GFI breakers appearing on Docks - get ready

[DavidM]

I think that this whole problem is a case of the NEC being literally applied to dock power outlets which will have a huge effect on boaters. Any boat more than twenty years old will probably trip the very tight leakage values of current GFCIs.


The NEC says roughly that any outdoor outlet must be GFCI protected. My house has several outdoor outlets and they are all tied to an indoor GFCi outlet so they are protected. The GFCI protects the user when they are using an outdoor tool or appliance.


But dock power is different. Rarely does anyone plug in a tool to a dock outlet. Sure I have done it with a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter to power a buffer, but it is rare. Dock power outlets are mostly used to supply power to a boat, just like the wiring from your meter supplies power to your house. Houses do not have whole house GFCIa. Your house has internal GFCIs to protect wet environments such as bathrooms, kitchens and outdoor outlets. So does your boat.


But this NEC requirement which I accept is the way the code reads, causes all sorts of problems on boats, particularly older boats. Boats are wet inside, and with older wiring, they can have slight leakage from the hot to ground that will trip a shore power GFCI.


That slight leakage does not provide a safety problem for the boat users as long as the required head and gallery areas are protected by a GFCI. And to someone who said that he didn't want a boat next to him with a slight hot to ground leakage plugged in without a shore based GFCI, I just don't see it. There is no voltage on the ground as long as it is grounded properly (duh!!). And there is no corrosion potential transmitted to the adjacent boat if it is an AC voltage. It is DC that causes corrosion.


I think that what the industry should do is agree on significantly higher leakage current values for shore power outlets and then install GFCIs meeting those more liberal specs. The higher values would provide some safety but also allow older boats some leeway.


But I have no expectations of this ever happening.


David

 

[boatpoker]

1. The NEC says roughly that any outdoor outlet must be GFCI protected. My house has several outdoor outlets and they are all tied to an indoor GFCi outlet so they are protected. The GFCI protects the user when they are using an outdoor tool or appliance.

2. Your house has internal GFCIs to protect wet environments such as bathrooms, kitchens and outdoor outlets. So does your boat.

3. they can have slight leakage from the hot to ground that will trip a shore power GFCI. That slight leakage does not provide a safety problem for the boat users as long as the required head and gallery areas are protected by a GFCI.

4. And to someone who said that he didn't want a boat next to him with a slight hot to ground leakage plugged in without a shore based GFCI, I just don't see it. There is no voltage on the ground as long as it is grounded properly (duh!!).

5. And there is no corrosion potential transmitted to the adjacent boat if it is an AC voltage. It is DC that causes corrosion.


6. I think that what the industry should do is agree on significantly higher leakage current values for shore power outlets and then install GFCIs meeting those more liberal specs. The higher values would provide some safety but also allow older boats some leeway.

1. Not only does a GFCI protect at outdoor appliances. It also protects in wet environments i.e. inside a boat or even wet hands in a dry area.

2. Not in many of the boats I survey.

3. You may want to read up on Electric Shock Drowning from such small leaks.

4. if there is a "small" or any other kind of leak from hot to ground ... of course there is current in the ground ! Where else could it go ? See "Electric Shock Drowning".

5. You may want to Google E.L.C.I. now required by ABYC.

6. That AC current does not cause corrosion has long been dis-proven. You may want to take the ABYC Corrosion Analysis course. AC electrolytic corrosion is much slower than DC but it does occur. Complicating the matter is the required AC/DC ground bond which can introduce DC current into the AC system if the system is less than perfect.