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Not my understanding wheels. DIY on a UNCONNECTED AC circuit is not an issue, only on a live supply and only if the work is not inspected and certified prior to connection to the mains OR 'other power source' (generator?) otherwise people who fix their own extension cords are for it! Ofcourse if they were to twist wires together and use masking tape..don't laugh, I've seen it! It would be a legal issue. EFC runs out at 3 years so haven't bothered with mine as it is not needed in NZ, thats from Murray Burnett, Burnett Engineering who is now chief electrical engineer for Auckland Council.

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Cos 240vac to ground in the mne system thru a human body can kill. It's a no-brainier. 12v is infinitely safer even if you earth the neg.

Maybe I didn't use the right words.

And hence why, as I said, it needs to be inspected and tested. The Compliance Inspector is supposed to look at the work, test every circuit for proper earth, proper capacity and so on.

What i am referring to with the comment about the DC, is that the bigger danger is in DC causing fire or stray current issues. If someone that knows what they are doing, can install DC cabling correctly in accordance to the Reg, then they can also install AC cabling just as well. It is not hard. As long as it meets the legal requirements. As I also said, AC cannot be connected till it is inspected, so if anything was done incorrectly, the the inspector should pick that up.

 

 

 

DIY on a UNCONNECTED AC circuit is not an issue, only on a live supply and only if the work is not inspected and certified prior to connection to the mains OR 'other power source' (generator?) otherwise people who fix their own extension cords are for it!

And maybe i wasn't clear in this part either. So i will try again. If you are not qualified to do so, you CAN NOT do any electrical work for any other person. Even for free. But a Home owner may do his own work re fitting a wall socket, or light fitting or fitting a plug to an extension lead. Mr Home owner can run a new feed, but it must be in compliance with the reg. He MUST have it inspected and certified as compliant. He CAN NOT connect it to the Mains supply, being the Switch board. Only a registered sparky can play inside the Switch board.

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What i am referring to with the comment about the DC, is that the bigger danger is in DC causing fire or stray current issues.

 

Yep, Dansford Marine did say you, as in boat owner, can be held liable for galvanic problems associated with your boat effecting others.

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If you have no shore power, DC leaks on your boat are extremely unlikely to effect others - there has to be a circuit. If you are on shore power, then you certainly can effect others, if you dont have galvanic isolation. IMO anyone who has shore power and does not have galvanic Isolation is taking a huge risk. Both for themselves and others.

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Exactly IT. Mate you are getting up to speed on this stuff fast :thumbup:

Going back to my earlier comment above, I want to qualify that further by ensuring readers understand that I am saying that I don't see why someone with competence cannot install AC wiring. In AM NOT inferring that the installation of AC wiring includes connection of to the Mains supply in the Boat. I am simply saying that if a person is competent in installing correctly the DC wiring, they should also be competent enough to install AC wiring and things like sockets etc.
 

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Unlikely anyone will look KM. The real issue is the fire resistance of the wiring insulation. With DC, a fire is the most likely issue, and some of the crap cables are pretty flammable, and burns hot enough to set the resins in the hull on fire.

The other possibility is that you have said fire, then the insurance company wont pay, as the wiring was sub standard.

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The other possibility is that you have said fire, then the insurance company wont pay, as the wiring was sub standard.

Of course, there has to be some insulation left on the cable to be able to identify. So if you have a fire onboard, maybe try putting it out with a bucket of petrol.

Or you could of course put it out with water, by opening a through hull and oops, fire went out but boat slipped under water and well waddaya know, it's somehow drifted out over the Continental shelf.

 

Lateral, I was slightly annoyed when the regs first came in requiring our boats to be EWOFéd. I got the inspector to come along, but he had no experience with Marine installs. I had to talk him through the Earthing, yet I wasn't a qualified sparky and he was supposed to be above a sparky. It just annoyed me more when I got the account for $150 at the time. I walked into a shop years later and here he was working behind the counter. No longer an inspector. But then, he was well beyond retirement as well.

I also fitted a Shore Power/House/Genset 3 way switch to a mates boat. The AC had no been finished at that time and the sparky was supposed to check and tick off my work. I got a call from the boat owner asking me to come out and reconnect up the switch. The sparky got confused on how it should be wired and couldn't connect it, so left it out. I had to do the sparkies job because he couldn't. Good grief.

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