections on the old and new charger. Replace one at a time. I cut the AC power cord at the charger as close as I could. Then strip off about 2" of the outside insulation and add the two prog connectors. The AC cord should have a white, black and green wire. The green is the ground, black is negative, whire is positive and then hook them up. Review your connections. Hook up the batteries then turn on the power. You should be in business.
C
Carl and Juliana Dupre
I'm No Electrician, But.....
....I have read that you need to be real careful with shore power and AC grounding. Heed Rick's comments regarding galvanic corrosion well. If in doubt talk to a marine electrician before proceeding. My only addition would be to make certain to include installing a galvanic isolator (aka "zinc saver") in your upgrade if you do not already have one. Carl and Jule s/v 'Syzygy'
....I have read that you need to be real careful with shore power and AC grounding. Heed Rick's comments regarding galvanic corrosion well. If in doubt talk to a marine electrician before proceeding. My only addition would be to make certain to include installing a galvanic isolator (aka "zinc saver") in your upgrade if you do not already have one. Carl and Jule s/v 'Syzygy'
R
R.W.Landau
Grounding
Wow, this topic can get very dangerous. Your ac system needs to be grounded to your dc system, especially if you have an ac charger on the boat. If your ac charger fails there is a potential between the ac and the dc that is a killer. It could run 110 through your 12 volt system. Thus your ac ground should tie your dc system to protect the way grounding is meant to protect. Read a good marine electrical book. There are many out there but I think Nigel Calders' Boat electrical and Mechanical ties it all together. Marine electric is more intense than normal house wiring. You have in conjunction with your ac you have dc , corrosion bonding, and lightning protection and it must all be tied together!!!!! If that charger is not a marine charger keep it off the boat. A regular auto charger is very dangerous on a boat. Sorry for the short sounding response. It is a serious subject. You don't guess when you answer questions that can kill someone. Rick, there is no place in calders book that says to not ground the ac to the dc system. Since I lent mine out I can not steer you to a page but look at some of the diagrams back toward lightning protection and see how all the systems tie together, then reread all the sections on ac, dc, corrosion protection grounding,bonding, and lightning protection. Potentials are a key to all of the above systems. r.w.landau
Wow, this topic can get very dangerous. Your ac system needs to be grounded to your dc system, especially if you have an ac charger on the boat. If your ac charger fails there is a potential between the ac and the dc that is a killer. It could run 110 through your 12 volt system. Thus your ac ground should tie your dc system to protect the way grounding is meant to protect. Read a good marine electrical book. There are many out there but I think Nigel Calders' Boat electrical and Mechanical ties it all together. Marine electric is more intense than normal house wiring. You have in conjunction with your ac you have dc , corrosion bonding, and lightning protection and it must all be tied together!!!!! If that charger is not a marine charger keep it off the boat. A regular auto charger is very dangerous on a boat. Sorry for the short sounding response. It is a serious subject. You don't guess when you answer questions that can kill someone. Rick, there is no place in calders book that says to not ground the ac to the dc system. Since I lent mine out I can not steer you to a page but look at some of the diagrams back toward lightning protection and see how all the systems tie together, then reread all the sections on ac, dc, corrosion protection grounding,bonding, and lightning protection. Potentials are a key to all of the above systems. r.w.landau
P
Phil Teter
FIRST
Go to the hardware store and purchase a "receptacle circuit tester". Should cost less than $10. The $10 one should also test GFCI circuits. The tester will tell you, by lights 1. Correct Wiring 2. Open Ground 3. Reversed Polarity 4. Open Neutral 5. Hot on Neutral - Hot Unwired 6. Hot and Ground Reversed. Anything except CORRECT WIRING needs to be corrected. This will tell you where and if you have a problem with the receptacle.
Go to the hardware store and purchase a "receptacle circuit tester". Should cost less than $10. The $10 one should also test GFCI circuits. The tester will tell you, by lights 1. Correct Wiring 2. Open Ground 3. Reversed Polarity 4. Open Neutral 5. Hot on Neutral - Hot Unwired 6. Hot and Ground Reversed. Anything except CORRECT WIRING needs to be corrected. This will tell you where and if you have a problem with the receptacle.
J
John
Read Nigel Calder
I agree with R.W., read Nigel Calder's "Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual". It is the best book I've seen on the subject and I've been researching it for two months. Mixing AC and DC on a boat is a very complicated subject. If you are not up to studying up on it, then hire someone to do it for you. Besides the safety issues of 'grounding', 'bonding' and 'lightning protection', there are the issues of 'galvanic corrosion' and 'stray current corrosion'. Get it wrong and it could kill you. If it doesn't kill you it could sink your boat by corroding fittings away faster then you might ever imagine. The circuit tester is a great idea; every boat with AC should have one. Kept it safe. John
I agree with R.W., read Nigel Calder's "Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual". It is the best book I've seen on the subject and I've been researching it for two months. Mixing AC and DC on a boat is a very complicated subject. If you are not up to studying up on it, then hire someone to do it for you. Besides the safety issues of 'grounding', 'bonding' and 'lightning protection', there are the issues of 'galvanic corrosion' and 'stray current corrosion'. Get it wrong and it could kill you. If it doesn't kill you it could sink your boat by corroding fittings away faster then you might ever imagine. The circuit tester is a great idea; every boat with AC should have one. Kept it safe. John
- Status
- Not open for further replies.