I purchased a Guest 10 amp charger that came already wired (two battery wires and main AC 3-prong plug in). I want to place a breaker on the panel (15 amp) and wire the breaker to the AC system and the plug wires to the breaker. Okay, I have a recessive gene in electronics and do not have a clue as to where to start! I have an 1988 C-30 model with updated panel. When I open the panel I see a bar that has the white, black and green AC wires coming in from the deck fitting and out to the interior AC outlets as well as to the AC main and water heater. Simple enough! So, how many fittings will my not yet purchased breaker have on the back, two or three? How and where do I attach the three wires from the charger to the breaker and the breaker to that AC bar? Or is it visa-versa? Its probably very simple I am sure, but, I need to be right on here. Can anyone walk me thru this process a step at a time? Thanks Bob
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Marine AC wiring basics
Bob, below is a link to basic a/c wiring. Generally, a circuit breaker will be inline on the black (hot wire) as close to the source of a/c as possible, ie. your a/c panel. FYI, the purpose of the circuit breaker is to protect the wiring rather than the component in the circuit. Depending on your set up, your circuit breaker should only have two contacts and black wires going to and from the breaker. The white wire should connect to a neutral bus behind your panel and the ground should connect to a ground bus, also behind your electrical panel. Good luck! I have one question though...why don't you just plug the charger into an a/c outlet on the boat?
Bob, below is a link to basic a/c wiring. Generally, a circuit breaker will be inline on the black (hot wire) as close to the source of a/c as possible, ie. your a/c panel. FYI, the purpose of the circuit breaker is to protect the wiring rather than the component in the circuit. Depending on your set up, your circuit breaker should only have two contacts and black wires going to and from the breaker. The white wire should connect to a neutral bus behind your panel and the ground should connect to a ground bus, also behind your electrical panel. Good luck! I have one question though...why don't you just plug the charger into an a/c outlet on the boat?
Thanks Greg
Appreciate the feedback Greg. A fewmore questions though. Okay, I have a white, black and green wire. I realize the green will go to the buss where other green wires are connected and the white as well. What about that black though? You mentioned two black wires. If I have two connections on the breaker, is the wire from the charger placed on one end of the breaker and the other from where I take a connection from the buss bar? I am a bit confused on the black wire connection. Plugging it in the way it is presently configured makes for a sloppy look and messes up the wire run form the battery area. Thanks Bob C-30
Appreciate the feedback Greg. A fewmore questions though. Okay, I have a white, black and green wire. I realize the green will go to the buss where other green wires are connected and the white as well. What about that black though? You mentioned two black wires. If I have two connections on the breaker, is the wire from the charger placed on one end of the breaker and the other from where I take a connection from the buss bar? I am a bit confused on the black wire connection. Plugging it in the way it is presently configured makes for a sloppy look and messes up the wire run form the battery area. Thanks Bob C-30
I think you've got it...
I think you got it correct. The reason there are two black wires connected to the breaker is because it is inline with the hot wire. Another option for you is to install a new 115V outlet in the boat in a place that fits your application. You can wire it parallel with another 115V outlet nearby, basically just adding another outlet to that circuit. This will save you from have to lop off the plug from the charger and also from having to modify your electrical panel by adding a new circuit breaker. And now a word from that nagging voice in my head: If you're not 100% sure of what you're doing please ask someone for help, or worse ... pay someone to do it. There's no sense in burning down your boat because you didn't want the wiring to look sloppy. Good luck and keep us posted how you make out. --Greg
I think you got it correct. The reason there are two black wires connected to the breaker is because it is inline with the hot wire. Another option for you is to install a new 115V outlet in the boat in a place that fits your application. You can wire it parallel with another 115V outlet nearby, basically just adding another outlet to that circuit. This will save you from have to lop off the plug from the charger and also from having to modify your electrical panel by adding a new circuit breaker. And now a word from that nagging voice in my head: If you're not 100% sure of what you're doing please ask someone for help, or worse ... pay someone to do it. There's no sense in burning down your boat because you didn't want the wiring to look sloppy. Good luck and keep us posted how you make out. --Greg
AC
Bob, Greg's original response to your question is correct. Take the Black or "hot" wire from your charger and connect it to one of the terminals on the breaker. Connect the other terminal on the breaker to the black bus. This will allow the Circuit breaker to "break" the circuit and stop current flow from the black bus to the charger should the current exceed that of the breaker rating. The white wire is used to complete the circuit. Connect it directly to the white or neutral bus. The green wire which is the ground should be connected directly to the green wire bus. Make sure you secure all sources of AC power on the boat prior to starting the install. This should include shore pwr (unplug it) or any inverters (if equipped). Good luck, Paul
Bob, Greg's original response to your question is correct. Take the Black or "hot" wire from your charger and connect it to one of the terminals on the breaker. Connect the other terminal on the breaker to the black bus. This will allow the Circuit breaker to "break" the circuit and stop current flow from the black bus to the charger should the current exceed that of the breaker rating. The white wire is used to complete the circuit. Connect it directly to the white or neutral bus. The green wire which is the ground should be connected directly to the green wire bus. Make sure you secure all sources of AC power on the boat prior to starting the install. This should include shore pwr (unplug it) or any inverters (if equipped). Good luck, Paul
Thanks Paul -one more!
