Shore power question
- Thread starter sonofasailorsailing
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I have to say that there are the occasional,
What was I thinking!!! That is what happened the day my employee and I installed an emergency generator and also up graded the panel. I had three jobs on my mind.. we wired the power free switch box for the generator, I'm talking grabbing wires and forcing them into place, then the main panel, just trying to get it done. I was thinking about the two other projects that needed dealt with.... We went outside to work on the meter socket. We needed to connect the new service to the new panel. Well, after about 10 hours and the other two projects on my mind... I grabbed...!!! My good and faithful employee gave me the old NFL block to free me from the street line voltage. When doing electricity, no matter how much you know, treat it like your wife! Always rember that she does the wash (atleast 90% of the time) and hates to do that repeditive job. How many times can she wash the same underwear? Theat it with the never ending respect that it is do! r.w.landau
What was I thinking!!! That is what happened the day my employee and I installed an emergency generator and also up graded the panel. I had three jobs on my mind.. we wired the power free switch box for the generator, I'm talking grabbing wires and forcing them into place, then the main panel, just trying to get it done. I was thinking about the two other projects that needed dealt with.... We went outside to work on the meter socket. We needed to connect the new service to the new panel. Well, after about 10 hours and the other two projects on my mind... I grabbed...!!! My good and faithful employee gave me the old NFL block to free me from the street line voltage. When doing electricity, no matter how much you know, treat it like your wife! Always rember that she does the wash (atleast 90% of the time) and hates to do that repeditive job. How many times can she wash the same underwear? Theat it with the never ending respect that it is do! r.w.landau
Yes there is
If you're a professional, then you kave a license. Business license, contractors license, electrician certification, whatever. IE: let the professionals do it. And make sure they're insured.
If you're a professional, then you kave a license. Business license, contractors license, electrician certification, whatever. IE: let the professionals do it. And make sure they're insured.
Jeff, that is what I was saying!
We even screw up! Doing what we know needs to be done. r.w.landau
We even screw up! Doing what we know needs to be done. r.w.landau
I've been doing my own electrical work around...
the house all my adult life; plumbing, too. Got bit a time or two, but what helped me was a simple how-to pamphlet on each discipline. Tells you what you need to know to do it right. Same with our boat's AC and DC systems. Yes I could hire an electrician to do it, but I want to know that it was done right, to the best of my knowledge and ability. All I can say to the person who started this thread is to learn how to do it right. Asking questions as he his doing is a start, but the information is too vague. He needs to have his marina electrician verify the polarity and amp rating at the power pedestal. Is the power pedestal and shorepower cord designed to support 30 amp service? What is he plugging the cable into on the boat and is it properly fused? What is the condition of the wiring from the electrical jack on the boat to the various jack or connect points? Will it support a 30 amp service? Does he have a breaker panel set up to handle the service, etc., etc., etc.? The best advice that I can give this person is to purchase a how-to manual on marine grade AC and DC electrical installations. The material and installation procedures for boats are quite different from household applications. Terry
the house all my adult life; plumbing, too. Got bit a time or two, but what helped me was a simple how-to pamphlet on each discipline. Tells you what you need to know to do it right. Same with our boat's AC and DC systems. Yes I could hire an electrician to do it, but I want to know that it was done right, to the best of my knowledge and ability. All I can say to the person who started this thread is to learn how to do it right. Asking questions as he his doing is a start, but the information is too vague. He needs to have his marina electrician verify the polarity and amp rating at the power pedestal. Is the power pedestal and shorepower cord designed to support 30 amp service? What is he plugging the cable into on the boat and is it properly fused? What is the condition of the wiring from the electrical jack on the boat to the various jack or connect points? Will it support a 30 amp service? Does he have a breaker panel set up to handle the service, etc., etc., etc.? The best advice that I can give this person is to purchase a how-to manual on marine grade AC and DC electrical installations. The material and installation procedures for boats are quite different from household applications. Terry
It is not just doing it right it is understanding
Electricity and what you are doing! r.w.landau
Electricity and what you are doing! r.w.landau
inlet wiring
The great thing about West Marine is the "West Marine Advisor" which is one of the top links on their site. The link I posted below will take you to the page on what color wires go to which pin for the shore power plug. The info on the page appears to be valid although the West Marine Advisor should not be your sole source. I highly recommend Nigel Calders "Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual". It is techical but clearly explains things with pictures. Don Casey's book was mentioned by another poster and that would be the other choice or buy them both. I agree green= ground, white= neutral, black= hot. The ABYC sets standards for new boats and has set a color guide that should be followed for wiring. The screws aren't always color coded. My GFI outlet I recently installed had 2 brass screws for "line feed" to service downstream recepticles in a chain, and a second set of screws for the white and black wires of the AC line in. There were also the 2 green (ground) wires that get connected to a lonely screw somewhere near the bottom right or bottom left. When connecting terminal fittings, make sure they match the diameter of the screw on the battery terminal whether fork or circular type. Oversize terminal ends that don't completely contact the screw could arc and cause a fire. Corroded prongs on a shore power cord cause resistance which = heat = potential fire hazard. Helpful Tips: **If you aren't absolutely sure what you are doing (especially with AC current), hire a certified technician. It's your life and maybe your boat's if it burns to the waterline due to improper wiring.** Ensure the dock box you are going to connect to does in fact take 30 Amp plug. Make sure there is a breaker on the shore power box that is accessible. Once you hook up the 3 wires correctly to the inlet, you should consider installing a galvanic isolator within the first 10ft of wire from your inlet plug. I have a 1985 boat that doesn't have this (yet) and was originally wired with a double prong breaker (37 amps I think) for over current protection. You need appropriate size wire with an insulation rating and a breaker as a minimum. You're playing russian roulette with a boat fire if you consider using a home exension cord as your wire leading to the distribution panel. Also worth mentioning is home extension cords for heaters on your boat. The cheap crap is not rated to handle the current running through the cord which is why they get hot. http://www.westmarine.com/pdf/MarineWire.pdf Using the proper shore adapter (West Marine) from the dock box to a 2blade with ground tail for use with powertools is fine. Wires should be sized using the AWG "american wire gauge" system based on the current or load placed on the circuit. This can also be found using WM advisor pages. UNDERSIZED WIRES CAUSE RESISTANCE AND BOAT FIRES. Anything directly connected to the positive battery terminal needs an in-line fuse or you are taking an unecessary risk. Read Nigel Calder's book or Don Casey's. Take a class. Learn, understand, then do.
