ABYC wire identification question?

[BAD ORCA]

I'm getting close to finishing up my re-wiring project and want to start labeling and identifying every wire, making a diagram for future reference. I have decided to number the wires for identification and create a log/diagram with number definitions for the individual wires.

My question is, does ABYC have a standard that assigns a particular number for each wire depending on what it is used for?

I guess a follow-up question would be for what is the best way to label a wire with a number that is neat and durable? I have a basic label maker but the sticky label is only mediocre at adhering to the wire and spits out WAY more label than i need to wrap around a small wire, not to mention the giant font it prints.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Bad Orca, I have been doing engineering design work for 50 years and boat wiring labeling for over 30.
My humble suggestion to you is to reconsider your plan to put numbers on the wires and have a separate document to look up what those numbers mean. Basically, I have asked myself over the years: why look in two places for one piece of information.
Engineering drawings used to place the labels right on what they referred to, or used arrows. Then some wise-acre bean-counter came up with the silly idea of numbering the parts and creating a separate table to say what the numbers meant. Know what those of us who wanted to figure out the diagram had to do and did? We took the information off the damned table and put it back on the drawing, where it belonged to begin with!

 

[BAD ORCA]

Bad Orca, I have been doing engineering design work for 50 years and boat wiring labeling for over 30.
My humble suggestion to you is to reconsider your plan to put numbers on the wires and have a separate document to look up what those numbers mean. Basically, I have asked myself over the years: why look in two places for one piece of information.
Engineering drawings used to place the labels right on what they referred to, or used arrows. Then some wise-acre bean-counter came up with the silly idea of numbering the parts and creating a separate table to say what the numbers meant. Know what those of us who wanted to figure out the diagram had to do and did? We took the information off the damned table and put it back on the drawing, where it belonged to begin with!

Hi Stu. Thank you. I appreciate your experienced input. I considered heatshrink labels in the beginning, but in my haste to get the project moving along, went ahead with the re-wiring before making the decision on how to label them. Kicking myself a little bit right now for that. I think that option for heatshrink labels is no longer an option because it would mean disconnecting every single wire to get a label over them. wow that would be a lot of work. Im not even sure if i could get one over the large gauge wires now even if i wanted to. What is your favorite method of labeling them? I tried a basic label maker but they are starting to fall off already so i need to come up with a better solution for sure. Maybe i could find some really good quality clear tape to put over the labels.

 

[Rich Stidger]

The P-touch system has special wire label tape. I haven't used it, but it may be a solution.

 

[JamesG161]

ABYC have a standard that assigns a particular number for each wire depending on what it is used for?

Yes.

I hope this guide helps

This one is best for Low Voltage

Jim...

 

[dlochner]

ABYC standards are all voluntary, especially when it comes to wiring. For DC wiring the only colors to be concerned about are the DC+ and DC- which by convention should be red and black or yellow respectively.

The P-Touch labels by Brother work well or at least better than the other thermal printed labels. I use them and then cover with clear heat shrink. Remembering the sequence is sometimes a challenge, slide heat shrink on, then attach terminal and label and shrink the seal on the terminal and the label.

If you have already put the terminals on the wire, the next best option is to label the terminals on the bus bar or terminal bar. The one place I do use numbers is on the mast wiring. It is all duplex and triplex, the jacket is labeled with a Sharpie and the individual wires numbered with matching numbers on the terminal bar.

You could try making labels and then flagging them, i.e., instead of running lengthwise along the wire, wrap the label around the wire and seal it to itself, making a flag.

 

[jssailem]

I got my labeling insight from Rod (@Maine Sail ). I struggled with the hand written names, number & list idea. Finally I drank the Kool-aid and bought the label maker plus clear shrinkwrap.

Marine Wire Labeling - Marine How To

Brother P-Touch & Tze Labels I get asked quite a bit how I label wires on boats and finally got around to an answer. Technically, this is not how we do it. We use Professional print on heat shrink label machines. I

marinehowto.com

 

[BAD ORCA]

You could try making labels and then flagging them, i.e., instead of running lengthwise along the wire, wrap the label around the wire and seal it to itself, making a flag.

