Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/22/2013 to
Electrical Standards
ABYC standard 11.14.6 (Installation - General) is mostly basic common sense, here is a brief summary, (see the disclaimer below):
Cabinets and enclosures
- Electrical cabinets and junction boxes need to be dry!
- Unused openings in weatherproof enclosures need to be sealed up.
Wiring
- Wires need to be clamped to relieve strain at connections
- AC and DC wires need to be kept separate (using duplex and triplex wires together is OK but single conductors must be routed and bundled separately)
- Wires should be kept out of the bilge as much as possible. If there are connections in the bilge they should be waterproof
- Wires need to be kept as far as possible from exhausts and other heat sources
- Wires subject to potential chafing need to be protected, if loom is used for this it should be self extinguishing.
- Wires need to be supported every 18 inches
- No more than four wires may be connected to a single terminal stud
- Ring connectors need to be the same size as the stud to which they are attached
Special note for unfused wires
The wire to the starter motor is exempt from the requirement to provide circuit protection but this means it gets special attention
- These wires must be out of the bilge for their entire length
- They must be routed to avoid contact with metallic fuel system components
- The positive wire must be routed to avoid any contact with the engine or drivetrain
Disclaimer
There is more to this standard than I have indicated above, it is written as if it was a legal document and so only a reading of the original will give you the full intent. What is here is just a brief summary of some of the main points of the standard.
Peter Kennedy has been in business since 1991 designing, installing and servicing marine electrical systems. The purpose of this blog is to offer support to both professional installers and do-it-yourself boat owners who wish to undertake this work themselves.
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