How do you manage wires in your engine room?

[eheffa]

Originally Posted by RT Firefly

Greetings,



Further. Does anyone know of a good solution to the razor sharp ends left when you trim wire ties?

I use these.

Hugely helpful in tidying up.

https://www.amazon.ca/Fastening-Cutt...s%2C214&sr=8-2

-evan

[exmaggiedrum]

Originally Posted by RT Firefly

Greetings,
Slight thread drift alert: I wish to add to Mr. S's testimonial (post #13)...So, you've cleaned up your wiring and secured, wrapped, fastened and wire tied the bundle together. Looks like my first picture I posted above-REALLY nice and neat....but wait! You've just acquired a new "widget". Do you undo all the fitments and neatly incorporate those new wires into the bundles or.....??????


To eliminate the possibility of "too short" wires, just how much slack does one leave?



Further. Does anyone know of a good solution to the razor sharp ends left when you trim wire ties?


Wiring!

I was a professional (at least I professed to be one) and the best way to keep the wire ties from ripping your skin to the bone is to get some nice small flush side cutters. I couldn't find really good ones at any hardware stores so bought some off the web. You can use the cutters to tighten up the wire tie by grabbing, twisting in to the tie over and over until tight, and then make sure the cutter is perpendicular to the tie and cut off the end. The end should be square and flush.

When getting on a customer boat and I had to work inside a busy area with bad wire tie ends I would often take a couple of minutes and just cut off as many as I could see where I was going to work. You can grab even a small end and tighten it a little more or just cut off the little sharp piece.
This is the one I use. It is heavy enough to cut the big wire ties and small enough to do the little ones too.


https://www.all-spec.com/Catalog/Han...ers/2175-56800

[ORIF]

Pacer Group has several wire management options:https://www.pacergroup.net/products/wire-management/

The "expandable sleeving" listed at the bottom of the attached page under wire routing is one of my go to's. Works like Chinese finger traps and comes in long reels and varying diameters.

Not the best picture but the attachment shows the black expandable sleeving running with and zip tied to large cables from my battery chargers. Contains a new wire harness I made up to run from my 3208's to the helms. I moved a lot of wiring overhead to get it out of the bilge.

Expandable sleeving is easy to work with, although always reminds me of a rat snake moving through the ER

[hpogue123]

I like to use the metal or plastic wire chases that you can even pickup at Home Depot or Loews. They come in various sizes and colors and can be strong enough to stand on. In my trawler, I have used them to surface mount on fiberglass in areas to hard or impossible to fish lines. They come with adhesive and screw mountings. I found if I clean the surface and put spots of thickened epoxy every few inches and then use their adhesive to hold while setting it's pretty bulletproof if I don't want to use screws.

[Mule]

As a professional land based wire runner, sorter and organizer it is beyond me why Marine electricians so often insist in hard strapping long wire runs with tywraps? There are different plans and ideas contained in this string to not screw into the bulkheads... good, no doubt! But clinching down wires in long runs....into a harness... no no no. Leave the tyes loose so 2 or more fingers inserted loose. Leave a pull string behind, then when another wire is needed (inevitable) the attach the new wire to the string, along with a replacement string and pull it through. Thereby cutting and replacing mass numbers of wraps is unnecessary.
The final feed near the termination point is the time to bend it in pretty, organized runs and chinch it down for both beauty and security, such as RT’s pictures. Now if you are a hourly paid Marine electrician, job security is a concern then by all means use lots of plastic ties and chinch ‘em tight and by all means leave no pull string behind.

[exmaggiedrum]

Originally Posted by Mule

As a professional land based wire runner, sorter and organizer it is beyond me why Marine electricians so often insist in hard strapping long wire runs with tywraps? There are different plans and ideas contained in this string to not screw into the bulkheads... good, no doubt! But clinching down wires in long runs....into a harness... no no no. Leave the tyes loose so 2 or more fingers inserted loose. Leave a pull string behind, then when another wire is needed (inevitable) the attach the new wire to the string, along with a replacement string and pull it through. Thereby cutting and replacing mass numbers of wraps is unnecessary.
The final feed near the termination point is the time to bend it in pretty, organized runs and chinch it down for both beauty and security, such as RT’s pictures. Now if you are a hourly paid Marine electrician, job security is a concern then by all means use lots of plastic ties and chinch ‘em tight and by all means leave no pull string behind.

I totally understand why you suggest loose wire ties. As an electrician running wires was always the most expensive jobs labor-wise (cost) and PITA of the job. But - you should always cinch tight wires where they terminate - at a battery, or a device. You do not want the wires to be loose so they can loosen the connection or destroy the terminals from vibration. I always would leave pull wires or string. Wires (leftover, used, whatever) are best as they are stronger and slicker. String will get caught easily at corners. Wire pulls can too but less likely.



