Sailboat Electrics Simplified (PB)
By Don Casey
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About this ebook
Don't Be Baffled by Your Electrical System--Handle Repairs and Improvements with Ease
With clear illustrations and simple explanations, Don Casey shows you exactly how to install wiring . . . make good, safe connections . . . match your battery bank and alternator to your needs . . . troubleshoot problems quickly . . . avoid shore power problems . . . and more--all without a lot of technical jargon.
"Don Casey's book provides clear guidance on how to create and maintain a robust electrical system. Don's lucid explanations and numerous illustrations make what is normally mysterious and invisible--electricity--into something the reader is able to understand with confidence. An excellent addition to the sailor's seagoing library." --Chuck Hawley
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Sailboat Electrics Simplified (PB) - Don Casey
SAILBOAT ELECTRICS SIMPLIFIED
DON CASEY
SAILBOAT ELECTRICS SIMPLIFIED
THE INTERNATIONAl MARINE SAILBOAT LIBRARY
DON CASEY
Copyright © 1999 International Marine. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-0-07-170834-0
MHID: 0-07-170834-0
The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-036649-7, MHID: 0-07-036649-7.
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Questions regarding the content of this book should be addressed to:
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Camden, ME 04843
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TERMS OF USE
This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (McGraw-Hill
) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill’s prior consent. You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited. Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms.
THE WORK IS PROVIDED AS IS.
McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. McGraw-Hill and its licensors do not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free. Neither McGraw-Hill nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work. Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise.
Dedicated to Bill Laudeman,
who blazed the trail for this book, and
whose strong convictions about the value
of wiring diagrams were the genesis of
much of Chapter 5
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1. SAFETY FIRST
Battery Acid
• Containment
• Spark
• Explosive Gas
• Fire
• Corrosive Fumes
• Fuse
2. UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS
Terminology
Amp
• Volt
• Ohm
• Watt
Three-Part Harmony
Ohm’s Law
• Power
• Load Calculations
• Desert Algebra
Circuits
Not Like Water
• Boys Will Be Boys
• Polarity
• Open and Closed
• Series
• Parallel
• Extra Credit
AC/DC
Magnetism and Current
• Current
• Polarity
• Loads
• Voltage
• Power Factor
• Safety Revisited
3. BATTERY
The Basic Cell
Fully Charged
• Discharging
• Fully Discharged
• Charging
• Gassing
• Shedding
• Plate Sulfation
• Inefficiencies
Batteries
Internal Construction
• Plate Thickness
• Spongy Lead
• Self Discharge
• Starting or House?
Battery Choices
Automotive—Conventional Flooded
• Maintenance-Free
• Deep-Cycle
• Gel Cell
• Scales Don’t Lie
• Absorbed Glass Mat
• Selection Chart
Capacity
Amp-Hours
• Cycle Life
• Weight and Amp-Hours
• Cold-Cranking Amps
• Marine-Cranking Amps
• Reserve Minutes
Sizing Batteries
Load Calculation Redux
• The Alternative to Bigger Batteries
• House Bank
• Starting Battery
• Powering Inverters
Installation
Series
• Golf-Cart Batteries
• Parallel
• Matching
• Negative Ground
• Temperature
Maintenance
Discharge
• Recharging
• Water
• Clean and Dry
• Terminal Corrosion
• Voltage
• SG and Voltage
• Specific Gravity
• Keep Records
4. WIRE
Wire Selection
Construction
• Size
• 10% Drop
• 24 Volts
• Insulation
Routing
High and Dry
Connections
Crimp Connectors
• Crimping
• Soldering
• Tinning the Soldering Iron
• Heat-Shrink
• Bare Wires
• Wire Nuts
Overload Protection
Fuses
• Circuit Breakers
• Sizing
• Installing
• Supply Side
• Equipment Protection
Switches
SPST
• DT
• DP
• Battery Selector
Neatness Counts
Labeling
• No More than Four
• Terminal Strips
• Junction Boxes
• Right Angles
