Connect boat to house line

cparv

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Jun 9, 2021
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I tried to connect the boat to the house 110 v,using an adapter,but I just get the red hazard light on,nothing else is working.Can anyone help?
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,..... Need much more details to help,....
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Welcome aboard.

what boat?
whats wrong?
what light?
 

Grub54891

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I think it's the panel in the boat? They have a reverse polarity light on the panel. Very possible the outlet in the house is wired incorrectly.
 

cparv

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cparv

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I think it's the panel in the boat? They have a reverse polarity light on the panel. Very possible the outlet in the house is wired incorrectly.
I never had problems with the outlet in the house,it’s been there since bought the house 15 years ago
 

Alumarine

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Feb 22, 2005
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Test the outlet and the end of the extension cord with one of these.
Or, using a voltage tester, test to see if you only have 110 volts between the small blade of the outlet/cord and the ground.
 

jhande

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No need for multiple replies with the same info.

As mentioned above, test the outlet and extension cord. For most household items you wouldn't notice a reverse polarity.

Or try another outlet.
 

cparv

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No need for multiple replies with the same info.

As mentioned above, test the outlet and extension cord. For most household items you wouldn't notice a reverse polarity.

Or try another outlet.
Thank you ,I really appreciate your help.
 

Grub54891

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Yup my house has that issue. Things work fine but sometimes not. I re-wired them correctly. On a boat it's for safety, if it's wired wrong and not seen it can electrocute someone who falls in the water.
 

Commander_47

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I would suspect your boat panel. Why is it only on buss 2? and not on buss 1?

Seems to me that a reverse polarity issue at the house would affect both sides of the boat panel polarity hazard.

First thing would be to open the panel and clean the neutral and ground connection. Especially in a boat from 1988 and especially if it was on salt water.

Attaching house current to a boat is not often doable. The condition of your extension cord can cause an issue. Depending on how long it is from your breaker panel, it might not work at all.
 

Grub54891

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I would suspect your boat panel. Why is it only on buss 2? and not on buss 1?

Seems to me that a reverse polarity issue at the house would affect both sides of the boat panel polarity hazard.

First thing would be to open the panel and clean the neutral and ground connection. Especially in a boat from 1988 and especially if it was on salt water.

Attaching house current to a boat is not often doable. The condition of your extension cord can cause an issue. Depending on how long it is from your breaker panel, it might not work at all.
I assumed it has two 30 amp inlets. You can use them separetly or both at the same time.
 

Commander_47

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I assumed it has two 30 amp inlets. You can use them separetly or both at the same time.
Did you check the other receptacle on on the boat? Does buss 1 hazard light up? It seemed to me that you had checked buss 1 already.

Like I said, it would appear the problem is with the panel, IF buss 1 does not light up.

Regardless, there are some pretty straightforward things to check if you do not have 110 V at the boat, even if plugging into house current.

Typical colors:
House current
Black=Hot
White=Neutral
Green=Ground

Boat current
White=HOT
Green=Neutral
Black=Ground



1. Corrosion at the terminals behind your panel.
2. Extension cord from house is too long and cannot support the drain. This cord needs to be robust and short as possible.
3. Your house current breaker is probably only 15 or 20 amps
4. With a multimeter, check for 110 at the panel when it is plugged up.
5. Depending on your panel, the reverse polarity light is merely a light that will go off with very little variation in current. Some systems will disable the current if the hazard light comes on.
6. Make sure all breakers are in the off position when checking for current at the panel.
7. There is virtually no chance of electrifying the water around your boat enough to hurt anyone. Some improperly wired boats may increase the decay of your anodes which are attached to your outdrives.
8. The biggest danger from reverse polarity is heat. The connections may heat to the point of melting wires and starting a fire.
9. Improper reverse polarity is, in actuality, extremely rare nowadays.
10. This site will show you a basic panel wiring. I have one similar to this in my boat that I installed. Mine is bigger, but not as big as yours. You need to pay attention to the wiring colors coming into the boat in the upper right picture toward to the bottom of the article.
https://shop.pkys.com/How-to-install-a-simple-shore-power-system-on-a-small-boat_b_86.html
 
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Grub54891

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Please explain number seven. There is known cases of people getting electrocuted jumping in the water. If you have seen some of the wiring jobs I have, you would think twice about that statement.
 

