Batteries and Boat Wiring 101
Though I’m handy at doing my own necessary wiring needed on my boats, I don’t do enough of it to actually memorize all the legal specifics and requirements often dictated by both Coast Guard, and Federal Requirements. I think you will find “Electrical Systems and Boat Wiring” a great resource and a wealth of provided information so that you can safely do any of the necessary repairs and upgrades that you may be looking to perform on your boat.
I’ve also included a couple of great links that go into extensive detail about batteries. Buying and replacing batteries can and soon does get expensive so it’s important we purchase batteries that are “best in class” for our intended use or application. There are a couple great resource links posted below that go into great detail about the various kinds and construction methods of various batteries available to us on the market. But there’s also a wealth of information included on how to best charge and maintain our batteries to get the most useful life expectancy out of them.
I’ve included this article “About Boat Insurance: ELECTRICAL FIRES” as both a resource and a reminder of just how critical a safety issue wiring on our boats really is. Over half of the reported claims on boats is traced to faulty AC and DC wiring and or appliances. We all need to take the time and the incentive to safely and properly wire our boats and avoid being a boating statistic ourselves.
Lifespan of Batteries
The lifespan of a deep cycle battery will vary considerably with how it is used, how it is maintained and charged, temperature, and other factors. In extreme cases, it can vary to extremes - we have seen L-16's killed in less than a year by severe overcharging, and we have a large set of surplus telephone batteries that sees only occasional (5-10 times per year) heavy service that are now over 25 years old. We have seen gelled cells destroyed in one day when overcharged with a large automotive charger. We have seen golf cart batteries destroyed without ever being used in less than a year because they were left sitting in a hot garage without being charged. Even the so-called "dry charged" (where you add acid when you need them) have a shelf life of 18 months at most. They are not totally dry - they are actually filled with acid, the plates formed and charged, then the acid is dumped out.
These are some typical (minimum - maximum) typical expectations for batteries if used in deep cycle service. There are so many variables, such as depth of discharge, maintenance, temperature, how often and how deep cycled, etc. that it is almost impossible to give a fixed number.
Please continue through this provided link for much more useful information on Batteries:http://www.windsun.com/
Battery Management and issues on-board a boat is always a concern (and rightfully so), so the inclusion of the three potential battery management solutions, drawings, and solutions posted below from Blue Seas seems relevant.
Blue Seas Duel Circuit Battery Switch , Isolates Starting and House circuits, combining both for emergency starting.
Installation of a Dual Circuit Plus ™ Battery Switch and CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR. The combination of the Dual Circuit Plus™ Battery Switch and CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR provides a practical and inexpensive solution to isolated battery circuits, emergency parallel backup operation, and automated charge management. Diagrams are for installation are shown in the source posted below indicate how to connect the Dual Circuit Plus™ battery switch and BatteryLink™ ACR.
What do you do when the number of battery banks on your boat is greater than the number of charging outputs from your system′s battery charger, and you want to provide a charge to all batteries? How do you design a boat electrical system that charges two battery banks without adding the cost of a dual output charger? Instead of upgrading your charging system, or installing a system with multiple outputs, install an automatic charging relay (ACR). The cost of a charging system with multiple outputs is considerably more expensive than one with single output, making the installation of the ACR a less expensive option.
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1), though this site is slanted towards RV’s, most if not all the relevant information also applies or could be applied to our Boats.
Welcome to the page of all things 12 Volt! The information here was either excerpted from various sources on the web and in the public domain, or results directly from my personal experience. When researching battery specs for this page, I was amazed at the wide variance in some of the information. For instance; the charts that show voltage related to state of charge... almost every chart I looked at had different voltage values. I had to make a judgment call and pick the chart that best matched my own observations on my own 12 volt system. I tried to keep "opinion" to a minimum in the interest of putting out good, useful information, but where the sources of the information differ; I had to make an opinion call. Just so you know... the data on batteries contained herein is the best I can come up with, but may not be gospel.
