Are Electrical Outlets OK In My Engine Room?
Ignition-protected electrical gear is not required by the ABYC in diesel engine rooms. But friction-type receptacles should be able to hold plugs against six pounds of pull.
March 14, 2014
Question: I recently had my boat surveyed for insurance purposes to establish its true value. The survey report identified the electrical outlets shown in the photo as not compliant with ABYC standards and a potential hazard.
In a diesel engine room, ignition protection ratings are not require by ABYC standards. However, a plug inserted in that AC outlet should be able to hold against a six-pound pull for a period of one minute.
Now my insurance company wants me to have these removed and the battery charger shown (one of two Mastervolt units) hard-wired into the boat’s AC electrical system. What’s up with this? The boat is 10 years old and has never given me any problems with this installation. Is the surveyor correct in stating that this set up does not comply with ABYC electrical standards?
Answer: The short answer here is no, the surveyor is incorrect. Standards do apply to these receptacles, but they are certainly not inherently non-compliant.
There are several points that need to be made here. First, by the size of things in the photo it appears that we're looking at a diesel engine room. If that is correct, then ignition-protection ratings for electrical gear in that space is not part of the discussion -- such protection is not required for diesel installations. The other matter relative to these receptacles is that they are in effect what we refer to as “friction-type” connections. With that, they are required to comply with a minimum six-pound pull test for one minute. In other words, with a pulling force of six pounds on the plug for a minute, the plug would stay plugged in. This doesn’t sound like much, but I have actually tested this with a small fish scale and a disconnected plug assembly, and six pounds is more than most people realize. As long as the plug and receptacles meet those criteria and are protected by a GFCI somewhere upstream from the receptacles, then the boat is completely compliant with existing ABYC Standard E-11.