Paul, you made it as easy as it can be. But, one more question. I notice that the bus bar has all the AC wires connected at various locations in an orderly arrangement. Can I attach the black wire from the breaker on top of any black wire connection on the bus bar? Thanks Bob
Paul, you made it as easy as it can be. But, one more question. I notice that the bus bar has all the AC wires connected at various locations in an orderly arrangement. Can I attach the black wire from the breaker on top of any black wire connection on the bus bar? Thanks Bob
AC
Yes. The purpose of any bus bar is to create a common distribution point for multiple recipients of that power. You can connect it anywhere on the BLACK or HOT bus.
Yes. The purpose of any bus bar is to create a common distribution point for multiple recipients of that power. You can connect it anywhere on the BLACK or HOT bus.
New Panel Observation
Appreciate the info. While I was up at the Lake yesterday re-enforcing my dock lines for the oncoming winds from Ivan, I took a good look at the panel wiring. I noticed that the two AC breakers (hot water heater and AC) were connected by a common brass bar that was connected via screws to each breaker with an extended length left for additional breaker connections. Interesting arrangement. One black wire from the buss bar was connected to just one of the breakers where the brass connecting bar was installed. All tied up in series. Those two existing breakers do come equipped with trip buttons. I would think though that the battery charger would best be served by using a separate line (black) from the buss bar to the breaker and forego any series connection to that brass connecting bar. Its the trip buttons that have me wondering! Anyways, its all looking more sane to me and rather simplistic. Can you recommend a brand or type of breaker that would best serve this application? I have yet to look at the manufacturer's specs on the charger itself to see what the amperage is, but I will assume its 15 or 20. Thanks Again Bob C-30
Appreciate the info. While I was up at the Lake yesterday re-enforcing my dock lines for the oncoming winds from Ivan, I took a good look at the panel wiring. I noticed that the two AC breakers (hot water heater and AC) were connected by a common brass bar that was connected via screws to each breaker with an extended length left for additional breaker connections. Interesting arrangement. One black wire from the buss bar was connected to just one of the breakers where the brass connecting bar was installed. All tied up in series. Those two existing breakers do come equipped with trip buttons. I would think though that the battery charger would best be served by using a separate line (black) from the buss bar to the breaker and forego any series connection to that brass connecting bar. Its the trip buttons that have me wondering! Anyways, its all looking more sane to me and rather simplistic. Can you recommend a brand or type of breaker that would best serve this application? I have yet to look at the manufacturer's specs on the charger itself to see what the amperage is, but I will assume its 15 or 20. Thanks Again Bob C-30
AC
Whatever breaker size is used on your AC outlets should be fine for that application as well being that the charger is originally wired to be plugged into your outlets. CB Manufacturer will really depend on what will fit in your panel. I am not familiar with what is in your boat. You want to run your wire direct from the black bus. If I understand you correctly, that bus is protected by your AC main breaker. The breaker you will install will protect just the Charger circuit. So in a sense you will be double covered except the AC Main breaker is probably rated much higher (usually 30 amps). Hope this doesn't confuse you.
Whatever breaker size is used on your AC outlets should be fine for that application as well being that the charger is originally wired to be plugged into your outlets. CB Manufacturer will really depend on what will fit in your panel. I am not familiar with what is in your boat. You want to run your wire direct from the black bus. If I understand you correctly, that bus is protected by your AC main breaker. The breaker you will install will protect just the Charger circuit. So in a sense you will be double covered except the AC Main breaker is probably rated much higher (usually 30 amps). Hope this doesn't confuse you.
Who Me Confused?!
Hey Paul... The AC circuit is protected with the pop-out fuse so an independent run from the buss bar to the new breaker is what I will do. BUT, with the existing AC system protected by a 30 amp fuse would a down stream 15 amp breaker for the charger be an issue? So we move from wiring to breaker amperage. One more bit of info. Thanks Bob
Hey Paul... The AC circuit is protected with the pop-out fuse so an independent run from the buss bar to the new breaker is what I will do. BUT, with the existing AC system protected by a 30 amp fuse would a down stream 15 amp breaker for the charger be an issue? So we move from wiring to breaker amperage. One more bit of info. Thanks Bob
AC
No not at all. You just don't want the smaller breaker upstream if you know what I mean. Sounds like you got it.
No not at all. You just don't want the smaller breaker upstream if you know what I mean. Sounds like you got it.
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