Primary Marine Wire

What is Primary Marine Wire?

Primary Marine Wire, commonly called primary wire or boat wire, is electrical wire designed for use in the harsh marine environment. This means it is built from tough corrosion resistant materials, has a strong insulating jacket, follows certain guidelines such as UL (Underwriters Laboratory), and follows a color code standard.

"it is built from tough corrosion resistant materials, has a strong insulating jacket, follows certain guidelines such as UL, and follows a color code standard."

Think about it. Not all wire is created equal. Each type of wire (marine, home, solar, speaker, etc.) is designed, manufactured, and used with a specific purpose in mind. Using just any type of wire in a marine environment could lead to disastrous results. Primary Marine Wire is the only wire designed, built, and suitable to handle the toughest marine conditions. Can you use other types of wire in your boat? Sure, but many experts strongly recommend against it. To get the best results possible, you should only use the proper materials that are designed for the environment at hand which in this case, is marine wire.

Our wire is built from type III class K tinned copper and carries proprietary insulation designed for flexibility and durability. When we make wire, we make it to handle the toughest marine conditions out there. We make measuring a simple task as well by placing our logo every foot. Our wire is trusted by some of the world's largest boat builders and is used in a wide range of industries. Just take a look below at how it is manufactured.

How is it manufactured?

Pacer Primary Marine Wire is manufactured in house in Sarasota, FL USA from Type III Class K copper which is chosen for its high conductivity which is higher than other commonly used types of conductors. Next, this high-quality copper is tinned for several reasons.

Tinned copper offers an added layer of corrosion resistance making Pacer’s Primary Marine Wire even more durable in a marine environment. Additionally, tinning copper does not significantly decrease conductivity when compared to bare copper. So, tinning the copper keeps it just as conductive and more resistant, which in turn, makes it ideal for use in the marine environment.

So now that we’ve established that we use high-grade copper, which is then tinned, what type of wire do we use? When manufacturing our Primary Marine Wire, we only use stranded wire. Why? Finely stranded wire provides unbeatable flexibility which makes it ideal for routing. Now you may think flexibility is not very important as once the wire is installed it doesn’t go anywhere, but there are two problems with that idea. First, when routing the wires initially, you will need to bend and angle the wires likely through tight spaces. Using a primary wire that doesn't offer extreme flexibility can lead to a host of issues, initially and down the road. Secondly, a marine vessel is under constant vibration. That means every second you’re on your boat your wires are under considerable stress. A marine wire that is extremely flexible is likely to handle that vibration much better than a less flexible wire. In the end, it boils down to how rugged you want your boat to be and how often you want to deal with maintaining or changing out your wires.

Copper
Tinned
Stranded

Why does Pacer use tinned copper conductors?

Anytime you are dealing with the marine environment you are exposing your wires and cables to moisture that a cable wouldn’t normally handle. Bare copper is somewhat resistant to corrosion, but that resistance is removed when that copper is subjected to continual moisture exposure. This is where tinning the copper comes in. By tinning the bare copper, we are able to extend the life of primary wire by heavily reducing the chances of corrosion. If somehow the corrosion does find its way to your wire, it will spread much slower. The bottom line is that if your wire is going to be used in a marine environment, they need to be tinned.

Where is primary marine wire implemented?

Primary marine wire is ideal for hundreds of applications

Pacer primary wire is implemented in a range of applications but can most commonly be found in the internal wiring systems on marine vessels. Oftentimes when a boater finds that they have faded wire, cracked wire insulation, burnt wire, or damaged wire, they turn to us for our high-quality solutions. With the proper tools, terminals and connectors, and heat shrink, you can quickly and easily create long-lasting electrical connections. People commonly use our primary marine wire and our marine battery cable together.

How do you know which color insulation to choose?

The point of coloring the insulation is so that its intended usage is made obvious to anyone working on your boat. This makes the process of maintenance, repair, or replacement easier by visually identifying the wire. Let’s say you need to replace the wire running to the water temperature gauge. Then, if your electrical system was wired correctly, all you need to do is find the tan wire and replace it. Below you will find a simple chart showing the most common color codes that are used in boat wiring. Hopefully, now you understand why having such a method in place is important. Can you imagine tracing a wire across the length of a boat? This methodology saves on time, repair costs, and ensures anyone can work on your system.

Primary Marine Wire Color Code Chart
Color	Item	Application	Available Gauges
Black Primary Marine Wire	DC Negative Conductor	Return, Negative Mains	22AWG - 8AWG
Brown Primary Marine Wire	Generator Alternator Charge Light Pumps	Generator Armature to Regulator Auxiliary Terminal to Light to Regulator Fuse or Switch to Gauge	22AWG - 10AWG
Red Primary Marine Wire	DC Positive Conductor	Positive Mains	22AWG - 8AWG
Orange Primary Marine Wire	Accessory Feed Common Feed	Ammeter to Alternator or Generator Output Distribution Panel to Accessory Switch	22AWG - 10AWG
Yellow Primary Marine Wire	Bilge Blowers DC Output	Fuse or Switch to Blower Negative Mains	22AWG - 8AWG
Green Primary Marine Wire	Bonding	Bonding wire to Fuel	22AWG - 8AWG
Light Green Primary Marine Wire	Ballast Pumps	Fuse or Switch to Pump	16AWG - 14AWG
Blue Primary Marine Wire	Cabinet Instrument General Lighting	Fuse or Switch to Lights	22AWG - 10AWG
Light Blue Primary Marine Wire	Oil Pressure	Oil Pressure Sender to Gauge	16AWG - 14AWG
Violet Primary Marine Wire	Ignition Instrument Feed	Ignition Switch to Coil & Instruments Distribution Panel to Instruments	22AWG - 10AWG
Grey Primary Marine Wire	Navigation Lights Tachometer	Fuse or Switch to Lights Tachometer Sender to Gauge	22AWG - 10AWG
White Primary Marine Wire	General Alarm Usage	Fuse or Switch to Alarm	22AWG - 8AWG
Tan Primary Marine Wire	Water Temperature	Water Temp. Sender to Gauge	16AWG - 14AWG
Pink Primary Marine Wire	Fuel Gauge	Fuel Gauge Sender to Gauge	16AWG - 14AWG