Some of the suggested RV modifications require you to be at least a little handy... Don't undertake any project beyond your capabilities and be especially careful anytime you are working in proximity to the batteries. They can be really dangerous if treated wrong... acid is caustic and batteries can explode if a spark or open flame ignites the hydrogen gas they produce. Shorting the output terminals of a battery can create huge sparks and sprays of molten metal (can you say "welding"?) When working with batteries, you need to have plenty of ventilation, remove jewelry, wear protective clothing and eye wear (safety glasses), and exercise caution. Whenever possible, please follow the manufacturer's instructions for testing, jumping, installing and charging. Use proper care at all times and don't EVEN try to sue me if you screw up... I warned you! Please see the disclaimer before proceeding!
See this Source Link for much more useful information: http://www.ccis.com/home/
Electrical Systems, and Boat Wiring
I am only going to very briefly cover the basics of the electrical standards found in the US Federal Regulations and ABYC Standards here. Contact ABYC and the Coast Guard to get the standards for Electrical systems. Canadian, ISO, and Australian standards are very similar.
The Federal electrical system standards apply to: Boats with permanently installed inboard gasoline engines for:
Propulsion, Generators, and Auxiliary Equipment
This does not apply to: Outboards, or Portable Equipment
Having said that, that is, the electrical system regulations don't apply to outboard powered boats, this is only in the Federal Regulations. The industry follows the ABYC standards, which are tougher than the Federal standards. ABYC electrical system standards apply to outboard powered boats, diesel powered boats and inboard gas powered boats. If you ever do have to go to court, that's what the complainant’s attorney will ask you. "Do you meet ABYC standards"? So follow the ABYC electrical standards, even if you're making an outboard powered boat.
Canadian, ISO and RCD standards are very similar. See Ike's List. But follow the standard that applies in the country where you build your boats.
See this Source link for maybe everything you may need to know about Boat Wiring: http://newboatbuilders.com/
About Boat Insurance: ELECTRICAL FIRES
Boat insurance claims are a great way to understand what is going wrong on boats.
Whether it is your lovely new Bay Liner, Beneteau or a Sea Ray, Triton boat or Lund boat the same requirement for looking after your electrical systems apply.
Often after buying your used boat you need to survey and assess your systems. It makes good sense, it is good insurance.
Studying the causes of boat-insurance claims is a good way of preventing the causes occurring. This is something boat insurance companies do all the time. A report has recently been released based on a study by BoatUS and published in Seaworthy Magazine, which is the only damage avoidance magazine for boat owners and the marine and boat-insurance industry in the US. The causes of boat fires originating on board boats is summarized as follows and are based on fire related boat insurance claims:
55% AC and DC wiring and appliances
24% Engine and transmission overheating
8% Fuel leaks
7% Miscellaneous
5% Unknown
1% Stoves
55% AC and DC Wiring and Appliances
This result is a large number, and not unexpected and I will discuss the electrical breakdowns related to this value. Many who have purchased my books and attended the various lectures and seminars understand my own electrical safety based approach. I am for good boat-insurance by planning and installing your systems correctly.
30% DC Shorts and Wiring
The most common cause of boat-insurance related electrical fires is directly related to wiring and connection faults. The word "short" needs to be quantified as it is often misunderstood. Short circuits are relatively uncommon and in most cases it is because a positive and a negative cable have been inadvertently connected. This is called a "dead short circuit" and usually blows the fuse or trips the circuit breaker immediately. The other type of short has resistance involved between the positive and the negative or ground during a short circuit event. The best boat-insurance is to regularly check tighten all connections
Bilge Pump Wiring
Bilge pump connections, and associated float switches are commonly located in wet or damp locations. In many cases inadequate insulation and the binding or wrapping of the connections together leads to tracking and short circuits. This often results in excess current and heat causing fires. In cases of malfunctioning float switches the connections are also submerged in rising bilge water causing short circuits. This is also good boat-insurance because if the bilge pump doesn't work your boat is un-seaworthy.
