Chassis Earthing But Non Metal Chassis.

[marji]

Hello all

Can someone please help I have a boat and I bought a Split Charge Kit, I need to wire a positive to a starter battery and a positive to leisure battery and then I need to earth it to the chassis but the problem is my boat is glass fiber not metal how can I now earth this kit.

Thanks

 

[marji]

This is the kit

 

[EastAnglian]

For "Chassis" read Negative.

 

[ruston]

Very tactful .
Boats require great care and you should seek professional hands on advice for this,
I hate to say this but that is the way it is.

Edit to add link.
http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/164496/bss guide chap3.pdf

 

[marji]

I just passed the safety check I have solar isolator coming in, battery isolator, petrol tank isolator and engine isolator.

All my 12v items that run off the leisure batteries are all fused and in water resistant enclosure.

My cabling is secured and cabled withing spec.

I have used solar in my workshop for 10 years and two years on my old boat "metal" without any problem and installed by me.

I am asking a simple question as I have never had to earth to chassis before and as said my new boat is not metal.

Can anyone help thanks.

 

[ruston]

The negative post on the battery is the common earth, all your other earth terminals will share this common earth
as it is fibreglass.
As you are aware of the specs , follow and install to them as required.
We have no idea of the competency of posters, so please do not think it was a dig at you.
You will be well aware of the dangers on a boat ,indicated by your second post.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

It's a voltage sensing type that detects when the engine battery is on-charge by the voltage between its engine battery stud and the negative flylead and closes a relay to put the domestic battery in parallel. Therefore, the voltage it needs to know most accurately is that across the engine battery or alternator. Don't tap the unit's neg onto some random point in the loom where there might be excess voltage drop, as this will upset its sensing threshold. Choose a negative connection with low resistance to either the engine (or alt neg if it's insulated return) or the engine battery neg terminal.

 

[marji]

The way to wire this is positive to starter battery to positive leisure battery, then join the starter battery negative to the leisure battery negative, the device wire can then go to either negative terminal.

This should be the way to do it for gpr and wooden boats, and I also found out it's not wise to earth to a chassis of a metal boat as it will corrode very fast so I am told.

Thanks for the help everyone.