Summer is approaching fast, and now is the best possible time to get your boat up and ready for the warmer weather. Whether you’re fishing or exploring, it’s important to service and maintain your watercraft to ensure it’s in good running condition.
That being said, here are a few key tips to remember when you’re revving up your boat’s engine for the summer season.
Set up your marine isolation transformer
The U.S. electrical grid if the largest interconnected machine on earth. It has 200,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. It also has 5.5 million miles of local distribution lines, linking thousands of generating plants to factories, homes, and businesses. But the electrical grid can also make its way into the water where you’re riding on your boat. That’s where a marine isolation transformer comes in.
Marine isolation transformers are essential parts of boat safety. When properly installed, they’ll electrically isolate the AC shore power from the boat’s AC power system. This prevents the electrical field from making its way into the water where it can put swimmers at risk.
Clean your boat with the right products
Many boaters know that they need to clean their watercraft before getting out on the water. This is because any dirt, debris, and salt that made its way onto your boat during the winter season can wreak some serious havoc if left unchecked. But before you pick up a rag and your heavy-duty cleaning supplies, make sure that you’re actually using the right products.
You should never use a cleaner on your boat that isn’t mean for watercraft. While you would think that the cleaning products that work on your car would also work on your boat, it turns out the products designed for automobiles can actually damage your boat’s canvassing or vinyl.
Check your boat’s safety equipment
The last thing you want to do is to be too overconfident about your boat. Accidents happen and it’s better to be safe than sorry. That said, make sure before you take your watercraft out on the water that you check all of your navigation lights. If any of the lights are too dim, replace them. It’s crucial (and legally necessary) that other boaters can see you on the water.
Inspect your boat’s horn and other safety equipment, too. This includes your boat’s life jackets and a first-aid kit. Inspect your boat’s marine isolation transformers, which are essential for ground fault protection for boats. If yours is looking a little worse for wear, it might be time to invest in a new one.
Looking for marine isolation transformers for your boat? We’ve got you covered. Bridgeport Magnetics offers Marine-Puck 3.6B and 6B models, which automatically compensate for below nominal 115V or 240V AC pedestal voltage. To learn more about our marine isolation transformers or custom medical grade transformers, contact Bridgeport Magnetics today.