Wire Chafe
Where wires touch, or transit over or through conductive metallic materials they frequently move, and this movement chafes through insulation. A short circuit condition occurs when the metallic materials such as an engine, stainless tubing etc create a short circuit between the exposed conductors. Avoid a boat insurance claim by doing regular visual inspections.
Wire Connections
The most common cause of circuit failures are attributable to connections. They may simply fail open circuit and prevent power reaching equipment. In many cases as connections loosen, a higher resistance condition is created. This causes voltage drops and the generation of heat, often causing fires. It also may cause short circuiting to adjacent circuit connections.
12% DC Engine Regulators
This number initially caused some concern, however after consulting with the author of the report I am advised that these were due to regulators catching fire within outboard engines exceeding 100 hp. I have personally not heard of boats with diesel engine installations having regulator caused fires. However, I must tell you that fast charge regulators do create many fire and overheating hazards in the connected or peripheral systems. These are summarized as follows and readers should use caution and observe these when installing and commissioning regulators. The main causes that I have identified you will never see in any caution notices within the installation documentation. I have installed many hundreds of fast charge regulators over the years and this is a summary of situations that I have experienced and that do frequently occur:
Alternator Overheating.
In most cases an overheated alternator simply has a winding failure or a rectifier failure. The alternator then ceases to produce heat as it is no longer generating power. This is often caused by an alternator charging into a relatively large and discharged battery bank for a long time period.
Connection Overheating
In many alternators, the output cable connection is often under-rated for maximum output current. In many cases the original alternator is replaced by a higher output alternator without up-rating the cable or connections. You can check your own by simply placing finger on the main output terminal. You may find it is hot, possibly even too hot to touch, if it is you need to look at up-rating.
Cable Overheating
In many alternators, the output cable is often under-rated for maximum output current. When this is coupled with an engine negative return path to the battery with voltage drops across the various mechanical connection points, problems occur. The maximum current values passing through the under-rated cables cause overheating and the insulation catches fire.
Battery Overheating
Batteries in poor condition and in a relatively discharged condition often get hot under high current charging conditions. Often the greater risk is the generation of hydrogen gas.
Pulley and Belt Overheating
The increased load on single pulley alternators often causes overheating. It is not a cause of fire however the heat travels along the alternator shaft, overheats the bearings and the grease melts out, and the bearing fails. Also the belt may stretch with greater slip and eventually fail.
4% AC Appliance Heaters
These fires are not really electrical and are caused by fan or radiator element type heaters located close to timber or other combustible materials. The heat causes the materials to smolder and catch fire.
4% Shore Power
Shore power fires are almost exclusively found in the shore power plug and socket, as these are exposed to rain and spray. Condensation and salt crystals form a path between the terminals and tracking occurs. This resistive path creates heat and the tracking path starts to carbonize as it burns. Eventually it gets to a point where the current values create sufficient heat as the short circuit level rises, and a fire is caused.
2% Battery Chargers
Battery charger fires are caused by overheating. This in turn is caused by under rated chargers charging relatively large battery banks. The over temperature Klixon type temperature safety switches on rectifier bridges or transformers fail and the transformer windings subsequently overheat. The insulation reaches a point where combustion occurs and a fire occurs. In some cases the DC output cables also overheat causing a fire situation
1% AC Power Surges
I have been unable to define precise causes. A surge within a marina is capable of causing damage and a fire to any connected appliances. Surges may be caused by lightning surges or even network switching surges.
In summary most boat-insurance claims can be avoided by good systems design, and good systems maintenance. Check your systems before season start, during the season and after seasons end.