• Spiral Wrap
• Panel Location
Coax
Size
• Construction
• Connections
• Weatherproofing
• Backstay Connection
Copper Ribbon
5. CIRCUITS
Wiring Diagrams
Symbols
• More about Ground
Circuitry Step by Step
Closed Circuit
• Open Circuit
• Overload Protection
• Series
• Parallel
• Real World
Mapping Your Own Boat
AC Caution
• WYSIWYG
• Circuit Diagrams
• Master Diagram
• Layout Schematic
• signal Wires
6. TROUBLESHOOTING
Signs of Trouble
Dimming
• House of Cards
• Sluggish Starting
• Flickering
• Blown Fuse
• Ground Return
• Heat
• Odor
• Heat Loss
• Corrosion
• Wet Wiring
• Rat’s Nest
Test Light
Make or Buy
• Using a Test Light
Digital Multimeter
Digital vs. Analog
• Auto Ranging
• Polarity
Clamp-On Meters
Meter Fundamentals
Connecting Test Leads
• Measuring Voltage
• Measuring Current
• Measuring Resistance (or Lack Thereof)
Troubleshooting with a Meter
Voltmeter Tests
• Multimeter Connections
• Zero Adjust
• Checking Your Hydrometer
• Extending Your Reach
• Kirchoff’s Law
• Ohmmeter Tests
• Masthead Lights
• Changing Resistance
• Ammeter Tests
7. CHARGING SYSTEMS
Alternators
Output
• Pulley Ratio
• Sizing
• Ignition Protection
• Expecting Too Much
Regulators
Standard Regulator
• Fooling the Regulator
• Manual Controller
• Three-Step Regulator
• Equalization—The Fourth Step
• Charging Gel Batteries
Alternator and Regulator Wiring
Output
• Internal Regulation
• Attached Regulator
• External Regulation
• Polarity
• Excitation
• Surge Protection
Alternator Maintenance
Belts
• Connections
• Bearings and Brushes
Troubleshooting Alternators and Regulators
Alternator Output
• Regulator Faults
• Excitation
• Bypassing a Faulty Regulator
• Diodes
Battery Switching
The Standard Way
• Direct Alternator Connection
• Fuse
• Isolating Diodes
• A Better Way
Solar Cells
Choices
• Output
• Uses
• Installation
• Turning the Panel Off for Installation
• Troubleshooting
Wind Generators
Choices
• Output
• Mounting
• Connections
• Troubleshooting
• Water Generators
8. ALTERNATING CURRENT
Warning
AC Basics
Frequency
• Voltage
• Power Factor
• Three-Wire System
• The Grounding Wire
• Wire Type and Size
At the Dock
Plug Types
• Polarity
• Polarity Tester
Shore-Power Connection
Inlet Fitting
• Power Cord
• Supply Wire
• Main Breaker
• Neutral and Ground
AC Circuits
Single Circuit
• Dual Circuit
• Breakers
• Switch Panel
• Polarity Tester
• Routing AC Wiring
• Junction Boxes
• Outlets
• Ground Fault Interrupt
The Green-Wire Controversy
The Danger
• Testing the GFCI
• Grounding the Green Wire
• Cutting the Green Wire
• Unplug
• Galvanic Isolator
• Isolation Transformer
Testing
Polarity
• Grounding Wire
• Isolated Ground
• Green-Wire Connection
• Ground and Neutral Separation
• Ground Fault
• Stray Current
• Leakage
Inverters
Types
• Waveform
• Sizing
• Load Realities
• Battery Capacity
• Connections
• Location
• Transfer Switch
• Neutral and Grounding
• Connection
Generators
Transfer Switch
• Frequency
9. HEAVEN AND EARTH
Lightning Protection
Lightning Rod
• Static Dissipator
• Cone of Protection
• Wooden Masts
• Ground
• Freshwater Sailors Beware
• Directing the Charge
• Connections
• Parallel Paths
Bonding
For Lightning Protection
• For Corrosion Control
• Isolating
• Grounding
• Testing for Isolation
RF Ground
Ribbon, Not Wire
• Copper Screen
• Stopping Direct Current
Lightning and Electronics
The Facts
• Protective Measures
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
I admire those hard cases who, before setting off around the globe, lever the engine out of the bilge and tilt it over the rail, deep-sixing a whole passel of woes. The time not spent doing maintenance can effectively add weeks to a cruise. Maybe the engineless do miss a few destinations with difficult approaches, but they also avoid languishing in some overdeveloped and under-flushed harbor awaiting the arrival of transmission parts. They never spill fuel, smudge the transom with soot, or besmirch profound silence with the clatter of reciprocating iron. Discarding the engine also rules out mechanical refrigeration, you won’t find a watermaker aboard, and the absence of an engine-driven alternator necessarily simplifies the boat’s electrical system.
