Where Should the Inverter Ground Cable Terminate?

Question:

Hi Jeff, during one of your videos, you commented on the critical need for a chassis grounding cable, one size smaller than the supply cable. Where should this ground cable terminate? The engine, thru-hulls or somewhere else? Thanks so much for taking the time to produce these videos; they’re a great source of information and safety and they instill the need for professional expertise and at times installation, when working with marine electrical systems. Thanks again, Rick

Answer:

Hi Rick,

Glad to hear that our YouTube videos are helpful to you. The inverter chassis ground needs to be connected to the common ground on your boat. Usually, this common ground is the main DC ground on your boat. Make sure the DC ground is connected via a #6 or #10 wire to your AC ground.

You’ll recall all grounds should be common at one point (i.e. connected), for instance: AC, DC, RF ground, bounding, and lightning.