How to connect AC wire in the engine compartment

wingless said:
Yes, gas engines.

The AC feeds from that receptacle to the adjacent battery charger. Within the ignition-protected charger there is a terminal strip where the wiring connects.

The charger is wide-open to fumes. It is drip-proof only.

There is no spark at the receptacle, within the receptacle box or at the charger terminal strip unless the connection is made or broken while power is applied.

This is safe in my application.
Click to expand...

Well... to each his own but I doubt the boats that blow up at the dock all got gas fumes in the bilge because they were servicing the fuel system. Gas fumes can get in the bilge many different ways including ways caused by hose leaks, clamp failure, etc etc. They don't tell you to only run the blowers on the boat when you are servicing the fuel system do they? That set up with the charger violates several ABYC guidelines but you are right... it's your boat... A surveyor is going to flag that set up if you ever sell the boat.

The way Sea Ray puts AC junction boxes in the bilge is to crimp the two wires together and have strain relief/cord pull connections where the cable exits/enters the junction box. If the junction box is below a certain level in the bilge, it is supposed to be water tight but I don't recall that level off the top of my head. You probably already have an AC junction box in your bilge for your Air Conditioner system so look at that as a guide.

Plugs in receptacles also spark when they are jiggled or bumped... And I jiggle and bump a lot.

Personally, I always worry about insurance coverage and other liabilities when I do modifications to the boat and following set guidelines would seem to minimize that risk. Intentionally ignoring guidelines seems like a recipe for disaster at some point.
 
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"Personally, I always worry about insurance coverage and other liabilities"

This is my #1 concern here. If the boat burns it burns, I am now worried about Insurance denying a claim if they can point to this box as the source.
 
Jacob said:
Perhaps you could explain the differences in wiring for us.
Click to expand...

I suppose I could, but I can assure you there are better sources for learning these differences than me. Suffice to say that the ignition protection standards in a diesel vs. a gas boat are far different per the ABYC and Coast Guard standards. I'm confident you can find the documentation if you are inclined.
 
Not to get into a big debate but..

Some people have AC outlets in their gas boat bilge...
Some people don't wear their PFDs on the boat...
Some people use portable gas generators on their boat...
Some people go offshore without a liferaft or EPIRB...
Some people drink and boat....
Some people cross the Gulfstream in a bowrider...
Some people eat medium-rare steaks...

As long as nothing goes wrong, everyone is happy... Guidelines like those put out by ABYC are not laws but are guidelines to minimize risk... (Your insurance carrier, however, may think they are insuring a boat that follows ABYC guidelines).

Litigation and lawyers only get involved when something bad happens.
 
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white glove said:
I used metalic screw down splicer /reducers which make for a very strong connection and heat wrap the entire assembly ,properly strain relieve the conductor into the work box and then schmooky it .I used silicone.It makes for a water /vapor tight instal and quite safe. By the way , I think most companies void their warranty as soon as the factory plug is cut,I am not sure about Boatsafe but I cut mine none the less.
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Boatsafe told me they were OK with me lobbing off the existing power cord on both the new and old unit and then splicing.

My preferred method would be to pull the old one out completely and re fish the new back into the cabin, where it is currently connected to a GFI outlet in the head.

My mechanic said he could do it safely with butt connectors which have silcone inside them, then heatshrink as needed. He said these splice would work underwater if needed, but I still do not like the idea.

Fishing the cable and redoing all of the wire ties is going to cost more money, but I think thats what I will do.
 
Hoo'sdave said:
Winterize your motors and sell the BoatSafe heater and clean the water spots off.I think we are going to have a COLD winter.Remember your marina has lost electric more than I care to remember.You are 90 miles away cold as hell then what are you going to do .Call Wayne.March is coming then Barack Hussein Obama will take care of all your problems with his magic dust.
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If the marina loses power, our generator automatically kicks on. No worries.
 
I have been wanting to install an A.C. outlet in my engine room for my work light, etc.... What information do I need to do it properly and according to "standards"....? Thanks in advance, Mark
 
A UPS will automatically kick-in, as it drains the batteries.

The generator would need both an automatic start and an automatic transfer switch to perform that function. They are manual on my 380DA.

Also, the restore function could be automated, but that typically involves re-sync of the phase, to creep them back into alignment. Otherwise a worst case would be to start on-line at 0° when the gen just finished at 90° hitting everything on board w/ a 340 volt peak instead of the typical 170 peak in a 120 VAC system. This could fry some of the input filter capacitors within electronics.

A UPS also performs that phase alignment function.
 
wingless said:
A UPS will automatically kick-in, as it drains the batteries.

The generator would need both an automatic start and an automatic transfer switch to perform that function. They are manual on my 380DA.

Also, the restore function could be automated, but that typically involves re-sync of the phase, to creep them back into alignment. Otherwise a worst case would be to start on-line at 0° when the gen just finished at 90° hitting everything on board w/ a 340 volt peak instead of the typical 170 peak in a 120 VAC system. This could fry some of the input filter capacitors within electronics.

A UPS also performs that phase alignment function.
Click to expand...
Yes my company sells UPS but how long do you think one would last.Winterize your motors and be done with it .90 miles away also boat is in a little hick:grin: town. I
don't think SR 95 330 has a generator that has a automatic start and an automatic transfer switch to perform that function.I could be wrong.
 
Four Suns said:
You probably already have an AC junction box in your bilge for your Air Conditioner system so look at that as a guide.
Click to expand...


Finally! Someone nailed it! The 330DA has a junction box on the bulkhead in the engine room near the air conditioning system's raw water pump. Follow the raw water pump's wire back from the pump and you'll find the box. Pop the cover and do what Sea Ray did. A perfect example.


Four Suns said:
Not to get into a big debate but..

Some people have AC outlets in their gas boat bilge...
Some people don't wear their PFDs on the boat...
Some people use portable gas generators on their boat...
Some people go offshore without a liferaft or EPIRB...
Some people drink and boat....
Some people cross the Gulfstream in a bowrider...
Some people eat medium-rare steaks...
Click to expand...

Other than not wearing a PFD, because we can walk to shore if we have a problem in Barnegat Bay, I'm glad I don't do those things. Especially the medium-rare steaks. I hate over-cooked meat.

Best regards,
Frank
 
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deleted, but since you can't delete...
 
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wingless said:
Yes, gas engines.

The AC feeds from that receptacle to the adjacent battery charger. Within the ignition-protected charger there is a terminal strip where the wiring connects.

The charger is wide-open to fumes. It is drip-proof only.

There is no spark at the receptacle, within the receptacle box or at the charger terminal strip unless the connection is made or broken while power is applied.

This is safe in my application.
Click to expand...

Actually, it looks like your charger IS ignition protected:

http://www.charlesindustries.com/main/ma_batchcch_ad2.html


I once got in an argument with a broker that was showing me a boat (gas) that had a household Rheem water heater in the bilge and insisted there was nothing wrong with that.

Can't argue with stupidity.
 
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