Grounding wire on inverter

[sully75]

Hello All,

I have a Prowatt SW 600 inverter I'm installing. I have a pretty simple boat and electrical system. I'm planning on installing the inverter straight to the battery. There are three wires to install: + - and ground. On another forum everyone said to install the ground wire to the - terminal on the battery. So I would have both the - and the ground wire on the - terminal of the battery.

Is that right? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me but I don't have a ton of knowledge about such things.

[David M]

Your instructions assume it is an automotive installation where you would ground the inverters frame to the cars frame. Ground the chassis to the negative side of the battery since with a fiberglass boat there usually isn't a true ground to Earth. The DC negative side is typically grounded to the inverters frame as well.

Instructions for your inverter: http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Pow...rter%20NA).pdf

[Fuss]

Originally Posted by sully75

Hello All,

I have a Prowatt SW 600 inverter I'm installing. I have a pretty simple boat and electrical system. I'm planning on installing the inverter straight to the battery. There are three wires to install: + - and ground. On another forum everyone said to install the ground wire to the - terminal on the battery. So I would have both the - and the ground wire on the - terminal of the battery.

Is that right? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me but I don't have a ton of knowledge about such things.

You need a qualified electrician then as inverters are AC and need to be wired correctly.

But briefly....
Normally a boat with shore power has grounding standards in place which should be conformed to by any new AC system installation.

On shore power the current wants to go home to the local power station and will use whatever means available to get there. With an inverter, home is back on the boat so there is maybe less chance for you to get a shock....generally speaking.

You should abide by the standards set in the country your boat was made in.

Get a marine electrician, don't try to solve it by reading these forums... even though there is lots of great advice. Do a search on Shore power grounding maybe.
AC, shore power, inverters and generators are too dangerous to be played with when you do not know what you are doing.

[David M]

I agree with Fuss...if AC and DC wiring is unfamiliar territory for you then don't.

[sully75]

For the record there is no ac power on my boat other than the inverter. It's all off a solar panel. No shore power connectors, no ac panel. I wouldn't touch ac myself. I know dc has its own dangers.


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[sully75]

But I've done everything I can to make the wiring abyc compliant.


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[rwidman]

Originally Posted by sully75

For the record there is no ac power on my boat other than the inverter. It's all off a solar panel. No shore power connectors, no ac panel. I wouldn't touch ac myself. I know dc has its own dangers.


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Follow the instructions that came with the inverter. If they seem confusing, contact the manufacturer of the inverter for clarification.

[sully75]

Great idea. Just talked to them. They said the ground should go to the negative terminal. Appreciate all the help.


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[smac999]

it goes to the battery neg. and should be the same size as the neg cable.

you should also have a fuse and switch on the pos line. fuse close to the battery as possible.