Electric Shock Drowning

Graham_Wright said:
Is this a good reason not to connect your boats ground to mains in ground?
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That would be exactly the setup that creates this danger.
A fault on your boat (a flooded junction box for example) would (potentially) leak current to earth through the water rather than through the mains earth. Where the earth is connected it should provide an easier path and help blow the fuse.

An RCD (or even just a fuse) should catch this, but perhaps it's a problem peculiar to the US' low voltage system where they have to have larger fuses in order to provide enough power?
 
Are European built boats req to have 220V circuit protection so this shpuld not happen.

My circuit breaker is sensitive and I often have to reset it.

Just got rid of what appeared to be a good 2 burner electrical hob I use on boat as kept tripping circuit.
 
Installing an underwater light in my pool:

Letter to Pentair

Good evening XXXXX,

I have purchased a Pentair 601001 LT INTLBRT 5G 50' 120V COLOR POOL light at significant cost.
Plus I paid over 50% duty etc on the CIF value.

I have also bought and had installed :
The Pentair 79206700 niche, the Pentair 600054 Inteelibrite controller, the Pentair 520593 Easy touch 4 function control and the Pentair 520548 Easytouch indoor controller.

Now I am faced with the electrician and others here telling me that I should not install that 120V light in my pool for fear of electrocution.
Yes the 'Warning' on the box does state that incorrectly installed it could result in death etc.

Yes it also states in the warning that a ground fault circuit interrupter should be installed.

The electrician others here have said I should install the 12V version and not the 120v version I have.

My wife has all heard this and is now absolutely petrified!!

So now I have no choice but to go the 12V route.

However, I can't find the 12V LED version on line.

The 120V niche is already installed, the 120V light is in place, so I just want a direct 12V substitute.

Do you have a link to the 12V version item substitute so that I can order it and substitute it in the pool for the 120V?

Look forward to hearing from you.
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Pentair do produce a 12v unit but it was not on their site.

They were extremely good and replaced the 120v with a 12v unit, all at their cost.

Nothing but praise for them now.

PS Still don't know why they make and sell a 120v uni???
 
Sailfree said:
Are European built boats req to have 220V circuit protection so this shpuld not happen.

My circuit breaker is sensitive and I often have to reset it.

Just got rid of what appeared to be a good 2 burner electrical hob I use on boat as kept tripping circuit.
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A circuit breaker cuts on an over current draw, an RCD breaks on a leakage to earth.
 
Sailfree said:
If I knew which one I had I would be clever!
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I might expect to find both,

Circuit breakers on the individual circuits providing protection from high currents unless you have fuses for that purpose.

and an RCD to provide protection against electrocution. just like the RCD(s) in your consumer unit at home......... You should be testing the operation of RCDs periodically by pressing their test buttons.
 
Sailfree said:
If I knew which one I had I would be clever!
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you may well have both in the same unit (makes fault finding that bit harder)
To test then use a light bulb to connect live (or neutral for that matter) to earth. RCD will trip, circuit breaker wont.
Next turn on a gazillion light bulbs.. circuit breaker will trip, RCD wont.

Note RCD measures the residual current (whats left when you subtract neutral current from live) dont matter where it goes earth or outer space, RCD will trip.
 
VicS said:
I might expect to find both,

...and an RCD to provide protection against electrocution. just like the RCD(s) in your consumer unit at home......... You should be testing the operation of RCDs periodically by pressing their test buttons.
Click to expand...

But isn't a typical RCD set to trip at 30mA? Check the currents they're talking about in the link in Post #1
 
penberth3 said:
But isn't a typical RCD set to trip at 30mA? Check the currents they're talking about in the link in Post #1
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Sure the currents in the article are way below 30mA.. But, in water it will spread out and disperse, approximately an inverse square law with the distance from the source. Having said that, the bulk will go straight down to the bottom, or to the nearest bit of earthed metalwork.
The important figure from the article is potential gradient (Volts per foot since its a seppo piece) 2Vac/foot (in fresh water) is enough to kill. So, if your bad boat is chucking full English mains into the lake, provided you are not on a direct line between it and a ground connection that is less than 120 feet from the boat, you arent dead (yet).
 
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