The Commonwealth of KY’s electrical inspections department has mandated that 30mA GFPE (Ground fault protection equipment) is required for all new shore power pedestals/meter boxes at Lake Barkley Marina. Inspections will begin for compliance beginning April 20th. Please be advised that LBM will perform upgrades from February 26th through April 15th, 2024, to
comply with this order.
Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers are designed to protect people from electrical shock by rapidly opening the circuit (less than one-tenth of a second) if it detects a ground fault, such as current leakage. This can happen if an electrical appliance or equipment meets with water or a person, potentially preventing severe injury or even death. The usual suspects for ground faults include worn insulation, conductive dust, water, or other “soft grounds.” Ground faults account for over 80% of equipment short circuits; in 90% of those cases, they are caused by insulation deterioration on wires and cables.
What does this mean for you?
1. Several boats will likely have existing ground faults that will cause the new GFCI breaker(s) to trip, and subsequently, you will have no power to your boat.
2. After each installation, if there is a ground fault, we will immediately contact you so you can engage a qualified electrician to remedy the problem. The breaker(s) will not stay on until the ground fault has been cleared, leaving your boat without power.
Upgrades have already begun on Dock-2. On Monday, March 4th, our electrical contractor will move to Dock 3, followed by Docks 4 and 5.
As a precaution, we kindly advise each boat owner to remove any perishables from their refrigerators and ensure our Operations Manager, Crystal, has correct and current contact information so we can notify you immediately if your boat has a ground fault issue.
Should you have any questions or require additional information, please get in touch with our Crystal at (270) 924-6081 or email us at admin@lakebarkleymarina.com
Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
MSR & Associates, LLC dba Lake Barkley Marina
