Skip to main content

Marine Battery Wire Buying Guide

Everyone dreams of one day owning their own boat, or even better a yacht! Setting out on the ocean, river, or lake with only the supplies you brought with you and your loved ones is a truly freeing experience. Whether you are a first-time owner of a boat or you have owned one before, most agree that finding the right boat equipment and maintenance supplies can prove to be a difficult task. Below is a guide with questions that boat owners often have when it comes to marine wiring.

What is Marine Battery Wire?
Marine battery wire is a term for a high-quality battery cable designed to withstand the most brutal of marine conditions. All marine cables, whether they are for a battery or other purposes, are designed to survive the specific conditions your boat will be in. Marine cables must be water resistant and also capable of withstanding heavy rocking and vibrations that your boat could experience when out in rough waters.

What Factors Should I Consider?
You need to consider a few different variables before you are able to determine the size of marine cable wire you will need. One of the first considerations you should make is the amount of current that will be traveling from your battery through this wire.

Once you know the amount of voltage, you will also need to consider the voltage drop. A current loses voltage as it travels through the wire and it ends up with less voltage than when it started. Depending on how far your current will travel will determine how much voltage the current will lose. The American Boat and Yacht Council mandate that a maximum of 3% drop is allowed.

The last thing you need to consider is the amps that the marine battery cable is rated to carry. By looking at the ambient temperature, gauge conductor size, and jacket temperature rating, you can figure out the number of amps the wire and transport.

How Do I Know What Size Battery Wire I Need?
When you have considered the factors above, you will need to determine the round-trip distance of the cable from the battery to the device. Finally, you can use a voltage drop calculator to determine the size marine battery cable that will accommodate your specifications while also following the American Boat and Yacht Council standards.

After using the wire you decided on, you can test the voltage drop and see if it is under the allowed 3%. If it is above 3% you must try a different sized marine battery cable.

Where to Find Marine Battery Wire
EWCS Wire has a large selection of high-quality marine cables in a variety of necessary sizes. EWCS has been a trusted marine cable provider since 1994 with the best prices in the industry. You can order your products online and expect delivery in 3-5 days, never wait for what you need now. You can find high-quality marine battery wire on ewcswire.com and browse their extensive inventory.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Find the Electric Wire Cable Your Business Needs

If you operate a business that deals with electrical wiring, it’s crucial to make sure you have the exact cables for the job at hand. Not having the right supplies for the job on hand can lead to costly delays. If your client is on a strict schedule, it could even cost you their business. Don’t let your business get caught in this kind of scenario, keep your inventory stocked with quality electric wire cable at a great price by visiting the Electric Wire and Cable Specialists(EWCS). At EWCS, we have been providing professionals with the cable they need for over 20 years. We know the quality matters, and we make all of our electrical cables right here in the USA from only the highest quality 100% copper wire. We make sure each product we offer has been certified by either a UL or ETL nationally recognized testing laboratory. When you buy our wire and cable, you know that you will receive a product you can install with confidence. No matter what job your business takes on,...

The Importance of Fire Alarm Cables

There are few things more important than fire safety. Without the proper fire electrical equipment set up in a small home or a big building, one small fire that starts anywhere in the building can cause a huge safety issue. According to the National Fire Protection Association, an average of seven people die from fires on a daily basis. The fact that this could be prevented makes the situation that much worse. When any type of building gets ready for people to move into it, whether it’s to work or to live, one of the most important things to check is fire safety. Fires spread like no other, so ensuring that the building has the proper fire safety tools to help prevent fires from starting and spreading with no warning to the other occupants in the building is a major factor in the overall safety of the building. Besides actually having a smoke or fire detector in place, one of the most important things all fire alarms need to have to ensure the safety of the building’s occu...

Common Questions About Security and Alarm Cables, Answered

Not sure which type of security or alarm cable your facility or system needs? Hopefully, these answers to common questions can help! What cable is used for alarm systems? Security and alarm systems are usually wired with small-gauge wire specifically designed for the purpose. For instance, many security systems are wired with 12 and 18 AWG gauge alarm wire, as these low-voltage applications do not necessarily require larger, heavier wires. However, larger or wire gauges may be required depending on the circumstances. Also, there are some unique requirements for some systems. For instance, fire alarm cables must be made with specific insulation that is heat resistant and which does not produce toxic smoke when burned. What gauge cable do you need for alarm systems? Only your specific system requirements can answer that question, but often large wire gauges (that is, smaller wires) are used as security and alarm cables because of the low-voltage, low-current application. What is ...