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Old 19-07-2016, 07:52   #1
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Blowing Marina circuit breakers

We just pulled into a marina in Grenada and are blowing their circuit breakers when we hook up to their power. It's a 110 system as are we.
I tap onto their power pole and then into my boat using Marinco connectors. The lights on my panel light up just fine. When I hit the switch to turn on myFreedom 20, about 5 seconds later it blows the circuit. Does the same when I use their 220 through a step down transformer. If I hook up the same wires to my Yamaha 2400 generator, the lights light up and the inverter/charger comes on and does it's thing. This circuit blowing is doing it with out even hitting the charge switch on the Link 2000. Just turning on the Freedom 20.
I used the same wiring during the last 10+ weeks of a refit in Trinidad with no problems.
Any suggestions? Bigger breakers?
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Old 19-07-2016, 08:13   #2
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

Ground fault issue?
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Old 19-07-2016, 08:57   #3
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

50hz versus 60hz?
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Old 19-07-2016, 09:43   #4
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

Try another circuit at the marina. I had a similar issue a few years ago with my A/C, which is on a separate circuit on the boat. The house circuit worked fine, the breaker on the post tripped consistently with my A/C. The AC did not trip if I swapped connections at the post.

Replacing the circuit breaker on the post resolved the issue. Too much corrosion in the circuit breaker seemed to cause a spike in draw. No issues once replaced.
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Old 19-07-2016, 10:21   #5
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

Do you know about the Power Share feature of your Freedom 20? Do you have a Link 2000 controlling the Freedom or just the remote display?
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Old 20-07-2016, 05:43   #6
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

Problem solved. according to the electrician, the marina was wired for "French" electrical systems, not US. He converted our circuit over to a US standard circuit and all is well. Getting good 120 steady. I have no idea what the "French" style of wiring is but I guess it doesn't play nice with the US.
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Old 20-07-2016, 08:17   #7
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

Quote:
Originally Posted by mestrezat View Post
We just pulled into a marina in Grenada and are blowing their circuit breakers when we hook up to their power. It's a 110 system as are we.
I tap onto their power pole and then into my boat using Marinco connectors. The lights on my panel light up just fine. When I hit the switch to turn on myFreedom 20, about 5 seconds later it blows the circuit. Does the same when I use their 220 through a step down transformer. If I hook up the same wires to my Yamaha 2400 generator, the lights light up and the inverter/charger comes on and does it's thing. This circuit blowing is doing it with out even hitting the charge switch on the Link 2000. Just turning on the Freedom 20.
I used the same wiring during the last 10+ weeks of a refit in Trinidad with no problems.
Any suggestions? Bigger breakers?
Good to see your back in shape. Always check the shore power with your multimeter. Could be 220 volts(ran into that in Alaska), reversed polarity(quite common), a short down the dock causing power surges, or am amperage well beyond your breakers. But check first to see what is coming down the dock.
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Old 20-07-2016, 09:34   #8
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

Ground fault device trips.

The marina may be fine and the problem may be on your boat (AC circuit).

One of onboard AC devices has a short from the device to its chasis.

This is why it does not trip on the genset - you are not using the marinas' ground wire BUT you still have the issue onboard.

I had the same problem on one of the boats I worked for.

Try the following:

DISCONNECT ALL AC equipment from the boat AC wiring. The trick is to NOT SWITCH IT OFF but to DISCONNECT COMPLETELY all AC stuff (microwave, washer, dishwasher, water heater, stereo, step-down transformers ... plenty, in most boats.)

Now try again with the shore power. If it trips, my lead was wrong.

If it does not, connect the equipment one piece at a time and find the faulty one.

Cheers,
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Old 20-07-2016, 17:05   #9
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

Quote:
Originally Posted by mestrezat View Post
Problem solved. according to the electrician, the marina was wired for "French" electrical systems, not US. He converted our circuit over to a US standard circuit and all is well. Getting good 120 steady. I have no idea what the "French" style of wiring is but I guess it doesn't play nice with the US.
Electrical systems operate on physical phenomena and the concept of "doesn't play nice with the US" is silly.
It sounds like your electrician has bypassed a protection device and blamed "French" wiring. A quick kludge rather than a solution.

If he has "operated" on marina pillar it may impact adversely on others on marina, think leakage current, which can be lethal in a marina and very rapid consumer of zinc anodes.
If he has bypassed protection onboard the consequences are potentially grim also.
.Circuit protection is a necessary precaution and should not be bypassed

If electrical system is tripping out, then there is a problem onboard which must be solved, other than by-pass of protective devices whether afloat or ashore.
Find out what changes have been made and try another marina outlet and verify that protection on marina pillar has not been compromised, which may cause problems to the next user of the berth.
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Old 20-07-2016, 18:02   #10
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Re: Blowing Marina circuit breakers

Hahaha. French. OK can someone chime in and let us know how the French do this.

It is VERY easy to tell if the circuit has been by passed or not. Make sure nobody is in the water near the boat. FUSE the hot wire and short it to the chasis of the washer ... NOOOOOOOOOOOO I do not recommend this method!

Some boats have a 'test' button on the panel. BTW.

The only difference I am aware of is how the grounding is wired 220 vs. 110. But France, EU, is a 220 country as far as I know. Hence I am lost for what that electrician was talking about. Did he mean France, FL perhaps?

Waiting for my lesson now. PLS.

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