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Proper grounding

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alanm
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/15/2004 : 13:17:17

I was having my yard install a 110 volt line to my boat and hook up a battery charger and add some outlets. The yard contacted Catalina and was told that my year (1982) did not have the proper bond for grounding the line. He told me that I could do it myself but that Catalina does not recommend it. Anyone else have this problem? Thanks for your help as I'm new to posting even though I've been a member for a number of years. I have a swing keel, std. rig.

Edited by - on

oldsalt
Admiral

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USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 06/15/2004 : 17:40:43

You'll need to install a dedicated copper grounding bus bar near (behind) your 120 volt panel to which the ground (green wire) from the shore power inlet will be attached. To this same bus bar, the ground (green wire) from the grounds on your electrical outlets (receptacles)and battery charger will likewise be attached. Unlike the wiring system you have in your home in which the main circuit breaker disconnects only the hot wire or wires, you'll need a 2 pole main breaker which, in the event of an overcurrent condition or short circuit, interupts the white neutral wire as well, in order to protect your system from shorepower which may be installed with the wrong polarity.

The copper bus bar should be 1/4" thick and 3/4 to 1 inch wide by around 3 or 4 inches long to make it easy to work with but a bar of these dimensions can carry a load of over 100 amperes, far in excess of your needs. This copper grounding bar should be drilled and tapped to accept the stake-on or preferably soldered ground wire terminations, and must be electrically isolated from the rest of your wiring system. I strongly recommend that you also DO NOT bond any part of your keel, rigging, through hulls, etc. to this bonding system. You can actually do without the bus bar by simply through bolting all the terminations together, but a copper bar is preferred.

You should also install ground one fault receptacle ahead of any others you are installing in a circuit. Since you will likely be installing outlets on both sides of the cabin, you'll need two. The ground fault receptacle will protect any others which are downstream.

The best ground fault protection results from having a ground fault circuit breaker installed in the dockside power box as well, since it will also protect the shore power cord which is energized ahead of the wiring devices on your boat and will prevent you from receiving a shock from the shorepower inlet which may become energized.

Note; if the dockside power source is wired with reverse polarity hot and neutral reversed), your ground fault receptacles will offer no protection, and if your on board ground fault receptacles are wired with the wrong polarity, they will also offer no protection. When the installation is completed, you can push the test buttons on the devices and if they trip, all is well. They should all be tested periodically to ensure that they are in working condition.

I hope this helps.

Edited by - oldsalt on 06/15/2004 22:59:58

Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/15/2004 : 18:29:55

To give early warning of a situation that is not obvious you might consider using a main panel with reverse polarity indication by light or sound or both. The GFI on the dock can be accomplished with a construction box but it probably will be more trouble than its worth. Dave

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oldsalt
Admiral

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USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 06/15/2004 : 19:12:17

A cheap plug in polarity tester can be purchased at any electrical supply house and it's a good idea to use it at an unfamiliar marina. A ground fault breaker can be installed in the existing dockside panel by your slip so long as you match manufacturers. It's not all that much trouble and may be worth your life if the exterior of your shore power inlet receptacle becomes energized, or you dip your power cord into the drink and it has an insulation fault. There's another way to do it if you don't want to "donate" a ground fault breaker to your marina. Buy a small two circuit panelette, install a properly wired male plug on a very short cord on the feed bus bars (hot, neutral and ground), and a short properly wired female plug that matches your male shore power cord connector, wired from the load side of the ground fault breaker. You can take this from marina to marina.

Edited by - oldsalt on 06/15/2004 19:13:20

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 06/16/2004 : 07:47:58

My panel has a reverse polarity light, which will identify a problem before I flip the a/c master. At least I think it will. I have a Blue Sea systems AC panel. Can anyone tell me if this is correct?

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alanm
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2004 : 12:57:00

Thanks for your suggestions. As there is limited time and I'd rather be sailing this project will have to wait til later.

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bbriner
Captain

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349 Posts

Response Posted - 06/28/2004 : 12:54:03

I have a related question - at least I think it's related...
When berthed - should shore power always be plugged in? I have 84 C25, without a battery charger. I'm guessing yes due to galvanic corrosion and need for grounding, but I'm really ignorant when it comes to electrical do's and don'ts.
Thx
Bill

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Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/28/2004 : 18:55:55

Ok, why does this SOB eat your response if you hit enter and tab to do a new paragraph?
No you should not be pluged in unless you are running something that requires AC power. Galvanic corrosion is a slow process and not much of a problem on our boats because keels excepted there is not much metal under water on them. If you add in the disassociative powers of your local electric utility though you can have a big problem. On the old boats with old battery chargers you may be doing more harm than good by plugging the battery charger in. Dave

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Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/28/2004 : 18:56:08

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Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2004 : 10:16:59

Hi Alan,

In addition to all above responses - remember that you must keep the 110VAC circuits completely seperated from the 12VDC circuits on your boat. DO NOT wire the AC ground into the DC ground.

For the battary charger, make sure that the 110VAC side of the charger is wired into the shore power circuits: and that the charging 12VDC wiring to the battaries do not share 110VAC ground.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.