What if I need more color options

Although we offer fourteen different colors of insulation on our wire, we know that some jobs call for more. This is why we offer stripped primary marine wire. By adding stripes, we increase the number of possible combinations to the hundreds. Literally, you could easily buy 100 different striped wires of ours and not be close to running out of options. Why use striped wire? It makes the process of finding a wires purpose much easier. This makes repair, maintenance, and replacement a much easier task. Striped wire makes navigating your own electrical system a lot easier than otherwise.

How do you terminate Primary Marine Wire?

Terminating our Primary Marine Wire is easier than many people would guess. Our flexible proprietary insulation, while extremely tough and durable, is surprisingly easy to cut. This makes the process of stripping our Primary Marine Wire a simple task. Once you have the proper tool, all you need to do is measure the correct amount of insulation to remove based on the terminal needed and the application at hand. After you have removed the insulation, you will have access to the tinned copper conductors. Now, the next few steps may vary depending on the terminals or connectors you are using, but the basic idea is to have the upper grip of the terminal grab onto the tinned copper conductors and the lower grip of the terminal hold on to the insulation of the wire. This dual grip on the wire gives strength to the connection point and reduces stress giving a longer life to the connection. This idea, coupled with the high levels of resistance that our Primary Marine Wire carries makes it the ideal choice for harsh environments.

How long should my marine wire be and what gauge should I use?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer for this question as the length of the wire and the gauge size are determined by the power requirements of the project at hand. One issue that seems to arise is that people tend to forget about voltage drop. You see, voltage drop is the process by which electrical potential is reduced due to resistance or impedance of the wire itself. This dissipation of energy affects the electrical circuit. The truth is that voltage drop is an unavoidable fact of life. The good news is that we have you covered. Pacer offers a free voltage drop calculator to make the process of selecting the right size marine wire an easy one.

What types of resistances does our Primary Marine Wire offer?

Our Primary Marine Wire is designed and manufactured to be resistant to a range of conditions such as; acid, oil, alkali, moisture, abrasion, gasoline, and flame. What good is marine wire if it can’t handle the marine environment? We know that our customers and their families count on our wire to not only perform its function but to last. That’s why we took every step to make our wire as resistant as possible. This way, you know if it’s Pacer wire you have one less thing to worry about. That's because this wire is built to last, even in the harshest conditions.

Moisture
Acid
Abrasion
Alkali
Oil
Gasoline
Flame

Which compliances does Pacer wire meet or exceed?

Pacer Primary Marine Wire meets or exceeds a range of compliances. We know how important wire is in an electrical system; and we know how much trust you, your friends, and your family put in us when you use our Primary Marine Wire. That is why we make sure that our wire exceeds many of the standards such; Underwriters Laboratory (UL), American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), The United States Coast Guard (USCG), and the CSA (Compliance, Safety, and Accountability) measurement. Below you will find a complete list of the compliances we meet or exceed. Click on the link to be taken to an explanation of the proper compliance.

16 AWG - 8 AWG

1426 BC-5W2

1028/1231

33 CFR 183.401

E-11.14

22 AWG - 18 AWG

1426 BC-5W2

1028/1231

What makes Pacer wire superior to the competition?

Pacer's Primary Marine Wire is superior to the competition in several ways including; enhanced flexibility, resistance to environmental hazards, and exceeding compliances, but there’s even more than that. When choosing the right wire for your boat, you want one that is going to give you the most advantageous results. Pacer Primary Marine Wire carries proprietary insulation that was designed in-house by our long-term engineers. These are people with multiple decades of experience each which means they know their stuff. We use a specific formula that contains only virgin PVC. Never regrind.

Pacer Wire is Superior to the Competition

It’s easy to say that your product is the best on the market. Nearly every manufacturer will boast that kind of marketing tactic at some point, but how do they prove it? We prove it every day, with every one of our customers that come back to us time and time again. We prove it with our wire that exceeds the standards set in place by the industry when other companies fail to even meet those standards. We prove it when we take time to constantly refine our products in order to meet the changing needs of the world and offer the greatest products that we possibly can. You can find our Primary Marine Wire and over 9,000 other products in our Hollywood, FL retail and distribution center. Learn more about our brick and mortar store here.

Which industries use Pacer wire?

Pacer Primary Marine Wire can be found in such industries as; marine, automotive, alternative energy, power management, and more. Take a look at the list below to see some of the larger industries where you will find our primary wire being used on a daily basis.

Marine