HOOK UP

[Terryryan]

hi everyone, can anyone help i want to fit mains hook to my system in my boat  but am unsure how to do it , I already have an inverter fitted and runs through an consumer unit and would like to run the hook up into that will a 3 x way switch be able to do a change over from inverter to hook up and vice versa. any help greatly accepted. Terry NB-STILLWATERS

[Jen-in-Wellies]

You will also need either a galvanic isolator, or an isolation transformer to protect the boat from galvanic corrosion caused by the slight voltage difference that can exist between the shore line earth and the boat hull. You'll need a water resistant/proof plug on the boat and a shore lead with arctic cable and the appropriate plug/socket.

This is one of those things where actually knowing what you are doing and why is important, what with mains being quite capable of killing you and others. Beyond a single CWDF post to go through everything in enough detail.

Jen

[Keith M]

If you are asking for help  can I suggest using someone who knows what to do.

It is only a very small electric shock can kill.

[nicknorman]

A double pole 2 or 3 way switch is what you need, rated for at least 16A and mains voltage. The switch must be “break before make” type, ie one Circuit is disconnected, before the other is connected.

 

Galvanic isolator or isolation transformer  strongly advised if the boat if to be connected to shore power for any significant length of time.

[ditchcrawler]

What inverter have you got,?  some don't require a selection switch

[blackrose]

9 hours ago, Keith M said:

If you are asking for help  can I suggest using someone who knows what to do.

It is only a very small electric shock can kill.

 

As Keith says, if you're having to ask how to do it you shouldn't be doing it yourself and anyone foolish enough to advise you how to do it on an internet forum should take note too. Don't mess around with mains electrical installations unless you know what you're doing. 

[Murflynn]

14 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

As Keith says, if you're having to ask how to do it you shouldn't be doing it yourself and anyone foolish enough to advise you how to do it on an internet forum should take note too. Don't mess around with mains electrical installations unless you know what you're doing. 

 

exackerly - and what's more, don't ask the domestic electrician you found on Google.  Best you ask the marina or others who are hooked up for the name of a competent boat electrician.

[Alan de Enfield]

30 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

 

exackerly - and what's more, don't ask the domestic electrician you found on Google.  Best you ask the marina or others who are hooked up for the name of a competent boat electrician.

 

 

And for the OPs benefit (not Murflynn, but relevant to his post) make sure your electrician doesn't use standard domestic 'Twin and Earth' cable, you must use flexible cables.

Boat wiring rules are very very different to domestic 'house' rules.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[nicknorman]

15 hours ago, blackrose said:

As Keith says, if you're having to ask how to do it you shouldn't be doing it yourself and anyone foolish enough to advise you how to do it on an internet forum should take note too. Don't mess around with mains electrical installations unless you know what you're doing. 

Well this fool is of the opinion that if a specific question is asked, it is courteous to give a specific answer and not simply state “nanny knows best, don’t do it”. Which seems to be the go-to answer on here for various things.

 

Of course the answers to such questions can be supplemented with safety advice, but ultimately only the OP knows his capabilities, ability to learn new stuff and apply common sense, and his own risk-averseness. I would be somewhat surprised if it needed to be mansplained to him that mains electric shocks can be dangerous.

Edited July 7, 2021 by nicknorman

[Tony Brooks]

37 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Well this fool is of the opinion that if a specific question is asked, it is courteous to give a specific answer and not simply state “nanny knows best, don’t do it”. Which seems to be the go-to answer on here for various things.

 

Of course the answers to such questions can be supplemented with safety advice, but ultimately only the OP knows his capabilities, ability to learn new stuff and apply common sense, and his own risk-averseness. I would be somewhat surprised if it needed to be mansplained to him that mains electric shocks can be dangerous.

 

Whilst I agree with that I think the potential problems with earthing the mains input plus an inverter may need getting on for mansplaining. That is inverters in general, not this specific one.

[jonathanA]

On 06/07/2021 at 18:20, blackrose said:

 

As Keith says, if you're having to ask how to do it you shouldn't be doing it yourself and anyone foolish enough to advise you how to do it on an internet forum should take note too. Don't mess around with mains electrical installations unless you know what you're doing. 

We don't know the capabilites the OP, he may be very competent but know nothing of boat installations. It's niche stuff, before owning a boat I'd never had to deal with shoreline/inverter changeover switches, isolation transformers nor GIs. Without the info on here and sites like gibbos smartgauge site I wouldn't have known where to start. 

 

If I was the OP I'd look at smart gauge.co.uk lots of good advice on there to help understand some ways of doing it.

[staying afloat]

Another endorsement for the smartguate site. I had a similar requirement on my narrowboat recently and found the information on. smartguage very useful http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/nb_ac_sys.html. I went for the design with the 4 pole manual changeover switch in it.

Also the victron site https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Brochure-Marine_EN_web.pdf, I nearly went for the 'system with inverter' solution