Archive for the ‘Harnesses-AC’ Category

Add or upgrade?

April 11th, 2011 by Kevin Hannula

Kevin,

I have a houseboat with 30 amp shore power and want to change it to 50 amp. How do I do this correctly?

I know that I should get a certified electrician, but i can’t afford one, as I am on a very limited budget. So, I’m asking for your boat wiring expertise. Please send me anything you can.

Thank you in advance.Marinco is the world's top manufacturer of shore power products

Carl

Carl,

Upgrading to 50a/125v would require at bare minimum the following:

  • 50 amp cordset
  • 50 amp hull inlet
  • Upgrading the wiring from the inlet to your distribution panel to handle the 50 amp service
  • Upgrading the main breaker to 50 amp
  • Upgrading the wiring between the main breaker and branch circuits to accommodate the additional supply.

Without seeing the exact configuration of the boat, I am not sure what is would be needed, but it won’t be cheap. And, if you should go ahead, I would recommend having an electrician inspect your work before turning it on.

It may be simpler and less expensive to add an additional 30 amp shore power system to accommodate your additional loads.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Posted in AC Wiring, Boat Wiring, Galvanic Corrosion, Harnesses-AC, Marine Electrical, Shore Power | Comments Off

Easy Add Ac

October 11th, 2010 by Kevin Hannula

Kevin,

I own a 1988 265 Baja. My question is “ Do I need a shore power system?”

I would like to pull up to a dock and use the radio, fan, and fridge on my boat without draining my batteries.

Do you know of any marine electrical system I can plug into the dock that lets me use the features of my boat without running down the batteries?

Sincerely,The EzAcDc Marine Shore Power kit makes your boat wiring project a breeze.

Darren

Hi Darren,

The Marine Shore Power Systems from our partners at EzAcDc were designed for your application. Here is a post that I wrote a while back that gives you an overview of the system.

In your specific application, you can use the unit’s exposed AC outlets to power your fan or tv and the hidden outlets to plug in your refrigerator and your battery charger. If you do not have a battery charger, I would recommend a potted, ignition protected unit like the ones from Guest.

Not only will you not drain your batteries while at the dock, you will recharge them. Another big benefit is that you can also purchase less expensive AC devices to use while at the dock instead of expensive DC units. My Walmart does not sell DC 13″ flat screen TV for less than $200, but they have plenty of choices that are AC powered.

The installation of this system is simple. You simply cut a round hole for the shore power inlet and rectangular holes for the AC panel and outlet.

Please let me know if you have any questions,

Kevin

Posted in AC Wiring, Battery Charger, Boat Wiring, Cruisers, Harnesses-AC, Marine Electrical, New Products, Pontoons, Runabouts, Shore Power | Comments Off

Marina Math

September 27th, 2010 by Kevin Hannula

Kevin,

Our marina outlets are 30 Amp with breakers. When I showed my new marine shore power system to our marina people, I was told it didn’t meet the standard because it only has 20 amp circuit protection.

Do you know if this is correct and does anyone sell panels with 30 amp circuit protection?

Thanks,
Wally

Hi Wally,

Their interpretation of the ABYC/NMMA marine electrical standard is backwards.

Your marina has 30 amp breakers at the dock and standard 30 amp shore power inlets. A standard 30 amp cordset plugs into the receptacle at the dock and into the 30 amp boat side inlet. The wire from the inlet to the panel is sized for a 30 amp system. All components up to this point can withstand the 30 amps that the dockside breaker could supply.

The outlets in your new panel are rated 20 amp. If it had a 30 amp breaker on the panel instead of the 20 amp, then the panel would not meet the standard because it would have too large a breaker for the components. If it had additional circuits, then the panel would have a 30 amp main and branch circuits with breakers. Since there is only one circuit, it includes a 20 amp dual pole breaker to provide appropriate circuit protection for both the ungrounded (black) and grounded (white) power wires.

Here is a copy of ABYC E-11, the boat wiring standard that your marina is referencing. See page 20 section 11.10.2

Hope this helps.

Let me know if you have any questions,

Kevin

Posted in AC Wiring, Boat Wiring, Circuit Protection, Cruisers, Harnesses-AC, Marine Electrical, Pontoons, Shore Power | Comments Off