50A Galvanic Isolator

£153.60

Description

50A galvanic isolator – Recent interest in damage to boats due to the 230v shore power has highlighted the need to fit a galvanic isolator to your boat. In order for boat builders to comply with CE standards they must fit the shore earth wire to the boats bonding system which is also connected to the hull / anodes / fuel tanks / engine blocks / shafts / propellers / stern tubes / rudders / rudder glands / water intakes etc. This ensures that any 230v mains fault will operate the RCD on the boat in order to save your life. The down side of these standards is that electrically speaking your boat is now connected to the rest of the boats in the marina and any other metal structures in the area. If you follow the earth line you can see everything bonded to the earth, this includes your boat, the one next to you, metal work etc.This results in 2 main problems:1) Any earth problem on any boat or shore earth will increase the voltage in the common earth cable and dissolve – adversely affecting your boat by dissolving your anodes at an alarming rate.2) Because all the boats are now one, if you have a zinc anode on your boat, but the boat beside you does not, or even worse, the marina has not put anodes on it’s structures (metal pontoons etc) then your boats zinc (aluminium or magnesium) will protect all the structures and boats around you, resulting in dramatic zinc loss and expensive lift-outs to replace the zinc. For boats on inland waterways, if you have a magnesium anode and everyone else has zinc or  no anodes, your magnesium anode will protect all.The Solution:The trick is to maintain the continuity with the earth to ensure the safety of your life but remove the continuity with the shore power for the safety of your boat. The solution is very simple, by installing a galvanic isolator / zinc saver we maintain a good earth link with the shore, but prevent any stray currents coming up the earth line and damaging the boat. The isolator is in theory a simple device but has to be built to a stringent specification and tested by an independant test house to ensure they comply with the relevant standards. This means in a major fault condition it can carry its rated current for 24 hours without exceeding 90deg C on the heatsink.Dimensions: 220x165x100

Additional information

Weight 2 kg