The great thing about West Marine is the "West Marine Advisor" which is one of the top links on their site. The link I posted below will take you to the page on what color wires go to which pin for the shore power plug. The info on the page appears to be valid although the West Marine Advisor should not be your sole source. I highly recommend Nigel Calders "Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual". It is techical but clearly explains things with pictures. Don Casey's book was mentioned by another poster and that would be the other choice or buy them both. I agree green= ground, white= neutral, black= hot. The ABYC sets standards for new boats and has set a color guide that should be followed for wiring. The screws aren't always color coded. My GFI outlet I recently installed had 2 brass screws for "line feed" to service downstream recepticles in a chain, and a second set of screws for the white and black wires of the AC line in. There were also the 2 green (ground) wires that get connected to a lonely screw somewhere near the bottom right or bottom left. When connecting terminal fittings, make sure they match the diameter of the screw on the battery terminal whether fork or circular type. Oversize terminal ends that don't completely contact the screw could arc and cause a fire. Corroded prongs on a shore power cord cause resistance which = heat = potential fire hazard. Helpful Tips: **If you aren't absolutely sure what you are doing (especially with AC current), hire a certified technician. It's your life and maybe your boat's if it burns to the waterline due to improper wiring.** Ensure the dock box you are going to connect to does in fact take 30 Amp plug. Make sure there is a breaker on the shore power box that is accessible. Once you hook up the 3 wires correctly to the inlet, you should consider installing a galvanic isolator within the first 10ft of wire from your inlet plug. I have a 1985 boat that doesn't have this (yet) and was originally wired with a double prong breaker (37 amps I think) for over current protection. You need appropriate size wire with an insulation rating and a breaker as a minimum. You're playing russian roulette with a boat fire if you consider using a home exension cord as your wire leading to the distribution panel. Also worth mentioning is home extension cords for heaters on your boat. The cheap crap is not rated to handle the current running through the cord which is why they get hot. http://www.westmarine.com/pdf/MarineWire.pdf Using the proper shore adapter (West Marine) from the dock box to a 2blade with ground tail for use with powertools is fine. Wires should be sized using the AWG "american wire gauge" system based on the current or load placed on the circuit. This can also be found using WM advisor pages. UNDERSIZED WIRES CAUSE RESISTANCE AND BOAT FIRES. Anything directly connected to the positive battery terminal needs an in-line fuse or you are taking an unecessary risk. Read Nigel Calder's book or Don Casey's. Take a class. Learn, understand, then do.
Tim, that is not good info!
A GFI outlet has two brass screws and two silver screws and a green ground screw! One set( brass and silver) is for line( the power source, It is marked LINE Black on the brass and white on the silver) and the other is for load( the devices that you connect to this one to give them GFI charactoristics. It is marked LOAD. Again the black on brass and white on silver.)! It is important that you install the black wires on the brass screws. The black power from the shore should be connected to the brass screw marked "line" (as marked on the back of the GFI receptical) connector. The "line " is the hot and neutral from the dock. The dock white should be connected to the silver screw connection directly across from the black.( that says line) The newer GFI recepticals can be wired by simply stripping the wire about 1/2" and inserting it into the hole in the back of the device,the screw then clamps down on it when tightened. The Load side of the outlet also has the same colored screws. On the back of the outlet it is marked load. It normally comes with a yellow warning tape. The recepticals that are connected to this GFI can be protected by connecting to the load side of tis device. If you do not understand stand this ask or get good help! I have to say that Tim's advice is not good and should not be followed other than reading Nigel Calder. If you do not connect your wires in the correct position, you are not protected! r.w.landau
A GFI outlet has two brass screws and two silver screws and a green ground screw! One set( brass and silver) is for line( the power source, It is marked LINE Black on the brass and white on the silver) and the other is for load( the devices that you connect to this one to give them GFI charactoristics. It is marked LOAD. Again the black on brass and white on silver.)! It is important that you install the black wires on the brass screws. The black power from the shore should be connected to the brass screw marked "line" (as marked on the back of the GFI receptical) connector. The "line " is the hot and neutral from the dock. The dock white should be connected to the silver screw connection directly across from the black.( that says line) The newer GFI recepticals can be wired by simply stripping the wire about 1/2" and inserting it into the hole in the back of the device,the screw then clamps down on it when tightened. The Load side of the outlet also has the same colored screws. On the back of the outlet it is marked load. It normally comes with a yellow warning tape. The recepticals that are connected to this GFI can be protected by connecting to the load side of tis device. If you do not understand stand this ask or get good help! I have to say that Tim's advice is not good and should not be followed other than reading Nigel Calder. If you do not connect your wires in the correct position, you are not protected! r.w.landau
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