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GFCI protection for sockets |
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Mainer 
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Joined: 05 January 2023 Location: Maine Status: Offline Points: 59 |
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 Topic: GFCI protection for socketsPosted: 18 January 2026 at 17:59 |
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Hi all,
When I had Bonny Doon surveyed a couple of years ago, the surveyor recommended installing GFCI protected sockets for the head/galley outlets, in-line with ABYC recommendations. I had assumed that the RCBO devices in the AC panel (which the surveyor didn’t notice) would functionally substitute for GFCI but have since learned that GFCI protection kicks in at a lower current (5 mA) than the typical RCBO/RCD (30 mA). Has anyone dealt with this question and gone to the trouble of installing GFCIs? For reference, Bonny Doon was built in 2015 to US specs (i.e., sockets powered to 120V). FWIW, the boat is in Antigua right now and I’m not — if I were, I’d get a GFCI tester and see if the RCBO trips as expected under a ground fault condition… —Mainer |
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Arcadia
Admiral 
Joined: 27 November 2017 Location: Sag Harbor, USA Status: Offline Points: 1112 |
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Posted: 18 January 2026 at 19:13 |
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You bring up a good question. On the schematics, the RCBO breakers on the AC switch panel are in fact rated at 30 ma. The good news is they protect the shore power, generator and inverter supplies. A test at the 120 v outlets would be interesting.
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Leon / ARCADIA
2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
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Mainer
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Joined: 05 January 2023 Location: Maine Status: Offline Points: 59 |
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Posted: 28 February 2026 at 11:54 |
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Now that I’m back on the boat, I’ve been able to follow up. Using a standard Klein GFCI tester, the original outlets failed to trip the RCBO breaker. I went ahead and replaced the relevant outlets (those in the heads and the galley) with standard GCFI outlets and now they trip when tested as expected.
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Arcadia
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Joined: 27 November 2017 Location: Sag Harbor, USA Status: Offline Points: 1112 |
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Posted: 28 February 2026 at 14:56 |
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Good to know. Question, what style outlets did you use? Standard residential outlets with wall plates ?
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Leon / ARCADIA
2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
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Mainer
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Joined: 05 January 2023 Location: Maine Status: Offline Points: 59 |
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Posted: 28 February 2026 at 15:46 |
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Yup. According to the surveyor, there isn’t really a ‘marine-grade’ GFCI outlet and he suggested using the standard residential dual outlet + wall-plate setup that one can get at any Home Depot / Lowes.
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Arcadia
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Joined: 27 November 2017 Location: Sag Harbor, USA Status: Offline Points: 1112 |
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Posted: 01 March 2026 at 04:04 |
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Thanks for chasing that issue down.
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Leon / ARCADIA
2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
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