how to tell if the PO was a moron

what the pic shows is the rear of the inverter/shore power breaker.

about midway down on the right is the connection he made to 2 - 120Vac hot shore power wires (red ones).

The connection is made with a small wood screw to the black wire that feeds the breaker. The 3 wires were then screwed into that charred spot on the back of the door.

He kept saying over and over, "you know you're buying this as is, right?"

:lol:

Yeah that's a good one for sure. You have to wonder what he did that you haven't found yet?

Needs a bigger screw

Good grief. No spare bolt in the toolkit, so he "screwed it".

That is one of the best I've seen. Could get interesting if that wire got loose and touched something conductive, you wouldn't even know what killed you. Sadly, (thankfully) I can't top that one.

At least it's open so you can see it.

What scares me is a glob of electrical tape.

Kind of like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.

Good example for stupid things people do. He could've at least used a short bolt and nut and heat shrink tube to join those wires.
AN AFCI breaker is designed to shut off the power, when it detects arcing signature in poor connections. My guess is such a loose connection would have some small internal arcing even if you don't see it.
Someday I expect AFCI breakers to be marketed to boats which will cut down on electrical fires.

The Other Gary said:

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I don't know why they make these terminals. They are not insulated in the center. I wouldn't ever use on, There are much better ways to do it.

sdowney717 said:

AN AFCI breaker is designed to shut off the power, when it detects arcing signature in poor connections. My guess is such a loose connection would have some small internal arcing even if you don't see it.

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If you look closely at the screw hole you can see how the wood was being burned away from the arcing. It seems to have become charcoal like.

There were several burned wires in the harnesses. A couple had gotten so hot that they melted into an adjacent wire and the wire's themselves had welded together. And butt connectors? LOL there were dozens of them to lengthen wires, sometimes 2 or 3 in a row just to add another couple of inches.

I spent yesterday cutting and stripping the boat of its wiring. All but just a couple pieces was simple non-tinned copper.

I certainly can't top that but as runner-up, the PO of my last boat fastened a transducer to the transom using four 2 1/2" spiral nails. Three made it through to the inside and one pounded in on an angle went through the bottom.

OK, I get that it's stupid and wrong. But, what was the real fault here? That connection shouldn't have been warm anyway. Was there a fault/overload elsewhere in that circuit - conductors too small? Was the screw loose enough - or loosened by jiggling wires, to cause arcing within the connection? Wood is a pretty good dielectric, so it should have been safe enough, electrically, if not reliably tight enough over time.

I don't much like that riveted three-way connector, no neat way to insulate it. I prefer using a butt connector whose size allows the multiple conductors in one end and the single in the other.

Could be the tip of the iceberg, if the PO liked this sort of shortcut.

DHeckrotte said:

OK, I get that it's stupid and wrong. But, what was the real fault here? That connection shouldn't have been warm anyway. Was there a fault/overload elsewhere in that circuit - conductors too small? Was the screw loose enough - or loosened by jiggling wires, to cause arcing within the connection? Wood is a pretty good dielectric, so it should have been safe enough, electrically, if not reliably tight enough over time. .....................................

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You couldn't really tighten that screw tight enough to insure good contact over time. A machine screw and nut would have been much better and in fact, I have done that myself for a temporary repair. Of course, it must be insulated with tape and preferably be fastened down somehow.

WesK said:

I don't know why they make these terminals. They are not insulated in the center. I wouldn't ever use on, There are much better ways to do it.

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The center hole is for the wood screw!:lol:

I find the title of this thread borderline offensive.
It may well have been an owner who wired the boat but I have seen many "professional" repairs and installations paid for with real money that were in that class.
I have a good friend who is the second owner of a boat that has installations of equipment made by a very reputable and capable vendor that absolutely stand my hair on end when I see what was done. I mean criminal!
People assume it was an owner who was trying to save money, I wouldn't be so quick to make that assumption...
Bruce

Whats wrong with insulated and greased butt connectors?

