# GFCI



## vspivey (Nov 6, 2007)

I just set up my boat with lights that are 120v, and I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on wheater or not to put a GFCI in line at the Gennie, or if the circuit breakers built into the outlet are enough?? If so, which type?


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## FlounderAssassin (Sep 28, 2007)

Im not 100% sure about this so hopefully someone with more knowledge will chime in but i want to say i remember reading somewhere that a GFCI wont work on the boat. i run 4 halogens and a 2000w gen on my boat and have never had a problem. have been caught in the rain and be sprayed pretty good with salt water when it was rough. as long as you use good quality connectors and heat shrink everything you should be good to go.


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## vspivey (Nov 6, 2007)

Thank you for the reply


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

Everythingh that I have read or been told says No. I have had my light completly under water on several trips (not on purpose) without any issues.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

> *Gnwdad (9/25/2008)*Everythingh that I have read or been told says No. I have had my light completly under water on several trips (not on purpose) without any issues.


How in the hell did this happen? Bolt/bracket break or something?


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## mekell (Sep 27, 2007)

I wasn't sure that the GFI would work and I hear from some that it won't. All I can tell you is I installed one between my generator and my lights, and I got on a stump one night and busted a light and it tripped. I will leave the advice to the experts.


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

> *Five Prongs Of Fury (9/25/2008)*
> 
> 
> > *Gnwdad (9/25/2008)*Everything that I have read or been told says No. I have had my light complexly under water on several trips (not on purpose) without any issues.
> ...


The night that it got so bad from Hurricane Ike was the last time and my other boat would get swamped if 2 were on the front floundering and a larger boat came by. With two men on the front of it the outboard would be in the air.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Gnwdad Have you talked to your EE buddy at work about the GFI and our setup's?


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

X-shark no, but I will in just a minute.


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

> *X-Shark (9/26/2008)*Gnwdad Have you talked to your EE buddy at work about the GFI and our setup's?


I just talked to him and he said that a GFCI is a must and he would not dare to go without one.

But,it will not work unless the generator becomes grounded.Through the boat is not a true ground so it will not work the same, but if the generator was to become grounded and you did not have the GFCI it would be bad.He said that a GFCI measures the voltage on the neutral and compares it to the voltage measured on the hot leg and, it has to be within 5 mv or it will trip the GFCI. With the generatornot grounded it should not trip the GFCI.

If there was a exposed wire on one of the lights and you touched it the GFCI would not trip unless you or something conductive was also touching the generator. In an aluminum boat the generator would be grounded to the boat if the rubber feet were removed from the generator (DO NOT REMOVE THEM) andyou would be shocked if you did not have the GFCI and there was a short in the wiring. On a wet fiberglass boat you could have a short and not know it until you touched the generator or if there was enoughwater touching the generator to make a conductive path.


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## FlounderAssassin (Sep 28, 2007)

so let me see if i understand this correctly. definatly put one on but it wont work??? i guess im missing something here. i have had a $hitty day here at work so i may not have read it correctly :banghead


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## fishnfever (Oct 5, 2007)

Basically you have no ground in a fiberglass boat, in other words if you have a short you are the ground (not good). That's why you would not want to take the rubber feet off the bottom of the generator. However in a Aluminum boat the boat acts as your ground and therefore trips the breaker. Hope this helps.


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

I have a hard time trying to type what I'm trying to say so bare with me.

Like the post above, the rubber feet keep the generator from being grounded. Therefore the GFCI will not work as it would in your yard (for the lack of a ground). An aluminum boat or a soaking wet fiberglass boat would act as a indirect path to ground if there was a short and a conductive path to the housing or the frame of the generator. 

With or without a GFCI: If you were standing on the front of the boat and touched a short in the wiringand touchedthe bay it will be bad news. The GFCI would not trip because the generator has its on magnetic field. If you had a short and a conductive path back to the generator (aluminum boat, conductive gig pole, or a standing amount of water that was touching the generators frame) you would be hurting without a GFCI, with a GFCI it would trip at 5 millivolts.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> Like the post above, the rubber feet keep the generator from being grounded.




And so does the plastic case on the quiet gennys, BUT there is a GND terminial on the front of all of these generators to tie to GND.



And as my neighbor told me the GFI will not work without a GND, like a grounding rod at your house. He's a pretty sharp guy on a lot of things.


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

> *X-Shark (9/26/2008)*
> 
> 
> > Like the post above, the rubber feet keep the generator from being grounded.
> ...


You are correct on the grounding lug. There are several guys I know that are using the open frame generators that could ground out in the case of a short through a conductive path.


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## jsaddiction (Oct 2, 2007)

The gfci will compair the hot and neutral lines. If there is a difference then it is designed to shunt all of the voltage to ground tripping the breaker inside the plug housing. 

First scenario: If you are in an aluminum boat.. "bond" your generator to the boat. (bolt a cable to the boat and to the genset) If there is a problem it will use your aluminum boat as a ground and discharge everything into the water. as long as your ground wire is a good connection then there will be no difference in potential between you and the generator. (you won't get shocked) Use the GFCI it will keep you from getting shocked ... to bad

second: if you are in a fiberglass boat and do not have a ground plane the GFCI is useless. If there is a bare wire and it has not tripped the installed breaker on your genset then this wire will shock you and it will hurt. A GFCI will be unable to shunt anything to ground since there is none. Be care full of wires on a fiberglass hull. There is no common ground and you will almost always be at some potential other than whatever wire you touch. 

Use plenty of heat shrink (the kind with glue in it) and good quality connectors. Use plenty of silicon greese (doesn't conduct) in your connectors this will keep water away from the contacts.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Those were exactly my thoughts.


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