How should wires be attached to transom anode?

[clyde]

hmmm...think about it! i have one #10 wire going to my rudder post, and then down to the bottom part of the rudder that moves, then to my stuffing box! Volvo wants their engines isolated, so they don`t pick up bad stuff if they halppen get into a so called 'hot harbor' my thru hulls are isolated too! ie, cooling water to the main engine/genset, i would check with your engine manufacterer...clyde

 

[Russell Clifton]

Clyde;
Everything I read says those wires need to be minimum of 8ga.

 

[boatpoker]

Somewhere around 80% of the anodes I check show no continuity to the metals they are supposed to protect.

 

[clyde]

i also have a shaft brush, connected to my stern zinc...i think #12, or 10 wire is fine, #8 is a little overkill...clyde

 

[psneeld]

except thats what ABYC suggests for bonding (I believe).

 

[BrandenS]

In this picture, how is the bonding wire physically mounted to the anode through-bolt? On my boat a stripped piece of conductor is just sort of resting against it, with apparently a long since broken hose clamp that presumably at one point held it on. It's all corroded of course.

Do you tap the bolt somewhere?

Well, somebody has to uphold belt and suspenders.

Actually, the only reason I connected to both bolts is because I had two major trunk lines of bonding cable converging near the transom—one with all the ER connections and one for the shaft struts, rudders and aft through hulls.

 

[Comodave]

In this picture, how is the bonding wire physically mounted to the anode through-bolt? On my boat a stripped piece of conductor is just sort of resting against it, with apparently a long since broken hose clamp that presumably at one point held it on. It's all corroded of course.

Do you tap the bolt somewhere?

Our last boat had allthread going through the transom with double nuts on both sides. The bonding wire had a connector that went between the double nuts on the inside and the anodes went between the double nuts on the outside.

 

[tiltrider1]

In this picture, how is the bonding wire physically mounted to the anode through-bolt? On my boat a stripped piece of conductor is just sort of resting against it, with apparently a long since broken hose clamp that presumably at one point held it on. It's all corroded of course.

Do you tap the bolt somewhere?

When you have bolts like in the picture and you have a broken wire. The quick and dirty solution is to use a pair of vice grips to reconnect the wire. Then with the next haul out you can pull the bolts and re do the wiring. In a situation like this I like to install a terminal strip and run two wires to each bolt. That usually takes care of things for the next 30 years.

 

[angus99]

In this picture, how is the bonding wire physically mounted to the anode through-bolt? On my boat a stripped piece of conductor is just sort of resting against it, with apparently a long since broken hose clamp that presumably at one point held it on. It's all corroded of course.

Do you tap the bolt somewhere?

Sorry, just saw your question. I rewired the bonding system (with #8) while the boat was on the hard. Installed new silicon bronze through bolts for the transom anode and the wire terminations are ring terminals with heat shrink. Again, the only reason I connected wires to both bolts is because I had two separate “circuits” of # 8 converging at the stern that needed to be consolidated. I could have put them on the same anode bolt but decided to connect to both.

 

[BCK]

I have a similar transom zinc connection...(thru bolts for mounting the zinc). My wire looks awfully corroded and green and want to replace, but with this sestem (ring terminal under bolt head) makes this an impossible fix while in water. Why didn't they put a brass plate under the bolt head with terminal connections off of that? This would provide the ability to fix the electrical connection without hauling boat out.
Brian

 

[Bmarler]

I have a similar transom zinc connection...(thru bolts for mounting the zinc). My wire looks awfully corroded and green and want to replace, but with this sestem (ring terminal under bolt head) makes this an impossible fix while in water. Why didn't they put a brass plate under the bolt head with terminal connections off of that? This would provide the ability to fix the electrical connection without hauling boat out.
Brian

That’s unfortunate. Usually, they’re installed using stainless allthread. Then double nutted both sides so the diver can replace the anode, and the owner can service the bonding system.

 

[Comodave]

That’s unfortunate. Usually, they’re installed using stainless allthread. Then double nutted both sides so the diver can replace the anode, and the owner can service the bonding system.

Agree.