Information Source Here: http://www.fishingandboats.com
I’ve also included a couple of great links that go into extensive detail about batteries. Buying and replacing batteries can and soon does get expensive so it’s important we purchase batteries that are “best in class” for our intended use or application. There are a couple great resource links posted below that go into great detail about the various kinds and construction methods of various batteries available to us on the market. But there’s also a wealth of information included on how to best charge and maintain our batteries to get the most useful life expectancy out of them.
I’ve included this article “About Boat Insurance: ELECTRICAL FIRES” as both a resource and a reminder of just how critical a safety issue wiring on our boats really is. Over half of the reported claims on boats is traced to faulty AC and DC wiring and or appliances. We all need to take the time and the incentive to safely and properly wire our boats and avoid being a boating statistic ourselves.
Lifespan of Batteries
The lifespan of a deep cycle battery will vary considerably with how it is used, how it is maintained and charged, temperature, and other factors. In extreme cases, it can vary to extremes - we have seen L-16's killed in less than a year by severe overcharging, and we have a large set of surplus telephone batteries that sees only occasional (5-10 times per year) heavy service that are now over 25 years old. We have seen gelled cells destroyed in one day when overcharged with a large automotive charger. We have seen golf cart batteries destroyed without ever being used in less than a year because they were left sitting in a hot garage without being charged. Even the so-called "dry charged" (where you add acid when you need them) have a shelf life of 18 months at most. They are not totally dry - they are actually filled with acid, the plates formed and charged, then the acid is dumped out.
These are some typical (minimum - maximum) typical expectations for batteries if used in deep cycle service. There are so many variables, such as depth of discharge, maintenance, temperature, how often and how deep cycled, etc. that it is almost impossible to give a fixed number.
Please continue through this provided link for much more useful information on Batteries:http://www.windsun.com/
Battery Management and issues on-board a boat is always a concern (and rightfully so), so the inclusion of the three potential battery management solutions, drawings, and solutions posted below from Blue Seas seems relevant.
Blue Seas Duel Circuit Battery Switch , Isolates Starting and House circuits, combining both for emergency starting.
Installation of a Dual Circuit Plus ™ Battery Switch and CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR. The combination of the Dual Circuit Plus™ Battery Switch and CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR provides a practical and inexpensive solution to isolated battery circuits, emergency parallel backup operation, and automated charge management. Diagrams are for installation are shown in the source posted below indicate how to connect the Dual Circuit Plus™ battery switch and BatteryLink™ ACR.
What do you do when the number of battery banks on your boat is greater than the number of charging outputs from your system′s battery charger, and you want to provide a charge to all batteries? How do you design a boat electrical system that charges two battery banks without adding the cost of a dual output charger? Instead of upgrading your charging system, or installing a system with multiple outputs, install an automatic charging relay (ACR). The cost of a charging system with multiple outputs is considerably more expensive than one with single output, making the installation of the ACR a less expensive option.
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1), though this site is slanted towards RV’s, most if not all the relevant information also applies or could be applied to our Boats.
Welcome to the page of all things 12 Volt! The information here was either excerpted from various sources on the web and in the public domain, or results directly from my personal experience. When researching battery specs for this page, I was amazed at the wide variance in some of the information. For instance; the charts that show voltage related to state of charge... almost every chart I looked at had different voltage values. I had to make a judgment call and pick the chart that best matched my own observations on my own 12 volt system. I tried to keep "opinion" to a minimum in the interest of putting out good, useful information, but where the sources of the information differ; I had to make an opinion call. Just so you know... the data on batteries contained herein is the best I can come up with, but may not be gospel.
Some of the suggested RV modifications require you to be at least a little handy... Don't undertake any project beyond your capabilities and be especially careful anytime you are working in proximity to the batteries. They can be really dangerous if treated wrong... acid is caustic and batteries can explode if a spark or open flame ignites the hydrogen gas they produce. Shorting the output terminals of a battery can create huge sparks and sprays of molten metal (can you say "welding"?) When working with batteries, you need to have plenty of ventilation, remove jewelry, wear protective clothing and eye wear (safety glasses), and exercise caution. Whenever possible, please follow the manufacturer's instructions for testing, jumping, installing and charging. Use proper care at all times and don't EVEN try to sue me if you screw up... I warned you! Please see the disclaimer before proceeding!