I hated tight wire ties in hard to get places and would prefer conduit to hold the wires going through long runs in hard to get places. Cutting wire ties in easy to get locations is easy and cheap and they really make for visually nicer installations. But your suggestion works too except at terminations.


By the way, I hated those snap together gray square wire runs. They were usually hard to get off and hard to put back together and they often broke the small snap parts. If it were a choice between those and wire ties I would go with wire ties any time. But to each his own.


Also wire ties allow for adding several more wires in a run. Adding equipment later sometimes resulted in problems when the wire chase got full. They are impossible to remove and put in bigger ones and usually you can't add another to the side. I had this problem on many boats I worked on.

[JimW]

Not the total solution as you still have to place them normally in a location not easy to get to . . . But the “reusable wire ties” work great as you can open them to remove or place new wires.

[Action]

Wire ties are cheap. For situations that require wire ties, use them. When a new wire or cable is needed cut off the old tie and dispose of off vessel. Run new wire/cable and install a new wire tie. They are cheap, fast and effective. A rare combination.

[ben2go]

I don't like to use zip ties. In the event that something has to be pulled out it makes it a pain. Especially if stuff is added and blocks access to said zippies. I prefer conduit or wire raceway/track where possible and over size split loom.

You can get slip loom in multiple colors and sizes if you want to color code your electrical system.
https://www.amazon.com/Split-Wire-Lo...language=en_US



The thing I like about raceways is that the wiring can be brought into or out of the track where needed. A few prongs can be snipped off cleanly with a pair of cutters if needed for larger wires
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-...language=en_US

[audioshark]

https://www.amazon.ca/wotu-Durable-E...TYEJGD1TZGCQEN




The link above are the best cutters for tie wraps, you can make a perfect flush cut. I have used the majority of cutters this style is the best hands down.

[TheLake]

Is anyone using wire mesh cable trays along the ceiling of their engine rooms? Seems like an easy solution and would reduce the heat build up.

Something like:

[Bob328]

I don't like the thought of a wire chafing and shorting out on the wire cable trays. With vibration and heat it's a bad combination. Potential fire.

[tiltrider1]

Cable Management made easy is an oxymoron. Just like Jumbo shrimp. While good cable management can be done, it will never be easy. Since I have always inherited the spaghetti from hell wiring system, I have never had a boat that had neat and tidy wiring. However, every time I need to replace something, I review all associated wiring and make sure that it is done correctly and in an organized fashion. This does improve the spaghetti mess over time.

As to zip ties. Start using the self trimming zip ties. You will never be cut by a self trimming zip tie and they require no tools.

[Bmarler]

Originally Posted by TheLake

Is anyone using wire mesh cable trays along the ceiling of their engine rooms? Seems like an easy solution and would reduce the heat build up.

Something like:

I don’t think using wire cable trays is a bad idea. Just secure any wires as they enter or exit the tray. I use the stuff all the time on industrial equipment with more vibration and movement than a boat gets. Never had any chafing issues. You can also add a tywrap here and there to keep everything from moving around.
I think just about any strategy that you actually adhere to is fine. The problem happens when you add something and don’t take the time to properly route the wires with rest of the bundle.
I use a combination of panduit, conduit, and open looms. Whatever fits the situation. If you want to avoid breaking open those nicely made looms you need to include spare wires that you can access later.
I use plenty of tywraps too, but use a little tool made to tension and trim them in one easy step. Roll the trimmed end out of the way. Easy peasy.

[CharlieJ]

@Mule #25:
The ABYC Electrical Standard and the ISO Standard require that conductors be supported along their entire length or secured at least every 18".

[wkearney99]

Originally Posted by TheLake

Is anyone using wire mesh cable trays along the ceiling of their engine rooms? Seems like an easy solution and would reduce the heat build up.

Something like:

I would not use a wire grid basket like that. Too much potential for vibration to chafe through the insulation, and then you've got the whole frame to act as a conductor. Nylon/plastic raceways exist and would be a lot "less worse".

[jgwinks]

Originally Posted by Bacchus

RTF
Good suggestion to "flame polish" the cuts....
Sorry a glass term but it works and hadnt thought of it w PVC

Works on acrylic windows etc too.

[IWAB]

When I bought Sea Robin (GB 42 E) her electrical had been unattended for several years. Here is a picture of her wheelhouse ( area which holds the breakers and various switches)
the day I bought her:

AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO ATTACH THE PHOTO IN MY IPAD 😖😖😖😖😖

[IWAB]

I think I figured it out, thanks to an earlier poster:

[Action]

Originally Posted by IWAB

I think I figured it out, thanks to an earlier poster:

Attachment 129728

Glad you did, because I was looking for the meat balls and marinara.

Action