Correct way to wire a water heater?

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Brewgyver

The SOLE purpose of a circuit breaker is to prevent overload and resultant fire. A circuit breaker will do NOTHING to prevent shock or electrocution.

I was actually going to write it that way, but was afraid someone would come up with a scenario in which the breaker could prevent a shock. Thanks for the correction. I concur.

This is important because if you don't understand the purpose of a circuit breaker, it's easy to design unsafe circuits.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by YANDINA

Unfortunately I'm suspecting that a majority of the ABYC specifications are dictated by lawyers paranoid of court challenges rather than by practical sailors.
Not to say that ultimate safety protection is not good but the average sailor has to balance cost and benefit.

Perhaps the $25 on rewiring a satisfactory heater could be spent on a backup float switch that has a much better chance of saving the whole boat rather than possibly getting a shock off a water heater.

Whatamatter Can't meet ABYC standards for the stuff you sell ?
Perhaps they'd take you more seriously if you didn't use "electrolysis" on your website. No one with any corrosion training will use that inappropriate word.

[YANDINA]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Whatamatter Can't meet ABYC standards for the stuff you sell ?
Perhaps they'd take you more seriously if you didn't use "electrolysis" on your website. No one with any corrosion training will use that inappropriate word.

Every Galvanic Isolator we sell is tested to the ABYC electrical specifications at 130% load until the temperature stabilizes. They are not just type tested and then manufactured, every one we sell is tested to specifications 3 times.

With over 50,000 sold over 22 years all with UNCONDITIONAL warranty we have never had a warranty return due to failure in the field.

Sorry if you are offended by the term electrolysis but while electrolysis specifically designates an electrolytic process in a liquid, corrosion is a generic term covering a multitude of processes.

Definition:
Corrosion is generally taken to be the wastage of a metal by the action of corrosive agents. However, a wider definition is the degradation of a material through contact with its environment. Thus corrosion can include non-metallic materials such as concrete and plastics and mechanisms such as cracking in addition to wastage (i.e. loss of material).

So electrolysis may not be technically correct it does relate more closely to the situations on marine metal in salt water rather than paint cracking off your dock.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by YANDINA

Every Galvanic Isolator we sell is tested to the ABYC electrical specifications at 130% load until the temperature stabilizes. They are not just type tested and then manufactured, every one we sell is tested to specifications 3 times.

With over 50,000 sold over 22 years all with UNCONDITIONAL warranty we have never had a warranty return due to failure in the field.

Sorry if you are offended by the term electrolysis but while electrolysis specifically designates an electrolytic process in a liquid, corrosion is a generic term covering a multitude of processes.

Definition:
Corrosion is generally taken to be the wastage of a metal by the action of corrosive agents. However, a wider definition is the degradation of a material through contact with its environment. Thus corrosion can include non-metallic materials such as concrete and plastics and mechanisms such as cracking in addition to wastage (i.e. loss of material).

So electrolysis may not be technically correct it does relate more closely to the situations on marine metal in salt water rather than paint cracking off your dock.

Your web article on ELECTROLYSIS

This article is so full of dock talk mythology and shows a clear lack of understanding on grounding and bonding (Lighning protection ! reallly ?) you should be embarrased.

No recognised authority (NACE, NFPA, UL, CSA, M.I.T., US Mil SPecs etc.) refers to any kind of marine corrosion as electrolysis.

PS. Nowhere on your product photos nor specifications on your website could I find any reference to the required 3rd party independent laboratory confirmation of your meeting any standard

[bcboomer]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Whatamatter Can't meet ABYC standards for the stuff you sell ?
Perhaps they'd take you more seriously if you didn't use "electrolysis" on your website. No one with any corrosion training will use that inappropriate word.

Whatamatter?

Thanks for your thoughtful contribution....

[YANDINA]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

[SNIP]

PS. Nowhere on your product photos nor specifications on your website could I find any reference to the required 3rd party independent laboratory confirmation of your meeting any standard

3rd party independent laboratory testing was done by West Marine. Our isolators were originally sold only by West Marine for about 12 years under their brand name and they had the testing done independently before marketing it.

Don't you have more productive things to do than pick arguments over words in the English language with the people who support this bulletin board. What's your problem?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by YANDINA

3rd party independent laboratory testing was done by West Marine. Our isolators were originally sold only by West Marine for about 12 years under their brand name and they had the testing done independently before marketing it.

Don't you have more productive things to do than pick arguments over words in the English language with the people who support this bulletin board. What's your problem?

West Marine is not a recognised independent laboratory such as UL, they can't certifiy anything.

Sorry "words in the English lanuage" are somewhat important. Science does not permit you to select your own definitions for electrical terms.

[YANDINA]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

West Marine is not a recognised independent laboratory such as UL, they can't certifiy anything.

3rd party independent laboratory testing was done by West Marine

Which word didn't you understand?
That means West Marine sent the samples to a 3rd party independent laboratory who certified it DUH.
For the self elected official bulletin board vocabulary police you sure are having a problem.

[YANDINA]

?? So you're saying EVERY vendor has to have the identical product certified by an independent laboratory?
(polite) DUMB.
I would expect it is the product that is certified, not the vendor. Since West Marine had it certified that should be sufficient for all retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and even Amazon.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by YANDINA

?? So you're saying EVERY vendor has to have the identical product certified by an independent laboratory?
(polite) DUMB.
I would expect it is the product that is certified, not the vendor. Since West Marine had it certified that should be sufficient for all retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and even Amazon.

Yes, the manufacturer or importer is responsible for certification not the retailer. West Marine does not handle certification for the products it sells just as NAPA and Walmart do not either. Do you really want us to believe that West Marine spends thousands on UL certifiaction and then opens all the packages to put on a UL sticker ?

Anyway, Have at it. I'm done with you.

[YANDINA]

Aha I see your confusion. West Marine were selling our products under their brand name. They were not going to sell anything under their name unless it was certified.

[kmacdonald]

I have one of those heaters. It has a 700 watt heater element in it unless you got the optional 1500 watt element. The 700 watt element heater has a household 3 prong plug. Not sure about the 1500 watt ones. The surveyor wants it plugged into a dedicated outlet. If you have an extra slot in your ac panel it's not to much problem to run a wire from there to the outlet. I'm surprised it's not already a dedicated outlet. If you dont have an open slot you'd need a panel with more slots. IMHO it not necessary as long as it's on a ground fault outlet, dedicated ir not. The only issue you might have is blowing the breaker if other high draw appliances are used on the same circuit. It's not a safety issue, it's a convenience issue.

[AKA-None]

Actually it doesn’t even imply that West sent it to UL or CSA unless they provide the appropriate approval code.
I have no dog in this fight but I do see his particular point.

[bcboomer]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Actually it doesn’t even imply that West sent it to UL or CSA unless they provide the appropriate approval code.
I have no dog in this fight but I do see his particular point.

My local chandler won't touch any non marine approved products. I can't imagine West Marine selling something without proper approval from the required agency.