Were to install a Galvanic Isolator on the 45C

[Pearl Island]

I purchased a Galvanic Isolator to install on my 50A shoreline. Looking into a suitable place to install, it seems like the easiest will be in the engine room breaking up the incoming ground wire but I am worried about the high temperature when running the engines. Can anyone share your thoughts about this location or were you have installed yours in a case you have one. I can't see there is enough space behind the AC panel.

 

[Boatsb]

Mine is in the space with the power inlet. I have only one input per line ( house and air) so it worked out very easy.

Fwiw I get 5 years on since in saltwater. Checking them every 2 or so months but I do have 2 on each shaft. 1 each rudder. 1 each main strut. No tabs and no divers plate.

 

[Pearl Island]

Mine is in the space with the power inlet. I have only one input per line ( house and air) so it worked out very easy.

Fwiw I get 5 years on since in saltwater. Checking them every 2 or so months but I do have 2 on each shaft. 1 each rudder. 1 each main strut. No tabs and no divers plate.

Thanks, I will check space at the power inlet. It seems like the shore cable goes straight from the engine room to the AC Panel.
I get about 4 months on the Zincs and hope the Galvanic Isolater will improve the life of the Zincs.

 

[Sea Horse]

Had the same issue recently with my 41 Convertible. All of a sudden started eating zincs. Installed Isolater right behind where 50 amp power cord comes into boat as per instructions. FYI put a meter on the boat again after installing and found it was not helping much. Boat next to me had a shorted battery charger and it was cooking everybody around him for five slips. He sold boat and no more zinc issues. If this just started to happen start looking for something like a new boat tied up by yours or a power line running under the dock that's in the water with broken insulation etc.

 

[Boatsb]

By the way I'm docked behind the house with no other boats in the water for a hundred feet or more. At the Marina I got 24 months

 

[egaito]

Is there low voltage landscape or dock lighting in the area? A broken wire or fixture could be putting DC into the water.

 

[Pete]

A Galvanic Isolator serves no purpose whatsoever on a Hatteras with an isolation transformer, at least on every shore power receptacle I have seen. There are four connections on a 250 volt 50 amp shore power connector. Two, the black and red wire are the split phase hot leads and the only ones that are used. The white neutral does not connect to anything on the boat. The green wire connects only to the stainless plate that serves as the mounting surface for the power inlet(s). It connects to nothing else on the boat. I am not sure how you would even connect a Galvanic Isolator on a isolation transformer boat, as Hatteras wires their boats.

Pete

 

[Boatsb]

A Galvanic Isolator serves no purpose whatsoever on a Hatteras with an isolation transformer, at least on every shore power receptacle I have seen. There are four connections on a 250 volt 50 amp shore power connector. Two, the black and red wire are the split phase hot leads and the only ones that are used. The white neutral does not connect to anything on the boat. The green wire connects only to the stainless plate that serves as the mounting surface for the power inlet(s). It connects to nothing else on the boat. I am not sure how you would even connect a Galvanic Isolator on a isolation transformer boat, as Hatteras wires their boats.

Pete

The galvanic isolator is a single path version of the isolation transformer. Most older 45C's dont have the isolation transformers.

 

[Pete]

I agree that on a non isolation transformer boat can take advantage of a Galvanic Isolator. However, I am not sure exactly what you mean by a "single path" device. To get just a little technical, a simple Galvanic Isolator consist of two or three series diode packs, one set with the anode connected to the boat and another set in parallel with the cathode attached to the boat. All diodes have a forward voltage drop, for this discussion lets say .5 volts. When you series diodes these voltage drops add together, thus two diodes in series will have a voltage drop of 1.0 volts. Put two sets together in parallel with reversed polarity and you have a circuit that will only conduct when the voltage exceeds 1.0 volt in either direction. This is how a Galvanic Isolator protects against low voltage stray electricity from flowing through your underwater gear back to earth ground while still providing the AC safety ground for higher voltages.

Pete

 

[Boatsb]

Galvanic isolation*is a principle of isolating functional sections of*electrical systems to prevent current flow; no direct conduction path is permitted.

An*isolation transformer*is a*transformer*used to transfer electrical power from a source of alternating current (AC) power to some equipment or device while*isolating*the powered device from the power source.

A*buck–boost*transformer*is a type of*transformer*used to make adjustments to the voltage applied to alternating current equipment.

 

[Pete]

"Galvanic isolation*is a principle" and I agree with your definition. A "Galvanic Isolator" as I described is an implementation of that principle.

Pete

 

[Boatsb]

single path was referring to only the ground. The hots and neutral do not have a transformer.

The isolation transformer breaks all the lines.