Install marine generator

With the availability of most manuals online in pdf format, the information is readily available not only to the installer but also to the owner. Probably the most common violations I encounter are wet-exhaust hoses that form a lazy-U shape, dropping from the injected elbow to the bottom of the generator sound enclosure, exiting the enclosure, and then traveling upward to a waterlift muffler.

I have two responses. Second, if, as an installer, you knowingly violate this or any other generator installation standard, you assume responsibility for any failure that results from the design deviation.

This installation on a crude plywood shelf looks precarious even for dockside use. Another common fault involves mounting the unit. Generators are comparatively heavy and tall, a combination that exerts significant leverage on the fasteners that secure the base trestle to the boat.

While the boat is in a seaway, the forces can be significant. Yet in many installations I encounter generators lag-bolted or even secured by self-tapping screws in one case sheetrock screws to a stringer or shelf. Generator electrical connections are also fraught with potential for failure. Most generator sound enclosures are made of sheet metal, and penetrations in these panels often have sharp edges.

Sharp edges of this metal enclosure threaten to chafe through insulation on penetrating electrical cables. This can be dangerous because the positive DC starter cable that travels from the remotely mounted battery, through the enclosure to the starter, nearly always lacks over-current protection. If the insulation chafes against the sound shield, a short circuit is a certainty, and a fire very likely. The same holds true for AC cabling; however, add electrocution to the list of risks.

A tidy installation with an anti-siphon loop. Finally, seawater supplies to generators are another area where manufacturer instructions are often disregarded or only partially observed. Beginning with the intake, generators should not be equipped with scoop strainers hull strainers are covered in detail in Professional BoatBuilder No. Ideally, and where practicable, strainers installed inside the boat should be mounted below the waterline to reduce the likelihood of air locks.

Hose for seawater supply, from seacock to the generator and in anti-siphon valves, should be specifically rated for the application, preferably designated JR Raw Water and Wet Exhaust Hose. An even more conservative approach will include wire reinforcement, making the hose virtually crush- and kink-proof as well as resistant to flattening when exposed to high vacuum during an intake clog, for instance.

In far too many cases, I find such valves installed just a scant few inches above the waterline, making their effectiveness questionable. Without the elevation, the weight of the water in the hose is not enough to open the vent.

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