Re: Shore power install
The short answer is yes. Not only that but everything you need is available to go from a 30amp shore power cord to an adapter with a household socket. DONT DO IT!!! The AC circuitry on a boat is serious stuff. It can kill you and/or burn you boat to the water line.<br /><br />The very first thing you need to do is have the ground tested to know it is working at the marina. If it isnt, STOP! Have them fix it, but under no conditions are you going to access that AC without a working ground.<br /><br />Comply with all wiring codes, including color. It is far more important with AC wiring than it is with DC.<br /><br />Black=ungrounded, aka hot<br />White (or Lt. Blue)=grounded, aka neutral<br />Green (or Green w/yellow stripe)=grounding, aka ground<br /><br />You are required to have a main circuit breaker within 10-ft (conductor length) of where that fat, over priced yellow extension cord plugs into the boat. The circuit breaker must be rated for the shore power amps its connected to, i.e. you must have a USCG approved 30amp main breaker and no more than 10-feet of conductor (wire) between it and the incoming power receptacle. After that 30amp breaker you can get creative with your wiring. If you have a 30amp on/off switch, it goes AFTER that breaker. Note: it is not unusual to install a breaker that also functions as the shore power on/off switch.<br /><br />Single pole (hot) breakers are acceptable but there are none on my boat, AC or DC. I strongly urge you to pony up the extra bucks for a double pole (hot and neutral) breaker.Also, do not use a thermal circuit breaker. Use a magnetic (sometimes called a hydraulic/magnetic) circuit breaker only. Also, your circuit breaker must be of the non-trip variety. That means if the breaker trips you cannot override it buy holding the lever in the on position.<br /><br />Remember, circuit breakers protect the wires, fuses protect the equipment. So any wire you run after that required 30-amp circuit breaker must be rated for 125VAC/30amps and it aint cheap.<br /><br />All AC conductor/wiring should be enclosed in non-conductive conduit. Either that ugly gray rigid tubing or LiquidTight flexible conduit. Both are available at Home Depot or its equivalent. Note: the conduits do not have the same rating for conductors, so you need to pay attention to the breaker/wire/conduit/socket compatibility.<br /><br />DO NOT attach a household receptacle/socket without further limiting the amp potential. Pay attention to the receptacle/sockets amp rating! You should have another breaker, perhaps 15 amps (or 20 amps max) between the required 30-amp breaker and the receptacle/socket branch circuitry. Note: 20amp GFIC sockets aint cheap!<br /><br />ALL household receptacles/sockets need be GFIC protected.<br /><br />Do not use solid copper wire (like in your house). Use only marine grade, multi strand and the appropriate AWG size for the load for all of your AC wiring.<br /><br />Do not connect anything with wire nuts
they are forbidden. Use metal fasteners and wire distribution strips only. No soldering of AC circuitry on boats.<br /><br />You are going to need a box to put all this stuff in. Sometimes called a panel it must be non-conductive, either PVC or polycarbonate. Regular old metal electrical panels arent going to pass. The GFIC receptacle box needs to be non-conductive as well. The appropriate box for it is NOT available at Home Depot, you will need to go to an electrical supply store.<br /><br />Also, you get to invest in a galvanic isolator. It is basically an over priced collection of diodes and maybe a capacitor. They are subject to failure and need be check with a meter on a regular basis. They are intended to keep up to 1.4VDC from finding its way from other boats through the AC ground into your boat and out through the water dissolving parts of your boat along the way out. If you are around other boats at a marina that are plugged into shore power, it is foolish not to have one. Quicksilver is a common and highly recommended brand of galvanic isolator.<br /><br />Things that dont need to said: ABSOLUTELY NO SHORE POWER can be available when working on the AC circuitry. That big, fat yellow cord is to be nowhere in sight of anybody! Actually, there isnt going to be any power extension cords in sight because there isnt going to be any AC power tools around when you are working on the AC electrical system. Any power tools are either battery operated or not used. When it comes time to plug in and test your creation, you should be in rubber-soled shoes. All circuitry should be probed/meter tested at every component. Every GFIC receptacle/socket needs to be tested ok with one of those AC socket testers with LEDs on it or metered, if you know how.<br /><br />Hint: using a permanent marker (Sharpe) write the name of our boat on the big, fat, overpriced yellow extension cord about 18-in from where it plugs into the marinas shore power. Everyone will know what boat that power cord is going to and someone might me less likely to take it when they see it is labeled.<br /><br />Them's the rules (USCG and AYBC) that come to mind. If you have specific questions about installing the AC stuff, post back here again.