See this Source Link for much more useful information: http://www.ccis.com/home/
Electrical Systems, and Boat Wiring
I am only going to very briefly cover the basics of the electrical standards found in the US Federal Regulations and ABYC Standards here. Contact ABYC and the Coast Guard to get the standards for Electrical systems. Canadian, ISO, and Australian standards are very similar.
The Federal electrical system standards apply to: Boats with permanently installed inboard gasoline engines for:
Propulsion, Generators, and Auxiliary Equipment
This does not apply to: Outboards, or Portable Equipment
Having said that, that is, the electrical system regulations don't apply to outboard powered boats, this is only in the Federal Regulations. The industry follows the ABYC standards, which are tougher than the Federal standards. ABYC electrical system standards apply to outboard powered boats, diesel powered boats and inboard gas powered boats. If you ever do have to go to court, that's what the complainant’s attorney will ask you. "Do you meet ABYC standards"? So follow the ABYC electrical standards, even if you're making an outboard powered boat.
Canadian, ISO and RCD standards are very similar. See Ike's List. But follow the standard that applies in the country where you build your boats.
See this Source link for maybe everything you may need to know about Boat Wiring: http://newboatbuilders.com/
About Boat Insurance: ELECTRICAL FIRES
Boat insurance claims are a great way to understand what is going wrong on boats.
Whether it is your lovely new Bay Liner, Beneteau or a Sea Ray, Triton boat or Lund boat the same requirement for looking after your electrical systems apply.
Often after buying your used boat you need to survey and assess your systems. It makes good sense, it is good insurance.
Studying the causes of boat-insurance claims is a good way of preventing the causes occurring. This is something boat insurance companies do all the time. A report has recently been released based on a study by BoatUS and published in Seaworthy Magazine, which is the only damage avoidance magazine for boat owners and the marine and boat-insurance industry in the US. The causes of boat fires originating on board boats is summarized as follows and are based on fire related boat insurance claims:
55% AC and DC wiring and appliances
24% Engine and transmission overheating
8% Fuel leaks
7% Miscellaneous
5% Unknown
1% Stoves
55% AC and DC Wiring and Appliances
This result is a large number, and not unexpected and I will discuss the electrical breakdowns related to this value. Many who have purchased my books and attended the various lectures and seminars understand my own electrical safety based approach. I am for good boat-insurance by planning and installing your systems correctly.
30% DC Shorts and Wiring
The most common cause of boat-insurance related electrical fires is directly related to wiring and connection faults. The word "short" needs to be quantified as it is often misunderstood. Short circuits are relatively uncommon and in most cases it is because a positive and a negative cable have been inadvertently connected. This is called a "dead short circuit" and usually blows the fuse or trips the circuit breaker immediately. The other type of short has resistance involved between the positive and the negative or ground during a short circuit event. The best boat-insurance is to regularly check tighten all connections
Bilge Pump Wiring
Bilge pump connections, and associated float switches are commonly located in wet or damp locations. In many cases inadequate insulation and the binding or wrapping of the connections together leads to tracking and short circuits. This often results in excess current and heat causing fires. In cases of malfunctioning float switches the connections are also submerged in rising bilge water causing short circuits. This is also good boat-insurance because if the bilge pump doesn't work your boat is un-seaworthy.
Wire Chafe
Where wires touch, or transit over or through conductive metallic materials they frequently move, and this movement chafes through insulation. A short circuit condition occurs when the metallic materials such as an engine, stainless tubing etc create a short circuit between the exposed conductors. Avoid a boat insurance claim by doing regular visual inspections.
