Dumb Question Ground no ground

T

tiller7104

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 23, 2005
Messages
352
Thats the question LOL
Do I have to run my ground back to the neg side of my battery or can I ground to aluminum? Generally speaking for chargers and light and the like? 18' Sea Nymph Aluminum Deep V
 
rickdb1boat

rickdb1boat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 23, 2002
Messages
11,195
Re: Dumb Question Ground no ground

And the answer is, yep, to the battery the grounds must go.........
 
Silvertip

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
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Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,771
Re: Dumb Question Ground no ground

Or to the ground buss which also goes back to the negative terminal of the battery.
 
Reel Poor

Reel Poor

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jan 29, 2005
Messages
5,522
Re: Dumb Question Ground no ground

Do not ground to the aluminum hull unless you want galvanic corrosion problems (your boat will corrode away).
 
G

--GQ--

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 24, 2005
Messages
516
Re: Dumb Question Ground no ground

The word "ground" in D.C. circuit has different application from A. C. circuit. In this case, the "ground" wire is a current carrying conductor. May it be copper, aluminum or any metal. When used without any protective covering, the "ware and tare" will shorten its life span due to the nature of the beast(electricity), thus creating future problem when you least expect it. Furthermore, aluminum, in a boating environment, is not a preferred conductor of choice.

This is not a "Yes or No" answer but rather, "Is it wise to use aluminum"?

Just adding details. Happy boating!
 
I

imported_Curmudgeon

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
496
Re: Dumb Question Ground no ground

Nothing will work unless your system and battery grounds are common. Since you'd also have to ground the battery to the hull to do it your way, might as well eliminate all the bad things by just grounding your system to the battery ... ;)
 
jtexas

jtexas

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 13, 2003
Messages
8,646
Re: Dumb Question Ground no ground

Be aware that your cranking battery is grounded to the hull through the outboard motor...so any bare wires contacting the hull will find a path to ground...but don't design it like that.
 
Dunaruna

Dunaruna

Admiral
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
6,027
Re: Dumb Question Ground no ground

[colour=blue]You need both.

A ground circuit to battery or buss bar & a bonding circuit for the hull.
 
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