AC side question

[Revery]

Ok, I’ll start off with the caveat that I was an electronics tech in a former life and I’ve wired houses, so I get the theory. What I’m running into is a problem with application on our old boats. I also LOATHE AC on boats, but it’s a necessary evil.
Now that I’ve got that off my chest…
I’m finishing up installing an air conditioning unit and went to wire its feed to the breaker. Load, check. Neutral, check. Ground…what? They’ve tied it to neutral on our boats? (Green and white on same bus). Every fiber of my being says NO! But it’s a boat, so maybe that’s right? The internet says no…but there’s no other bus option on my panel.

So…what do you all think? How are yours wired?

Thanks for the help!

Evan
Revery

[Revery]

And now to answer my own question (coffee and some more reading helped).
ABYC says that neutral and safety grounding should ONLY be tied at the power source. Period. End of story.
So it’s off to worst marine to get another bus bar so I can separate the two. Easy solution that will make things a tad more safe (he says hoping that the installer followed color coding).
Anyone dissent? ☺

[Revery]

Well, that was easy. Grand total of 1 hour, including the run to WM (which, of course, didn’t have the bus bar I wanted). Now the circuit is (more) ABYC compliant and I can sleep better tonight. That’s an “after” picture…forgot to take a “before”. Originally, all the greens and whites ran to the bus on the left.
Forgive the rest of the janky, yet original, wiring and connectors. They’re solid and I’m not ready for a complete rewire yet.

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[Idyll Ours]

So a question from someone with less electrical knowledge, are those green wires all from AC devices or are some from bonding cables to metal components in the bilge ?

Thanks, Jim

Idyll Ours

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[unabated]

It’s the same thing in the house. the ground is tied to the neutral busbar and that’s the only place. 

Alan 

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[dhjppn]

How will this be any different other than giving you another buss bar?

– pat

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