Wiring for a boat lift... Looking for advice


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Old 05-29-16, 08:23 AM
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Wiring for a boat lift... Looking for advice

Out boat lift was recently installed and is wired as follows: from the house electric box with a 2 pole 50 amp breaker, which then goes through conduit (not sure what type of wire) to a sub-panel at the head of the dock (still on land) where there is what appears to be a single pole 30 amp breaker (no gfci), from there the wire goes through conduit to the a gray control panel for the lift ( this is where the up and down controls are, and the box is sealed). From this box there are two wires that go to the motors, one has to go under the water and is in conduit, but not sealed or water/weather tight.

I am concerned that there is no gfci breaker, although there is an outlet on the dock w a gfci receptacle this only protects something that is plugged in to it, and is down line from the lift. The electrician says everything is up to code, but I have my doubts as there is also no grounding rod at the subpanel location at the head of the dock and everything I'm finding online states a gfci breaker is needed. Is it possible the gfci is in the boat lift box by the motors?

Looking for any advice/recs/opinions if this set up sounds acceptable. Thank you
 
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Old 05-29-16, 03:38 PM
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Not 100% sure about the code, but I would recommend changing with 30A GFCI breaker. I have seen boat lift and pier sub panel before and every single breakers powering the pier had GFCI breaker.

What do you mean by conduit not being sealed or water tight? They should have used a PVC conduit (gray) and glueing the joints makes it water tight. Junction boxes does not have be be water proof, but should be weather tight. Meaning it is ok as long as rain water does not get inside. It can have some opening at the bottom, but not on top of the box.

Also, there should be another grounding rod to meet current code.
 
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Old 05-29-16, 03:45 PM
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Welcome to the forums.

I agree with the use of a GFI breaker but it will be tough to incorporate a ground rod on a dock.
I would confirm that your sub panel is wired with four wires in conduit from the main panel.
 
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Old 05-29-16, 03:51 PM
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I agree with the use of a GFI breaker but it will be tough to incorporate a ground rod on a dock.
The op said
a sub-panel at the head of the dock (still on land)
So, it should be possible.
 
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Old 05-30-16, 03:44 AM
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Thanks, that's what I am thinking too. I see no reason not to have gfci protection. As far as the conduit goes I am assuming the junctions under the water are sealed, but above the water level at some point the conduit simply stops and a power cord continues to ascend up to the boat lift motors creating an open end conduit tube facing the sky.

The sub panel is on land, so a grounding rod is doable. But with the rocky nature of our shore I am not sure I'll be able to get a rod in 8 ft.

I took thd panel cover off the sub panel yesterday and there are 2 black hot wires coming from the 50 amp 240 breaker at the house, a neutral and a bare ground. Is this sufficient or is a grounding rod still needed? The dock and lift are supported by glavanized pipes, and there is a metal swim ladder as well. Do these all need to be hooked into and connected to the ground rod too or is the the fact that they are driven into the ground sufficient?
 
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Old 05-30-16, 07:12 AM
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Check out article 555 in the NEC that should give you some guidance,what type of cable is going to the lift? I would suspect it to be some type of marine cable and that maybe that conduit is just to keep that cable in place,also the 30 GFCI breaker would be a good idea,article 250 32 A exception A seems to say that a single branch circuit does not require a grounding electrode if the branch circuit has an equipment grounding conductor installed with it.
Any specs. On that motor?
 

Last edited by Geochurchi; 05-30-16 at 07:42 AM. Reason: Added art 250 32 A exception
 

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