Commander_47

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Please explain number seven. There is known cases of people getting electrocuted jumping in the water. If you have seen some of the wiring jobs I have, you would think twice about that statement.
10 people drown every day according to statistics. Most are ages 1-4.

There are NO STATISTICS for electric shock drownings. The reason is that there are so few it doesn't make sense to count them.

Electric shock drownings can be caused by lightning strikes, underground wiring, anyone near a hydroelectric dam. If you are in a tub and drop a TV in the water, then you might hurt yourself. A swimming pool or hot tub near high tension lines stands a bigger risk of ESD than a boat does. Listening to a radio in a shower can cause ESD.

The fact is, a boat in a body of water disperses the vast majority of the electricity. Basically, big water, small current.

If your boat is properly grounded you won't have any issue, ever. Properly maintain your boat and you won't have a problem. It's no more dangerous than the current running all around your house.

How many times have you been to the marina and seen kids swimming off the back of boats plugged into shore power at the dock? I have seen......conservatively speaking......THOUSANDS. And not one time has anyone every been the victim of ESD.

Fact is, in over 50 years of boating and being around boats I have never, not once, ever even heard of anyone dying from electric shock drowning.

If you are so worried about it then hire a professional marina or boat electrician to fix your boat.
 
Last edited:

Grub54891

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10 people drown every day according to statistics. Most are ages 1-4.

There are NO STATISTICS for electric shock drownings. The reason is that there are so few it doesn't make sense to count them.

Electric shock drownings can be caused by lightning strikes, underground wiring, anyone near a hydroelectric dam. If you are in a tub and drop a TV in the water, then you might hurt yourself. A swimming pool or hot tub near high tension lines stands a bigger risk of ESD than a boat does. Listening to a radio in a shower can cause ESD.

The fact is, a boat in a body of water disperses the vast majority of the electricity. Basically, big water, small current.

If your boat is properly grounded you won't have any issue, ever. Properly maintain your boat and you won't have a problem. It's no more dangerous than the current running all around your house.

How many times have you been to the marina and seen kids swimming off the back of boats plugged into shore power at the dock? I have seen......conservatively speaking......THOUSANDS. And not one time has anyone every been the victim of ESD.

Fact is, in over 50 years of boating and being around boats I have never, not once, ever even heard of anyone dying from electric shock drowning.

If you are so worried about it then hire a professional marina or boat electrician to fix your boat.
I am a professional boat electrician. I've had all the Abyc classes and have been wiring on boats for many years. if you haven't been or seen what can happen if someone screws up wiring, then you would know that swimming in a marina can and will get you killed. The water disperses the current, but it will make you unable to swim and you will drown. At our marina, we have installed 30 milliamp breakers at all pedstals . Found about 15 boats out of 144 that had small issues .https://www.electricshockdrowning.org/esd--faq.html
 

Commander_47

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I am a professional boat electrician. I've had all the Abyc classes and have been wiring on boats for many years. if you haven't been or seen what can happen if someone screws up wiring, then you would know that swimming in a marina can and will get you killed. The water disperses the current, but it will make you unable to swim and you will drown. At our marina, we have installed 30 milliamp breakers at all pedstals . Found about 15 boats out of 144 that had small issues .https://www.electricshockdrowning.org/esd--faq.html
Really? A professional? 'Small' issues? But no deaths. Why are you even asking the question on this forum if you are a 'professional'?
Fact is, there are NO statistics on ESD drownings at marinas.
And if you are a professional, then fix your boat and stop trolling.
 
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