Thanks. This work ok for large gauge wires but not so well for the smaller wires. Thats what made me think maybe numbering system may be the best option now. My label maker on the smallest font is unreadable if i wrap it around the wire adhering it to itself. The numbers i can still make out clearly though.

 

[BAD ORCA]

I got my labeling insight from Rod (@Maine Sail ). I struggled with the hand written names, number & list idea. Finally I drank the Kool-aid and bought the label maker plus clear shrinkwrap.

View attachment 225103

Marine Wire Labeling - Marine How To

Brother P-Touch & Tze Labels I get asked quite a bit how I label wires on boats and finally got around to an answer. Technically, this is not how we do it. We use Professional print on heat shrink label machines. I

marinehowto.com

Yeah i regret now not being more patient before i started this project. That would have been ideal. That looks so clean and easy to trace. Too bad there isn't a heat shrink that can be applied over wires that are already connected. I tried slitting some with a razor and applying it around an already connected wire with no luck. Going to try some heavy clear mylar tape next.

 

[DArcy]

A different idea could be a handheld inkjet printer. I have never tried one, and it would not work well on smaller wires, but would be fun to try.

https://www.amazon.ca/Handheld-Inkjet-Printer-Printing-Production/dp/B0BX5F8CSG/ref=sr_1_6?crid=30ALF4ULE357K&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mJ4aK-KneP15PNXrtHgKjpQobjwPX6JXCemM2pN6InX7v_cxdI7Ekv36GSK1LAI97GZG6hmWxMErssfaDeXHcVdcH9S5GU0HzGPFFPCls62Y8-jirXsj9PzHtskGulIguWSiIg59-KKyzpxMxPbtbg1xkXm7yDjI7m4MSGP3jDXRUunFjXUSaDuNJ0EixFftE3sOn-UL9v2BXGLqTZHxlja3Tu9G55dcGFcB6DlYDBnHy4LWWtu25WaV7jXAh_8h2LRPLnPnqrwokM9UjxufZwXjxj3Qvg0VerdTfOl5DJA.MzRHdx2fBqgHvfHSUMRhIyvkYioLsyO0yKi9tELqeVI&dib_tag=se&keywords=handheld+inkjet+printer&qid=1716921963&sprefix=handheld+%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-6

 

[dlochner]

Yeah i regret now not being more patient before i started this project. That would have been ideal. That looks so clean and easy to trace. Too bad there isn't a heat shrink that can be applied over wires that are already connected. I tried slitting some with a razor and applying it around an already connected wire with no luck. Going to try some heavy clear mylar tape next.

On the smaller terminals it maybe posssible to slip slightly oversized clear heat shrink over the terminals and then shrink them down. It does mean disconnecting them and reconnecting them. There are clear heat shrink kits on Amazon for short money.

 

[rgranger]

A different idea could be a handheld inkjet printer. I have never tried one, and it would not work well on smaller wires, but would be fun to try.
View attachment 225115

https://www.amazon.ca/Handheld-Inkjet-Printer-Printing-Production/dp/B0BX5F8CSG/ref=sr_1_6?crid=30ALF4ULE357K&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mJ4aK-KneP15PNXrtHgKjpQobjwPX6JXCemM2pN6InX7v_cxdI7Ekv36GSK1LAI97GZG6hmWxMErssfaDeXHcVdcH9S5GU0HzGPFFPCls62Y8-jirXsj9PzHtskGulIguWSiIg59-KKyzpxMxPbtbg1xkXm7yDjI7m4MSGP3jDXRUunFjXUSaDuNJ0EixFftE3sOn-UL9v2BXGLqTZHxlja3Tu9G55dcGFcB6DlYDBnHy4LWWtu25WaV7jXAh_8h2LRPLnPnqrwokM9UjxufZwXjxj3Qvg0VerdTfOl5DJA.MzRHdx2fBqgHvfHSUMRhIyvkYioLsyO0yKi9tELqeVI&dib_tag=se&keywords=handheld+inkjet+printer&qid=1716921963&sprefix=handheld+%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-6

@DArcy is on the right path… you can also buy zip tie labels … they come in many styles … just Google “zip tie labels”. Here is one example

 

[sesmith]

I always made the label long enough to wrap around the wire and stick to itself like a flag with the printed side on one side. Easy to read that way. You really want to label ALL your wiring and connections? That's an impressive labor of love. I would concentrate on a good wiring schematic first.

