earth

[joerobo]

My new generater has a earth wire .now sense tells me to wire it up to a copper pipe in the bank .Is this correct ?

[Tonka]

Hope you have a long wire to facilitate moving the boat

[joerobo]

Im on the k&a from reading forums we never move up here ?.I have an old tap conector i was going to wire up to use to hold my plank to the bank.

[bottle]

Make and model of generator may help others to answer your question.

[joerobo]

Its a 2000 watt swiss kraft.

is it not a gerneric thing then to earth generaters then ?.

[bottle]

It has something to do with 'floating earth' and how it is wired to the boat.

 

 

ps, 'floating earth' has nothing to do with boats

 

pps. I am in any way qualified to answer your query but it has come up before on the forum, I think.

[joerobo]

Its going to used for pluging a battery charger and sometimes into the boat though a shore connector the rcd box to ring main.

[mickp]

I think your supposed to use an earth rod if the gennys on the tow path but many dont.

[by'eck]

Its going to used for pluging a battery charger and sometimes into the boat though a shore connector the rcd box to ring main.

 

To allow the RCD(s) to offer full protection the AC distribution box earth busbar must be connected to the boats hull. Ideally the AC supplies neutral should also be connected to this earth busbar. Shore power and correctly installed inverter supply satisfy this condition.

 

Problem is some generators allow the live and neutral to float with respect to the earth/chassis connection. Others have a centre tapped earth, so if you connect a strap from live to notional neutral you will place a short on one half of the output. The generator supplier should best be able to advise on this issue.

 

I would leave well alone especially if the generator is used onboard your boat and accept the small indefinable reduction in safety protection.

[joerobo]

Thanks .I will leave it for a bit .If it plays up i will get the wife to look 1st .

[BD3Bill]

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=66878&hl=

 

I asked a similar question recently and got some great advice.

 

Cheers Bill

[smileypete]

The topic BD3Bill linked to covers it pretty well.

 

Something that's well worth doing is to have a 'socket tester' always plugged in, which will help warn of earthing and polarity problems.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited September 16, 2014 by smileypete

[Arthur Brown]

web search this PDF

2011_39_summer_wiring_matters_generating_sets(1).pdf

 

It's the IEE official guidance on the topic

 

Added later; It's here amongst other places.

 

http://www.freebookezz.com/pdf/7314203743/

Edited September 16, 2014 by Arthur Brown

[joerobo]

Thanks read it all .I was worried about hull erosion but seems all good .Just need to find some where to earth it too.