Electricity going to boats is mostly 120V single phase, one hot wire, one neutral wire, one safety "Grounding" conductor which does not carry current unless there is a fault. So it is basically a hot and a neutral wire, the neutral is a current carrying wire that is "Grounded". In a home the wiring is 120/240V, basically 2 opposing 120V circuits/hot wires and a "grounded " neutral plus a safety "grounding" conductor. Typically 3 wires come to the main service box, then the safety grounding conductor is added, it MUST be connected to the neutral conductor at the main box. In the house, you then have 120V circuits, or the 2 hot wires can form a 240V circuit. I hope this is easy to read. Most small marine generators are 120V, 2 wire plus safety ground. If you have a 3 phase generator, some can be rewired just by moving jumper wires. Otherwise, it could only use one phase, which would limit the output capability. If there were 2 main panels, like I have seen for A/C, one phase could go to each panel. (I am sure there are mega yachts using 3 phase, but that is beyond my scope.) Lee Haefele
Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] Euro electricity In the US, what is the typical distribution line voltage that is running on 2 wire feeds and is it single phase? If a generator is putting out 3 phase, is the distribution on 2 wires one leg of that? You would have to have a wire for each phase would you not? Otherwise, they would add or subtract from overlapping correct? Could some talk us through the process from the generator to the house (boat) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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