Shoreside electrical protection

H

Heronboy

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2018
Messages
49
Fluid Motion Model
C-302 SC
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Formula f-223LS
Hi all. I’m a new part time Florida resident and storm season is only a few months away. After having to replace all my batteries and the inverter last month, I’m not thrilled about leaving the boat plugged in to shore power for weeks (or months) while I’m away. Way too much lightning down here. Plus, the utility is prone to brownouts. I’ve also learned not to trust the solar panel to keep everything charged.

Anyone ever used something in the shore power circuit to protect the boats electrical system? I found things like this:

https://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems-hw30c


And this:

https://hughesautoformers.com/product/pwd30-epo/


Any ideas or experience out there? Really don’t wanna spend another $3k+ to replace electrical components.


Bob
 
Bob, although I have not installed the product below (ELCI), after doing a lot of research and talking with local marine techs that I trust, this might be a better solution than systems designed for RVs:

https://www.bluesea.com/products/310210 ... 20V_AC_30A

This device mounts directly into your panel and provides for all of boat electrical protection.

There are different options, depending how much work you want to do.
 
Gunner065":3q0zkkee said:
Bob, although I have not installed the product below (ELCI), after doing a lot of research and talking with local marine techs that I trust, this might be a better solution than systems designed for RVs:

https://www.bluesea.com/products/310210 ... 20V_AC_30A

This device mounts directly into your panel and provides for all of boat electrical protection.

There are different options, depending how much work you want to do.
Click to expand...

The 31-CB already has an ELCI breaker installed (I believe it is quite possibly that ELCI breaker). Or, at least, mine does. Not sure if they started after a certain year...

Do other Rangers/Cutwaters not have this?
 
The ELCI is different than a surge protector. The OP’s original post had links to ELCI’s that have 40,000A surge protection. Most lightning strikes are 30,000A so they should do the trick! As an FYI the calculation for sizing whole panel surge protectors is 50% of the service amperage rounded up ....so depending on what boat you have those 30A Surge protectors are good for up to a 60A service.(plenty for most boats)
 
FlyMeAway":3num7lu8 said:
Gunner065":3num7lu8 said:
Bob, although I have not installed the product below (ELCI), after doing a lot of research and talking with local marine techs that I trust, this might be a better solution than systems designed for RVs:

https://www.bluesea.com/products/310210 ... 20V_AC_30A

This device mounts directly into your panel and provides for all of boat electrical protection.

There are different options, depending how much work you want to do.
Click to expand...

The 31-CB already has an ELCI breaker installed (I believe it is quite possibly that ELCI breaker). Or, at least, mine does. Not sure if they started after a certain year...

Do other Rangers/Cutwaters not have this?
Click to expand...

Yep, the 31 already has a pair of the ELCI’s. But they won’t do anything for lightning or brownouts. In fact I think repeated brownouts took out my inverter. I’ve lost other electronics that way.

Frankly, I’m a bit surprised at the amount of digging I had to do. The RV world seems to have a better handle on this than the marine world. Which is weird given the amount of storms near popular boating areas. Let alone the number of cautionary tales I’ve read in boating articles over the years talking about marina power problems.

Every boat with shore power should have something attached to the cord set, and every shore power post should have something built in. Here’s another item I found after talking to Marinco. Something new they came out with borrowed from their RV side. It’s not even on their regular website but it is in the 2021 downloadable catalog.

https://www.anchorexpress.com/Marinco-3 ... ter-1RPCSP
 
Suggest you check out the Marine Puck Isolation Transformer from Bridgeport Magnetics.

https://www.bridgeportmagnetics.com/bmg ... nsformers/

We had one installed on our 2019 Ranger Tug 31-SE. it is expensive, but totally protects our boat from stray currents.

And we do have a Galvanic Isolator, so it is almost like wearing “Belt and Suspenders”!
 
Kaptajnen":27awy2ju said:
Suggest you check out the Marine Puck Isolation Transformer from Bridgeport Magnetics.

https://www.bridgeportmagnetics.com/bmg ... nsformers/

We had one installed on our 2019 Ranger Tug 31-SE. it is expensive, but totally protects our boat from stray currents.

And we do have a Galvanic Isolator, so it is almost like wearing “Belt and Suspenders”!
Click to expand...

I don't think an isolation transformer does anything for a shoreside voltage surge...?
 
Lots of protection for RVs using 50amp plugs. I wonder if one could change out the connections and use the same? Some of them even allow blue tooth connection to monitor power coming in.
 
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