Wiring a galvanic isolator....

[NYSail]

hello all....
Bought a 60amp galvanic isolator for my beneteau 423. I have 2 30 amp coming into the boat leading immediately to individual breakers with 10awg wire then lead to main a/c panel. The installation says put the isolator before anything else so before the breakers.... there is no room for this right at that spot but there is about 2 feet away. So I plan to extract the ground from each, run to the isolator then back. Question....if I run a single ground wire to the isolator and back should/can I bump it to a 8awg wire? I have 10 feet already and would save buying 10awg.
Thanks

 

[JohnShannon]

Thicker is fine, thinner is when you can have a problem.

 

[jibes138]

What color is your 8 awg wire? If it is green as required for AC grounds you are good to go. Any other color and you should get the correct wire according to ABYC requirements.

 

[Chief RA]

jibes: if an electrician runs out of green insulated wire on a job all he would do is tape each end of his correct size wire with green electrical tape and "get'r done". Chief

 

[jibes138]

Granted any wire will conduct but what is the correct way to do the job and what are the code requirements for AC electrical work? I see a lot of old houses with no grounds at all, just two wire outlets, doesn't mean it's a good practice. A few feet of green AC stranded tinned wire is about the cost of a burger for lunch. 12 feet of green 12 awg for 7 bucks at genuinedealz.

http://www.pkys.com/Reference.htm

AC wiring color codes

Conductor US 115v AC US 230v AC Europe 240v AC
Ground Green Green Green and yellow
Neutral White White Light blue
Hot Black Black Brown
Hot Red

 

[NYSail]

I always keep wire colors correct...... makes life easy.

 

[Chief RA]

Let me see if I have this right. I order a hamburger with mustard and get one with no mustard. Just spend 8 more bucks and order another one with mustard rather than condescending to putting on the mustard myself! WOW! makes life easy? Chief

 

[NYSail]

If that immediate moment was it..... but three years down the line wouldn't be nice to know the mustard was where it was suppose to be?

 

[Chief RA]

I don't think you have been around electrical tape much! Chief

 

[jibes138]

Green electrical tape is $5.10 a roll plus shipping on Amazon. Versus about $2.50 worth of green wire. You do the math.

 

[BigEasy]

Replaced my battery charger a few months ago. Factory, previous owner, somebody came up a bit short on the AC wiring & spliced pigtails to make up the shortage. They didn't use the correct wire colors. Went to West Marine & bought the right ones. Nothing wrong with jury rig to get you going, but go back & fix it right for your own benefit down the stretch after you've forgotten about what you did or for those Who come after you.

 

[Gunni]

The previous owner of my boat retained the services of a couple of jacklegs who came at the right price. They took every shortcut they could with electrical work, and tucked it out of sight. When I inspected the boat I caught a few of the jury-rigs and brought in an ABYC electrician who went stem to stern and drew up a lengthy bill of particulars on what the owner represented as a Bristol yacht. The cost of making things right came out of the purchase price. He saved nothing by not doing it right the first time.