Kevin,

I am installing the EzAcDc marine shore power system. Could you please clear something up for me?

Is it OK to have the AC and the DC panels in the same area as long as you don’t group the wires together?

I had read to keep the AC and DC apart in marine electrical systems, but I am not sure if that meant just to space wires apart so they don’t chafe through and connect systems or if they needed further separation.

Thanks.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Yes. It is OK to have both panels in the same area.

Per the American Boat and Yacht Council, if the AC system and DC system are on the same panel, then the AC system needs to have an enclosure to prevent accidental contact when you are working on the DC side. Even though it is not required, the EzAcDc Easy Add AC panel has rear safety enclosure.

When installing AC and DC boat wiring, it is a good practice to separate the AC and DC wiring because most AC HOT wires are black and most DC GROUND wires are black. Accidental swapping would be very dangerous.

I hope that this is helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions about your project.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Very interesting site.

I have a challenge. Switched my boat stove from Origo alcohol to a Kenyon single burner electric. My boat wiring had a spare breaker switch on the 120 volt panel and I decided to hook it up there.

I have to admit I am not very knowledgeable about marine electrical issues, so I paid very close to attention to how all the other 120 volt appliances (water heater, battery charger, etc) were wired and duplicated it. To my delight it worked.

However, at the time of connection I was using a normal extension cord with 30 amp adapters on both ends because the newly acquired boat didn’t come with a cordset. A couple of days later I went to West Marine and bought a 30 amp cable. When plugged in, I now have a reverse polarity light, and any and all 120v appliances trip the local and the main breaker.

Your thoughts would be very appreciated.

Shawn

Hi Shawn,

You may be dealing with an extremely dangerous problem, so either get professional assistance or use extreme caution.

I would say that some component in your shore power system has the black and white wires swapped. Or maybe the black and green.

Most reverse polarity lights are basically a light bulb between the white (normally neutral) and the green. If the white is accidentally wired to 115v, the light will turn on. If the green is accidentally wired to 115v, the light will also turn on, but all grounded items on your boat will be at 115v AC. This includes the engine and all metal thru hull fittings.

On 30 amp service, the “L” shaped terminal is the ground (green), the foot of the L points towards the neutral (white), and the last terminal is the hot (black).

I would use an ohm meter and test your new cordset to make sure the wires do not swap terminals inside. It is also possible that your old system has a reverse polarity item and a second item was wired backwards to solve the problem.

Again, please be careful.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

First of all, thank you for all of the time and effort that you put into your website. The boat wiring information that you share is invaluable.

So tell me Mr. Marine Electrical, do my ambitions exceed my abilities?

My wife and I have a small sailboat that we’ve enjoyed for many years. It’s a perfect size for the two of us and can’t imagine anything that would make the boat more fun…with one exception. We find that we are very jealous of our marina neighbors who have shore power. Whether they are using a television, a drink mixer, a vacuum, a toaster, or even a simple battery charger, we start down the “if only” path.

How tough a project is it to add AC power to an older boat? I’m reasonably comfortable with simple household wiring jobs, but have been told that marine AC can be an incredibly complicated and – if not done correctly – incredibly dangerous.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Matt

Hi Matt,

No project is too big, not project is too small when “Mr. Marine Electrical” is on the scene!

Seriously, there is a great new product from our partners at EzAcDc that will fit your needs. They have a complete marine shore power system that follows their snap-together philosophy of simplifying boat wiring jobs.

Installation of the new marine shore power system is easy.

The panel is pre-wired and comes with a remote outlet with 10′ of boat cable that simply plugs into a “snap together” plug on the back. The kit is also pre-wired with 10′ of Marine grade boat cable that runs from the boat AC panel to the included shore power inlet.

Best of all, any complex electrical connections are already made inside the powdercoated aluminum box.

All outlets are GFCI protected. And, for additional safety, the AC panel has a dual pole breaker to protect the boater if the dock outlet is wired backwards.

The panel also includes a power “on” indicator light and a reverse polarity light. It also comes with the AC to DC grounding wire that is required by the US Coast Guard. This wire runs from the back of the panel to your DC negative buss, engine ground, or battery negative and provides an additional safety path to ground if you have an AC fault on your boat. Even though required, this wire is redundant on this well-designed system since the GFCI also protects everything.

Additionally, there is a single outlet on the back of the shore power panel to allow a built in AC device to be connected. This is ideal for a battery charger or refrigerator that comes with a standard 15 A household plug. Simply plug it into the back of the panel before installing.

It comes with the industry standard 30 amp Marinco inlet. You can choose between the standard square plastic inlet or upgrade to the stainless steel version. Both will connect to an 30 amp marine cordset or adaptor.

Please let me know how your project turns out. I always like pictures.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I am currently beginning my first boat wiring project, a total rewire of a small Owens cruiser from the late ’60s.

Here’s my problem:

The old wiring runs behind the original paneling and headliner. I could try dismantling everything to remove and replace the wires, but am concerned about damaging any of the woodwork. It’s old. It’s gorgeous. It would be a bitch to replace.

I don’t mind leaving the old wiring in place and just running a new harness, but that still leaves the problem of installing the new wires without causing any damage.

Any ideas?

RP

Dear Ron,

Your problem was common with boat restoration projects – until the introduction of Harness in a Can.

Harness in a Can lets you spray pro-quality boat wiring into even the most hard to reach areas. Simply point, spray, and apply power. What could be easier?

And, it’s not just easy, it’s ABYC approved! Harness in a Can sprays out a harness with correct wire color and sizing – and with all of the connections that you need to get the job done fast.

If you order now, you will also receive a cap snaffler – absolutely free. Cap snafflers snaffle caps off any size jug, bottle or jar…and they really really work.

Call now to order. The toll free number is 877-277-3665. Operators are standing by. That’s 877-APR-FOOL.

Kevin.