I would like to install galvanic isolation for the air conditioning shore power socket on a boat. I understand that ABYC regulations stipulate the failure mode of a galvanic isolator should be failure to closed circuit (i.e failure that maintains the integrity of the earth line) instead of failure to open circuit. What is the failure mode of the VDI-16? (I understand that better protection is afforded by an isolation transformer, and will be using one for my main shore power connection, but am opting for a lower level of protection for air conditioning as it will be used quite infrequently when connected to shore power). Thanks.
The user manual for the Victron Galvanic Isolators state that they are tested in accordance with and meet the requirements of ABYC A-28, so they’ll fail closed.
However it’s worth noting that they don’t (and are unlikely to ever) comply with the relatively new labeling requirement laid out in ABYC A-28.9.1, so while their performance is suitable, if you’re going to be subjected to inspection it’s conceivable that the inspector might fail you based on the lack of the required labeling.
1 Like
Hi Justin, thanks for your feedback. I’m a bit confused as I also received an email from the Victron Sales Manager for the UK who stated that “The unit does in fact not follow the ABYC guidelines, and it’s not mentioned in the manual or data sheet. With regards to failure mode, it can be open or closed circuit unfortunately.” Would you mind posting an extract from the user manual so I can get to the bottom of this, as the only manual that is available online is the installation manual, which is silent on the topic. Many thanks