Galvanic Isolators.....

[Anthony Bavuso]

I have been recently going through the electrical system on my boat and realized that the AC shore power ground wire was not connected to the DC negative. After some reading (Calder etc) I have decided that due to the safety implications I definitely want to have the AC ground connected to the DC negative. The problem is the galvanic corrosion that this could cause. I just spoke to a marine electrician and he told me that 90% of the time a galvanic isolator is not needed. And usually when they install a new shore power system they do not install an isolator. He said that they only install the isolators when the galvanic corrosion becomes a problem.My question for the group is, does that sound right to you? How many of you that have shore power systems also have galvanic isolators installed? How many of you with shore power systems do not have a galvanic isolator?

 

[Bob Fuller]

Bought one

I purchased the Guest M/N 2433P. Decided I would be better safe than sorry, especially after low tide caused the incoming shorepower line to be jerked out of the boat inlet on a boat next to mine, and then fell into the water.Talk about some stray current! I also read everything I could find, e-mailed some other contributors to this site, and made the investment. I'm doing this as part of a complete electrical upgrade.

 

[Mickey McHugh]

On our 1997 H40.5

there is not a galvanic isolator installed and for 3 years living aboard with shorepower in constant use, I never saw any indication of corrosion - UNTIL we stayed 4 days at the Couch Marina in Key West next to lots of BIG power boats. Every piece of bronze exposed to seawater turned bright pink which included the insides of the engine raw water intake piping.When we pulled Yaga out of the water 2 days later in Fort Lauderdale, Debbie wondered why the prop was so "pretty and pink"!I now keep a 'Grouper' zinc hung over the side connected to the ground buss.So far so good at the marina in Baltimore.