Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Degraded continuity
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Best thing to do is move, if that's not possible, disconnect from shore power. Run the generator until it's fixed. If you disconnect and still have hull potential greater than -900mv (less negative eg -700), at least temporarily get off the dock and check it while you are away from dock and other boats. If you just turn off the breaker, you are still connected via the ground wire. On Sep 1, 2016, at 4:31 PM, David Vogel dbv_au@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
Hi Kent, Electrolytic and galvanic corrosion has been an intriguing topic of conversation between many folk on this forum, and with some considerable cost to some. I have been an avid follower, but unfort I can say that I have not yet gotten my head fully around it all as yet - for example what should you do if you do find a neighboring boat leaking stacks of current into the water, that is going through your own boat and destroying the shaft and drive-train on the way through? Move the boat is a clear answer, but perhaps not that viable. Anyway, hopefully I'll understand in time. This clear lack of knowledge and understanding has triggered no small research into Stray Current, and the electrical system in general as I realise there are some expensive traps, even for those 'in the know'. I can't say where exactly each of these nuggets come from, but "from that great resource the internet" - I have the luxury of unlimited fast broadband at the moment - so this is the best answer at the moment --- these are some of the things that have stuck. If I find the original resource again, then I will post with the link &/or a copy of the consolidated material. Anything I can pay back to the community, then I am keen to do. Cheers, David On Wednesday, 31 August 2016, 16:14, "Kent Robertson karkauai@... [amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...> wrote: That's some great info, David. Where did you read that? Kent SM243 Hi all, Reading the great advice from Kent (If it still reads -750mv, you may have a DC current leak on your boat) reminded me of some other interesting tips I've found out recently whilst studying this topic . . . Test the galvanic potential of the silver reference anode in both AC and DC volts - if there is any AC reading (shown by any Hz reading on a clamp-style Digital Multi-Meter - DMM), then this indicates that there could be a problem with AC current leaking into the water nearby and affecting our boat - if your own installation is up to scratch, then it could be a shore-power problem on a neighboring boat. Better to know than not. Another way to test for STRAY CURRENT coming on-board via the shore-power connection, is to take a DMM and to set it to DC AMPs, and then clamp your shore-power cable. If everything is as it should be, there will be no net current flow - the AC current flow via the active wire is cancelled out via the AC current flowing via the neutral wire - the resultant reading should be zero. If however there is any DC current flow, this tells us that some current is 'leaking', presumably from the shore-power supply to the water, via our boat and its zincs, grounding plane, or other immersed metal bits. To help locate the source, which may be a neighboring boat, simply clamp their shore-power cords in the same way ... non-intrusive testing like this may find the culprit. In the same way, clamping our boat's green bonding wire at various locations with the DMM set to measure DC AMPs, can show stray current travelling via the bonding system, and may help locate the problem area. Switching between DC and AC AMPs whilst clamping can also help identify the source. Generally AC current (Hz on the DMM) indicates shore-power, but can also point to bad diodes in the alternator, dirty current from battery chargers, leaking AC appliances, or power cord leaks. DC current flows point to the boat's DC system and equipment. Do the same for any single or bundle of duplex wires - it should always read zero. If there is an current leak, then this will show up via an amp reading - searching on single circuits (pairs of wires) will help locate the source and possible problem areas. Similarly, clamp the positive and negative leads from/to the battery bank. These should read the same (but in a reverse sense). If not, then it would be prudent to start to track down the difference, which is a potentially boat-destroying, or at least very expensive, current leak. Hope this helps, Regards, David (not yet an owner) |
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