Greetings,
While I don't condone the "connection", I agree with Mr. BruceB. Gone are the days of expecting "professionals" to do a good job. I'm NOT lumping ALL professionals in the same category but I think we all know to what group of nimrods I am referring. By the same token, all owners are not the same either...

The three-way connector is intended for use on ground wire connections only.

Bruce B said:

I find the title of this thread borderline offensive.
It may well have been an owner who wired the boat but I have seen many "professional" repairs and installations paid for with real money that were in that class.
I have a good friend who is the second owner of a boat that has installations of equipment made by a very reputable and capable vendor that absolutely stand my hair on end when I see what was done. I mean criminal!
People assume it was an owner who was trying to save money, I wouldn't be so quick to make that assumption...
Bruce

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+1.

My PO did as good of a job as he could, but I have found some (ok a lot of) shortcuts his mechanic took. Everyone in my home port says he's the best, of course - most common examples are wiring not that different than OP and using silicone instead of replacing a seal/gasket.

6 month rule:

For the first 6 months, all problems are the result of the previous owner. After that you are on your own.

That circuit is still 120 volts! Bolts? Threeway butt splices? All nonsense and dangerous. If you wish to shorten your lifespan or that of anybody who goes in there, carry on! That boat was just a heartbeat away from a fire.

Xsbank said:

That circuit is still 120 volts! Bolts? Threeway butt splices? All nonsense and dangerous. If you wish to shorten your lifespan or that of anybody who goes in there, carry on! That boat was just a heartbeat away from a fire.

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AFCI breakers are required by 2014 NEC on your home just about everywhere to prevent electrical fires, someday we will see this coming from ABYC too.

He forgot the conducting grease again!

Good one High Wire, it appears you are paying attention! 8^)

When I see/here about these issues, I thank goodness for the PO of my boat, who did some very fine things.

As moderator, I admit the original title sailed close to the wind, but as no-one reported it, it got through. I would also add, one should not be too hasty to judge, as when my boat was built, (1975), instruments and 'extras' were all pretty basic, so there was no provision on the power board or in the wiring most of the add-ons we now take for granted, like GPS, autohelms, inverters, VHF, AIS, RADAR, charging outlets for iPads, phones etc. I have therefore had to add those I have added into the existing wiring loom, (if one could grace what my boat had, even from new, with that term), being as careful as I can - helped by the fact I have no AC once we leave the dock, and even then it's for charger only.

So, if one looks behind the panel of my boat, I suspect it would be described as spaghetti, but I know what each wire does, and where it goes, and each circuit is well connected, insulated, and fused with a conservative amperage fuse, but it is not pretty. Just sayin'...

Seems like we've all had the chance to show our moronic side on TF. My favorites are potential boat buyers who have virtual death wishes about buying a troubled vessel. DIY attempts at wiring are certainly a tell. The list is endless, often pointing back to us.

Greetings,
Mr. sun. "...virtual death wishes about buying a troubled vessel." Now there's another general description fraught with potential insult. IF and the qualifier definitely is IF the buyer is FULLY aware of the costs, perils and pitfalls of buying said "troubled vessel" and IF the buyer can either perform repairs themselves or is willing to dump wagons of money into the vessel, then it could be worth the $$ spent purely for personal satisfaction or some other ethereal reason...

Certainly NOT for the faint of heart or the shallow of the wallet.

Ah RTF you are so correct. I forgot this is the PC side of TF.

Is this verbiage OK - - in my marina many vessels lie at the docks or at moorage moribund waiting for the next victim to purchase their decaying hulls and innards.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
While I don't condone the "connection", I agree with Mr. BruceB. Gone are the days of expecting "professionals" to do a good job. I'm NOT lumping ALL professionals in the same category but I think we all know to what group of nimrods I am referring. By the same token, all owners are not the same either...

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One of the big problems these days is that a lot of people don't want to pay a real professional to do the job.

They look for the person who charges the lowest price to do the job. And then bitch about the loosy quality work they got.