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Do Boats on lifts, and plugged in, need galvanic isolators?


FROZEN

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I noticed in a picture in another topic discussing on board charger mounting, that there was a galvanic isolator installed on a Hewes, I believe.

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My PF is kept in a lift and plugged in to a receptacle pretty much all the time. Do “lift kept /out of water” boats need a galvanic isolator? I have changed boat and motor zincs before, but haven’t noticed any abnormal deterioration.

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23 minutes ago, FROZEN said:

My PF is kept in a lift and plugged in to a receptacle pretty much all the time. Do “lift kept /out of water” boats need a galvanic isolator? I have changed boat and motor zincs before, but haven’t noticed any abnormal deterioration.

Frozen, I'm pretty sure it is designed to protect against electrolysis and corrosion when the boat is in the water, and connected to shore power - not on a lift.  Here's a good explanation from Yandina, on the reasons why it's a good idea to install one:  http://yandina.com/electrolysis.htm

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I'm not an expert, but if your boat is on a lift and not touching the water, I'd say you were isolated. There is tons of stray current around marinas. It's not just the 120 or 220 volt AC system, but also other boats that have substandard 12 volt wiring. Additionally, if you haven't noticed any abnormal reduction in your zincs, then according to the article, you are isolated.

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