One car company I had the pleasure of doing some electrical troubleshooting back ages ago used a numbering system on all the wiring (it may have been Peugeot). First you had to locate the almost impossible to read numbers on the wires (think contorted like a pretzel under the dash), then try to decide if a 6 was a 6 or a 9, then compare them to a wiring diagram that had them in only 2 places, the beginning and the end of the run, often on different pages. All wires were drawn black. Then there were the mistakes on the schematics. Great system...

 

[dlochner]

One car company I had the pleasure of doing some electrical troubleshooting back ages ago used a numbering system on all the wiring (it may have been Peugeot). First you had to locate the almost impossible to read numbers on the wires, then try to decide if a 6 was a 6 or a 9, then compare them to a wiring diagram that had them in only 2 places, the beginning and the end of the run, often on different pages. All wires were drawn black. Then there were the mistakes on the schematics. Great system...

Oh, you don't want to see what the CG requires for an inspected vessel. They want a list of all wires, labels, length, wire gauge, color and on and on.

 

[sesmith]

Oh, you don't want to see what the CG requires for an inspected vessel. They want a list of all wires, labels, length, wire gauge, color and on and on.

You're right, I don't . So this would be for any vessels that carry paying passengers? I've noticed all that info on our Catalina 350. They do a nice job with the schematic. I also have a travel trailer. I can tell you there is no such thing in that world. What a rat's nest. No schematics either. You're on your own when a problem arises. I often think that if the RV makers made boats, they'd all sink.

 

[dlochner]

You're right, I don't . So this would be for any vessels that carry paying passengers? I've noticed all that info on our Catalina 350. They do a nice job with the schematic. I also have a travel trailer. I can tell you there is no such thing in that world. What a rat's nest. No schematics either. You're on your own when a problem arises. I often think that if the RV makers made boats, they'd all sink.

Yes, for any vessel carrying more than 6 people for hire. It's all in CFR 46, if you are looking for a little bedtime reading.

 

[BAD ORCA]

I always made the label long enough to wrap around the wire and stick to itself like a flag with the printed side on one side. Easy to read that way. You really want to label ALL your wiring and connections? That's an impressive labor of love. I would concentrate on a good wiring schematic first.

One car company I had the pleasure of doing some electrical troubleshooting back ages ago used a numbering system on all the wiring (it may have been Peugeot). First you had to locate the almost impossible to read numbers on the wires (think contorted like a pretzel under the dash), then try to decide if a 6 was a 6 or a 9, then compare them to a wiring diagram that had them in only 2 places, the beginning and the end of the run, often on different pages. All wires were drawn black. Then there were the mistakes on the schematics. Great system...

Ouch!

Yes and no. Im not going to label obvious things such as wires coming from an electrical outlet or where they terminate at the AC panel. Those things are easy to find and troubleshoot. Also wont label obvious wires on instrument start panel or similar. Mainly concerned with DC wiring runs, bilge pumps and engine/alternator/starter wires. Some AC wires will get labeled if they are in bundles with similar jacketed wires. Mainly want to be able to quickly trace problems without having to pull half the boat apart again. Now is the time to do it since i have good access. The wiring diagram i will create in conjunction with the labeling. Started to work on this recently.

I might use the flag method, thanks. I did a few like this already. It works just looks a bit messy.

 

[BAD ORCA]

On the smaller terminals it maybe posssible to slip slightly oversized clear heat shrink over the terminals and then shrink them down. It does mean disconnecting them and reconnecting them. There are clear heat shrink kits on Amazon for short money.

Um NO! Just the though of that makes me crave a bottle of strong spirits!

 

[dlochner]

Um NO! Just the though of that makes me crave a bottle of strong spirits!

A year from now troubleshooting you’ll wonder why you didn’t have the foresight to go back and label them while reaching for a bottle of stronger spirits like 151 rum.

 

[shemandr]

Oh, I think a nice 80 proof Bourbon would do. Save the 151 for when you want to do an insurance job on the boat. My mother used to use it to set desserts on fire.