Anyone who owns or operates a boat or a vessel should be aware of the difference between marine electrical wires and other kinds of electrical conductors. Besides being quite distinct, using these conductors interchangeably is extremely risky and can cause great damage. Unlike other electrical conductors, marine electrical wires, sometimes called marine cables, are special kinds of highly flexible cables made of tinned copper conductors with high strand counts.
These tinned marine wires are extra flexible because of their high conductor counts, enabling them to make the curves and bends necessary to fit in through the recesses of a vessel’s interior. To better understand the nature and use of marine electrical wires, read on as this article shares some of the most important pieces of information you should keep in mind when utilising these marine cables.
1. Marine electrical wires should be used on boats instead of automotive-grade battery cables
If you even need to install a battery or replace the battery cables in your vessel, never use automotive-grade cables as an alternative for marine electrical wires. For one, these automotive-grade cables may not have the necessary flexibility to make the connections. More importantly, as against corrosion, these conductors are usually not treated with the same level of complex thoroughness and precision as marine electrical wires.
Any area of exposed copper wire in an automotive-grade cable, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant – will rapidly corrode, and such corrosion will spread beneath the insulation along the wire. If the cables corrode enough, it can lead to problems in starting your boat engine. So, when it comes to your boat, only make use of marine-grade cables and never the automotive ones.
2. Marine-grade terminals should be utilised at connections
Like marine-grade electrical wires, marine-grade terminals are also comprised of tinned copper lugs. These lugs are specifically created to be utilised in marine environments and possess certain functionalities that make them ideal for use around water. Moreover, marine-grade terminals come with tinned lugs that are resistant to corrosion. As such, they tend to last longer. On the contrary, if you make use of terminals with untinned lugs, they will most likely corrode away rapidly.
In addition, the connections of marine-grade terminals usually feature closed front lugs that are resistant to water intrusion. It is important to keep in mind that you should not solely rely on the solder as your only bond between the battery and the terminal. Marine-grade terminals are specifically made to be corrugated onto the battery, and doing so provides a strong mechanical connection.
3. Appropriate wire sizes should always be used
Another vital thing you should remember when using marine electrical wires is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to utilise wiring that is excessively large for a circuit but relatively easy to make use of a wire that is too tight—and this can be extremely dangerous.
Essentially, using a wire that is too small for a circuit will cause the wire to overheat and, in turn, melt the insulation and result in fire. It is likewise necessary to keep in mind that as the wire’s length increases, the greater the wire gauge will be required to complete a circuit.
Conclusion
Overall, marine electrical wires are highly flexible cables that offer good conductivity. However, to ensure their safe and effective use, it is necessary that you fully understand what these wires are and their ideal applications. Furthermore, it is imperative that you make your marine electrical wire purchase from a reputed supplier only, such as Cable Source.
Cable Source takes pride in offering a great selection of excellent cables in our instrumentation cable catalogue, as well as other industrial cables that are specifically designed for safety and efficiency across different applications. Among our most in-demand and trusted products are marine electrical wires, offshore cables, electrical earth cables, solar cables, and more. Apart from cables and wires, we also provide the most high-quality and easy-to-handle cable drums in Singapore. Please feel free to go over our website anytime for more information.