I am personally OK with ice for uncomplicated refrigeration, and to me catching water actually seems preferable to making
it, but when I contemplate kerosene lighting, the simplicity of pure
sail loses all appeal. Kerosene illumination bright enough to read by will add at least 20 degrees to the cabin temperature. That may be nice when it is 40°F outside, but when it’s 85°F—well, you do the math.
On my boat I want bright and cool electric lights. While that doesn’t necessarily require an alternator powered by a 500-pound diesel engine—a couple of solar panels can provide enough electricity for cabin lights—I also want fans. And a radio transmitter. And a good sound system. When the anchorages get deep, I could use the help of an electric windlass. And speaking of hauling, resupplying the cooler with ice gets to be a drag quicker than I like to admit.
This, of course, is how electrical systems on boats evolve. Production sailboats come with a few lights, a freshwater pump, and the expectation that the purchaser will add a depth sounder and a VHF radio. The alternator, the battery, even the wiring are designed for these modest demands. The owner, however, is rarely of a mind with the manufacturer.
Maybe it starts with adding a reading light over a bunk. While a new lamp for home comes with a plug we simply insert into any unoccupied wall outlet, a lamp for the boat brings only a few inches of wire lead. Now what? Far too often the answer is a length of lamp cord twisted to the bare leads on one end and wrapped on the other around the terminal screws of the nearest cabin light.
What is wrong with that? Just about everything.
Adding appliances to your boat’s existing electrical system is neither difficult nor complicated, but it is exacting if the modification is to be safe and trouble free. Sometimes sailors use the wrong wire because it is handy, but more often they simply don’t know any better. If you’re connecting a lamp, what can be wrong with using lamp cord? And if it is adequate for a 100-watt table lamp, how can it be inadequate for a 10-watt reading lamp? Fair questions, both, and their answers are provided in Chapter 4.
Most of us find electricity as incomprehensible as the tax code. Who really understands the basis for subtracting line 8 from line 5, then multiplying by 0.25 to get line 9, but do not enter more than line 6
? So we pay someone to do our taxes. Or we buy Turbo Tax to tell us—without the bureaucratic doublespeak—exactly what to write on each line of the tax form and not trouble us with the why unless we ask. The underlying concept for this book is much the same—Turbo Wiring, if you will.
The objective of this book is to show you exactly how to service and modify the electrical system on your boat. Assuming that the less theory I throw at you, the happier you’re going to be, I have included electrical arcana only where it is absolutely essential. But here’s the deal: if I try to keep this dead simple for the masses, the eggheads in the bunch can’t take me to task for taking liberties. I’m not teaching electricity here. I’m just trying to show you how to make a safe, durable connection.
OK, that isn’t quite all there is to it. The connection I am really trying to help you make is the one between you and the electrical system aboard your boat—figuratively speaking, of course. For example, if you understand amp-hours the way you understand gallons, determining how long your batteries will run all the boat’s electrical equipment is as easy as calculating how far you can expect to motor on a tank of fuel.
So when I describe amps in the following pages, it is for practical use, not scientific—something like introducing European tourists to mph. It isn’t necessary to know that a mile is 1,609 meters when speedometers, maps, and road signs are all in mph. Likewise, you can read amps directly from a meter and make the necessary correlations without any understanding of the underlying science.
You will find practical information here about batteries—gel cells versus the flooded variety, cranking batteries versus deep cycle. You will learn how to select the right
wire and how to make good
connections. You will learn to calculate how quickly your electrical equipment will deplete your batteries, and how to counteract that drain with both traditional and alternative power sources.
Besides a handful of electrical terms, I will expose you to a few symbols that let you map
your boat’s electrical system, taking a lot of guesswork out of troubleshooting. You will see how to isolate problems quickly using a multimeter—where to connect the test probes and exactly what specific readings mean. (An adequate digital multimeter today costs less than this book and every boatowner should have one!)
You will find enough information about marine electronics to let you install new gear, enough about alternating current to avoid or correct the most common shore-power problems, and enough about lightning to let you maximize your level of protection from this unpredictable menace.
So put aside your preconceptions and turn the page. I promise explanations and