Wire Connections
The most common cause of circuit failures are attributable to connections. They may simply fail open circuit and prevent power reaching equipment. In many cases as connections loosen, a higher resistance condition is created. This causes voltage drops and the generation of heat, often causing fires. It also may cause short circuiting to adjacent circuit connections.
12% DC Engine Regulators
This number initially caused some concern, however after consulting with the author of the report I am advised that these were due to regulators catching fire within outboard engines exceeding 100 hp. I have personally not heard of boats with diesel engine installations having regulator caused fires. However, I must tell you that fast charge regulators do create many fire and overheating hazards in the connected or peripheral systems. These are summarized as follows and readers should use caution and observe these when installing and commissioning regulators. The main causes that I have identified you will never see in any caution notices within the installation documentation. I have installed many hundreds of fast charge regulators over the years and this is a summary of situations that I have experienced and that do frequently occur:
Alternator Overheating.
In most cases an overheated alternator simply has a winding failure or a rectifier failure. The alternator then ceases to produce heat as it is no longer generating power. This is often caused by an alternator charging into a relatively large and discharged battery bank for a long time period.
Connection Overheating
In many alternators, the output cable connection is often under-rated for maximum output current. In many cases the original alternator is replaced by a higher output alternator without up-rating the cable or connections. You can check your own by simply placing finger on the main output terminal. You may find it is hot, possibly even too hot to touch, if it is you need to look at up-rating.
Cable Overheating
In many alternators, the output cable is often under-rated for maximum output current. When this is coupled with an engine negative return path to the battery with voltage drops across the various mechanical connection points, problems occur. The maximum current values passing through the under-rated cables cause overheating and the insulation catches fire.
Battery Overheating
Batteries in poor condition and in a relatively discharged condition often get hot under high current charging conditions. Often the greater risk is the generation of hydrogen gas.
Pulley and Belt Overheating
The increased load on single pulley alternators often causes overheating. It is not a cause of fire however the heat travels along the alternator shaft, overheats the bearings and the grease melts out, and the bearing fails. Also the belt may stretch with greater slip and eventually fail.
4% AC Appliance Heaters
These fires are not really electrical and are caused by fan or radiator element type heaters located close to timber or other combustible materials. The heat causes the materials to smolder and catch fire.
4% Shore Power
Shore power fires are almost exclusively found in the shore power plug and socket, as these are exposed to rain and spray. Condensation and salt crystals form a path between the terminals and tracking occurs. This resistive path creates heat and the tracking path starts to carbonize as it burns. Eventually it gets to a point where the current values create sufficient heat as the short circuit level rises, and a fire is caused.
2% Battery Chargers
Battery charger fires are caused by overheating. This in turn is caused by under rated chargers charging relatively large battery banks. The over temperature Klixon type temperature safety switches on rectifier bridges or transformers fail and the transformer windings subsequently overheat. The insulation reaches a point where combustion occurs and a fire occurs. In some cases the DC output cables also overheat causing a fire situation
1% AC Power Surges
I have been unable to define precise causes. A surge within a marina is capable of causing damage and a fire to any connected appliances. Surges may be caused by lightning surges or even network switching surges.
In summary most boat-insurance claims can be avoided by good systems design, and good systems maintenance. Check your systems before season start, during the season and after seasons end.
Information Source Here: http://www.fishingandboats.com
Posted by blog.houseboatodyssey1.com at 2/11/2010 2:06 PM 
Categories: Buying Tips, Various 101's, Marine Electronics
Tags: care charging Boat buying wiring batteries
Categories: Buying Tips, Various 101's, Marine Electronics
Tags: care charging Boat buying wiring batteries
Wonderful post! I like your blog, and am a regular follower. I will be back monday!
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Really nice read thanks, I have added this to my bookmarks Diary
Reply to this
Really nice read thanks, I have added this to my bookmarks Diary
Reply to this