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Bad shore power
Terry K wrote:
Hmm. Seems to me GFCIs pop if there is a difference between hot and neutral wire currents. Don't rely on ground. If all the current that comes in doesn't return the way it's supposed to, it turns off. It's a differential amp that does it and toroidal coil assemblies. The test button might need earth, so it can trip the circuit by cheating. Proper ones don't. GFCIs work at 125 volts only so they are usually not the sole solution. The Earth should not be electrified, nor the Sea neither. It's bad enough that we might inadverdently offer the possibility for current to flow into the earth by touching a live wire, but if the power company hadn't hooked the earth to the power line, it's wouldn't have any where to leak to whilst electrocuting you. Aboard, if metal parts are earthed, earth the plug, Disagree. Any appliance with a 3-prong plug will lose the protection built into it if the ground wire is not connected, unless it is protected by a GFCI. But if that appliance develops a ground fault (hot wire shorted directly to metal case) it will not trip the GFCI unless some one or thing provides a path to earth. Meanwhile, if it is, say, an electric drill (3-prong plug), you are walking around your boat holding the hot 125 vac wire in your hand! Surely we don't want to be suggesting that people "game" the wiring system and thereby disable built-in protections. Chuck otherwise, it don't matter. Sea water in the bilge sort of grounds wet stuff, but it's moot. There are several possible faults that are best protected by contradictory means. It's a question of probability and risk assessment. It's your boat. Read your insurance documents for electrical requirements, survey report required? Marinas don't seem to care. Old boats may be grandfathered. Fire is the real danger. Terry K ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
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