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Position of shore power socket.


tosher

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I am fitting a shore power socket in the cratch area at the front of my boat. Could any one tell me if there is a minimum height above the well deck or water level at which it should be sited to conform with the lates regs ????. Many thanks.

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I am fitting a shore power socket in the cratch area at the front of my boat. Could any one tell me if there is a minimum height above the well deck or water level at which it should be sited to conform with the lates regs ????. Many thanks.

 

There are no BSS requirements covering the positioning of the shore power socket. We have an important piece of adviceand a supporting check which is to ensure that the connections are splash proof to the international BS EN 60309 standard (existing connections might also be using the old BS4343 standard). We also advise you to fit a male inlet connection - if you don't you will have to use a lead with a male connector and the potential for having 'live' pins exposed will be much greater.

 

Perhaps Chris Py or Gary P will be along in a moment to advise you on what if anything the BMEA CoP has to say on this subject.

HTH

Rob@BSSOffice

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as promised by Rob:

 

ISO 13297:

13 Receptacles/sockets

13.2 Receptacles/sockets installed in locations subject to rain, spray or splashing shall be able to be enclosed in

IP 55 enclosures, in accordance with IEC 60529, as a minimum, when not in use. Receptacles mated with the

appropriate plug shall also remain sealed, in accordance with IEC 60529.

13.3 Receptacles/sockets installed in areas subject to flooding or momentary submersion shall be in IP 56

enclosures, in accordance with IEC 60529, as a minimum, also meeting these requirements when in use with

electrical plugs.

 

note that this ISO is required for RCD compliance. Not needed for BSS but, where they exist, BSS requirements usually reflect ISO/RCD requirements

Edited by ChrisPy
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It might be worth considering having either one socket on the front and one on the back, or at least having one very long power cable so you can reach the other end of the boat- the shorepower socket will never be at a convenient end of the boat!

 

 

 

No No No

 

You have the PLUG on the boat & the socket on the lead. Plus you cant have one for & aft as whilst using one the other will be live unless you use an isolator.

 

Justme

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as promised by Rob:

 

ISO 13297:

13 Receptacles/sockets

13.2 Receptacles/sockets installed in locations subject to rain, spray or splashing shall be able to be enclosed in

IP 55 enclosures, in accordance with IEC 60529, as a minimum, when not in use. Receptacles mated with the

appropriate plug shall also remain sealed, in accordance with IEC 60529.

13.3 Receptacles/sockets installed in areas subject to flooding or momentary submersion shall be in IP 56

enclosures, in accordance with IEC 60529, as a minimum, also meeting these requirements when in use with

electrical plugs.

 

note that this ISO is required for RCD compliance. Not needed for BSS but, where they exist, BSS requirements usually reflect ISO/RCD requirements

 

Currently BSS accept BS EN 60309, BS 4343, or EC IP 44 (The second digit can be higher)

 

It might be worth considering having either one socket on the front and one on the back, or at least having one very long power cable so you can reach the other end of the boat- the shorepower socket will never be at a convenient end of the boat!

 

 

No No No

 

You have the PLUG on the boat & the socket on the lead. Plus you cant have one for & aft as whilst using one the other will be live unless you use an isolator.

 

Justme

 

Can be done, but should also have a changeover switch to isolate the one not in use. In addition to the above reason, there is also the unlikely possibility that you might plug in the mains at both ends at once, if the second shore line is from a different phase of a 3 phase supply as they sometimes are in marina's, the result could be disasterous!

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Can be done, but should also have a changeover switch to isolate the one not in use. In addition to the above reason, there is also the unlikely possibility that you might plug in the mains at both ends at once, if the second shore line is from a different phase of a 3 phase supply as they sometimes are in marina's, the result could be disasterous!

 

Any reason why this shouldn't be done by a short jumper cable in the engine room? That is to say, the external plugs at each end are each wired to a separate socket; the 240V circuits are wired from a shoreline plug in the engine room & a short (less than 1m) cable hooks one or t'other socket to the boat circuits, to be plugged up as necessary when connecting. (I can't see any reason that's not a legit way to do it but would be good to hear an authoritative view before I start work...)

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Any reason why this shouldn't be done by a short jumper cable in the engine room? That is to say, the external plugs at each end are each wired to a separate socket; the 240V circuits are wired from a shoreline plug in the engine room & a short (less than 1m) cable hooks one or t'other socket to the boat circuits, to be plugged up as necessary when connecting. (I can't see any reason that's not a legit way to do it but would be good to hear an authoritative view before I start work...)

 

Sounds like a simple solution to me. Provided no live pins are exposed and wiring conforms I see no objection

(My opinion, not official BSSE)

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Any reason why this shouldn't be done by a short jumper cable in the engine room? That is to say, the external plugs at each end are each wired to a separate socket; the 240V circuits are wired from a shoreline plug in the engine room & a short (less than 1m) cable hooks one or t'other socket to the boat circuits, to be plugged up as necessary when connecting. (I can't see any reason that's not a legit way to do it but would be good to hear an authoritative view before I start work...)

It would just be simpler though to have a 2 pole switch rather than faffing around with swapping leads.

 

Chris

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Any reason why this shouldn't be done by a short jumper cable in the engine room? That is to say, the external plugs at each end are each wired to a separate socket; the 240V circuits are wired from a shoreline plug .....

 

On our boat, both the shore-line and the supply from our small inverter, terminate in two ordinary domestic 13 amp sockets. there is then a single 13 amp plug and short lead that feeds into our circuit breaker and ring main system. All are clearly labelled and live inside our wardrobe in the bedroom. Inspected with no comment during our recent BSS test.

 

David

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On our boat, both the shore-line and the supply from our small inverter, terminate in two ordinary domestic 13 amp sockets. there is then a single 13 amp plug and short lead that feeds into our circuit breaker and ring main system. All are clearly labelled and live inside our wardrobe in the bedroom. Inspected with no comment during our recent BSS test.

 

David

We have done something similar, David.

 

The KISS principle.

 

The one way this system is open to abuse, of course, is if somebody unplugs your boat supply, (including the RCD & consumer unit) from that socket that's connected to the landline, and then plugs something into there directly. At this point you've lost your protection.

 

Chris W's suggestion of a switch would render that impossible, of course.

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On our boat, both the shore-line and the supply from our small inverter, terminate in two ordinary domestic 13 amp sockets. there is then a single 13 amp plug and short lead that feeds into our circuit breaker and ring main system. All are clearly labelled and live inside our wardrobe in the bedroom. Inspected with no comment during our recent BSS test.

Same here.

 

Two advantages of using a couple of sockets are that they are a great deal cheaper than a switch, and that they are absolutely 100% guaranteed to be break-before-make.

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Same here.

 

Two advantages of using a couple of sockets are that they are a great deal cheaper than a switch, and that they are absolutely 100% guaranteed to be break-before-make.

Many thanks for all of that; whether a jumper will be a permanent solution I don't know, but with us temporary can easily end up measured in decades...

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