Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

[JSGOLD]

I am rewiring my old 76' starcraft boat (16' deep v) and I know some people will add a separate ground buss in the rear for the bilge pump, anchor lights, etc., but, given the size of my boat would there be anything to gain from that other than saving a few feet of wire? My thoughts are I could run the 8 guage wire through a ground buss and then on to the fuse box ground....no splices...if it has any advantages...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

You probably don't need a seperate ground bus unless you are adding more than you are describing. I have a ground bus in my bilge area but I have multiple pumps, Neutra salt, lights, etc...back there to make wiring simpler.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

At this point I doubt if anything else gets added back there, other than perhaps a CMC tilt system, which would wire directly to the battery anyway...the most it would save would be about 10' or wire and would add another area to check for in case of dead circuits, broken wires etc....however I have seen folks on here doing it so I thought I would ask. Thanks!

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

The one thing it does save is have 4-5 wires with ring connectors leading from your battery. If you pull your battery to charge/replace it, you could miss one or two of them, maybe an important item such as the bilge pump.

A single wire feeding a ground buss is cleaner looking and easier to care for. Once installed, spray with battery terminal protectant and never worry about corrosion.

 

[sasto]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

I personally like the buss bar your thinking of, gold.

Troubleshooting is my reason.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

well, I am adding a new 10 circuit fuse panel, that has a ground buss on it, so my circuits will be ran from that, grounds included. I don't have far to run wires but if there is a real advantage to having a second ground area it would be easy for me to do....I was thinking of a ground buss like those used in home panels, as I work for a place that deals with that. I could simply run the 8 guage ground through the lug on the rear-mounted buss and onto the fuse panel (in the middle under the dash) for a solid ground. We are looking to modify this boat as we go..and will need additional circuits so who knows? We want to use the boat for night fishing, add a radio/cd player, maybe a live well later on so maybe a second ground buss is not such a bad idea. Just wanted to see if this was really needed on a 16' boat.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

Most of your connections to the things you mentioned are going to be connected to the fuse panel. I assume that will be near the helm. A ground bus in the rear of the boatis useful for items that are local to the rear of the boat. Like I said, I have one back there. You can always add it later if you need it.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

You should have as few grounds as possible to the battery. But then again your not dealing in salt water so its not as big a deal. Ask why???
Stick your hand in a baitwell with the pump running with a bad ground, barefoot on a wet deck and you'll find out why.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

You should have as few grounds as possible to the battery.

Huh! There is absolutely nothing wrong having a single point ground other than the mechanical problem of having to take off a lot of ring connectors when you change a battery. Its more asthetics and ease of adding circuits that makes a bus bar a more reasonable solution. Electrically, there is zero difference.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

Huh! There is absolutely nothing wrong having a single point ground other than the mechanical problem of having to take off a lot of ring connectors when you change a battery. Its more asthetics and ease of adding circuits that makes a bus bar a more reasonable solution. Electrically, there is zero difference.

The other advantage (other than aesthetics) is limiting the corrosive resistance that occurs. If you have 5 ring terminals, there is the opportunity of 10 points of resistance where corrosion can screw up your boating day. If you have 1 ring terminal feeding a buss bar, making sure the wingnut is clean, tight, and treated with an anti corossive virtually eliminates the possibility of malfunction. It's ease of maintenance, aesthetics, and proper electrical runs all rolled into one.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

If you have 5 ring terminals, there is the opportunity of 10 points of resistance where corrosion can screw up your boating day....If you have 1 ring terminal feeding a buss bar, making sure the wingnut is clean,

This is true. If you have 5 ring connectors you have already exceeded what is reasonable. By the way, you should never use wingnuts on a battery. Throw them away and use a nyloc stainless nut.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

LOL, mine came with FIVE SETS of ring connectors, not counting the motor starter....and I still have them even after cleaning up a couple of messes under the console. And all under a wing nut...That is why I am re-wiring. My first thought is simply run the grounds along the side with the hots, even though I would use a little more wire like that. But wire for me is cheap as I work at an electrical supply house. ONE wire to the motor and ONE from the second set of terminals and a straight shot to the ground buss and positive. With the bilge being back there, anchor light, and MAYBE an additional light source for night fishing and MAYBE a live well...that is it, other than stuff up front. I guess when it comes right down to it on my boat either way would be OK....but appreciate the feedback. I will do it only if there is an advantage to do so. Again, if it IS to my advantage I can run a straight through shot without splicing the ground, by using a panel type ground bar.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

Also, no fuse box. There was a crud positive buss under the console, and a mish mash of fused and unfused wires....the grounds were all splice into a continuous mess, no buss. There was wiring indicating at one time there was at least one additional ring terminal. I cleaned up the lousy connections and ripped out some of this to get me by but time to make it right.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

This is true. If you have 5 ring connectors you have already exceeded what is reasonable. By the way, you should never use wingnuts on a battery. Throw them away and use a nyloc stainless nut.

I read that all of the time, but I can't figure out why. I have had wingnuts on the battery of every boat I owned and never had an issue. My current boat has 5 batteries and all have wingnuts. But then again, I check and maintain my stuff and a lot of people don't.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

JSGold,
I'm with you. A boat with wires running helter skelter is an eyesore, and tough to troubleshoot or temporarily repair in a pinch.

I bought a perfectly normal bass boat, and when I got done cleaning up the wiring, every fuse is easily found and labeled, and testing is done at easily reached terminal strips, well up from any possible bilge water.

My batteries have few terminals on them, and they are under real stainless nuts.

Both power and ground bussing are part of that scheme.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

I agree with most everyone here, Personally I try to get one wire to each battery for power and ground (the motor being the exception)each going to a buss or a fuse less then 12" from the battery/s but mounted outside of the battery area, the reason I do this is to eliminate corrosion from the battery, should I have an issue its a replacing two wires and I am off, I don't have to worry about battery corrosion in any other connection, thats not to say that corrosion is eliminated just that I have limited the amount of battery corrosion that can occur, nothing beats good maintenance, nothing.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

Bruce thanks for the electronics lesson. I guess 4 years of college and 30 years of experience and I didn't know that. If you have to loose ground you want to loose them all. But then again you probably don't deal with conductive water(salt). When your dash looses ground or gets potential to ground and the finder, baitwell pump and tabs start conducting ground through conductive water and two days later you are replacing a $3000 prop shaft you would understand.

Wingnuts?? come one.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

Bruce thanks for the electronics lesson. I guess 4 years of college and 30 years of experience and I didn't know that.

4 years of college studying what?

I was questioning your statement as having as few grounds as possible to the battery was the best elecronically. Losing a ground at the dash and having current back feed through a circuit into the water has absolutely nothing to do with having ground connections at a battery. That could happen no matter what configuration of grounds you choose.

Feeling a shock through the water becuase of a livewell pump has everything to do with a failed pump seal that allowed current to flow into the water...not with a bad ground.

I guess the cellular basestation radio head that my company designed shouldn't have a single point ground per that comment? By the way, masters in EE here.

Wingnuts?? come one.

Wingnuts by definition are tightened by hand and can loosen over time causing the bad ground that you are trying to avoid. Maybe you should check out the ABYC E10 standard. Wingnuts are no longer allowed on any battery cable larger than 6 AWG. Surprised you don't know this with over 30 years of experience.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

We live in two different worlds. I just leave it at that.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adding a grounding buss...yes or no?

We live in two different worlds. I just leave it at that.

Understatement of the day!