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19-07-2018, 21:59
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#16
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Seattle
Boat: Bavaria 35E
Posts: 275
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Re: Marina with GFI
I'm having a somewhat similar problem. My marina switched to GFI not too long ago. I did have a new Magnum charger/inverter installed around the same time. Plugging into any GFI setup at other marinas causes no problems. However, I have intermittent problems popping the breaker at my own marina. Apparently, they have had the issue with this happening on a couple other boats (but it wasn't the boats themselves). Also, at a marina in Puget Sound that I cruise to went to GFI - they daisy chained all the dock electric boxes - so as one blew, they'd all blow. The marina manager would perform a reset at the main electric junction, and it would then be another boat doing the same thing. These are all boats that perform fine at their home marinas with GFI, so it appears that some dock setups are more sensitive. I'm very simple-minded when it comes to this subject, so I don't know how to cure this issue if it happens only at my own dock. Logic tells me its not my boat.
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19-07-2018, 22:06
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#17
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 34
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Re: Marina with GFI
Of course, if 4 boats are protected by a single 30ma GFI and three are leaking 9ma each (27ma total) then the fourth only has to leak 4ma for the GFI to pop.
So depending on the marina wiring setup and the boats sharing the GFI you will get different results.
My understanding anyway.
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19-07-2018, 23:52
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Seattle
Boat: Bavaria 35E
Posts: 275
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Re: Marina with GFI
Quote:
Originally Posted by tek-noid
Of course, if 4 boats are protected by a single 30ma GFI and three are leaking 9ma each (27ma total) then the fourth only has to leak 4ma for the GFI to pop.
So depending on the marina wiring setup and the boats sharing the GFI you will get different results.
My understanding anyway.
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That seems to be true at the marina we were visiting. But, is it possible that I'm only leaking a small mA amount and my GFI is too sensitive at my home marina?
I plug in shore power and everything is fine (I have a red led light on the boat side plug end). All individual A/C loads are off at the panel, but as soon as I switch the "Master" to "ON"....Pop! If I wait sometimes a half hour, or even 24 hours, it all works OK. Not a consistent issue, but invariably happens when I return to the dock. Very strange, indeed.
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20-07-2018, 08:19
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#19
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 21
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Re: Marina with GFI
I had this same issue a few years ago when I changed marinas to be near friends. I was popping the 30ma GFI on the shore pedestal. My first reaction was the problem was the marinas', not mine since I was not tripping breakers at my old marina. But I immediately starting studying the issue online and hired an electrician. We found the problem indeed was on my boat. The cause was the wiring to an old water heater that I had disconnected some years earlier. It was leaking through rust. I removed the wiring and solved the problem.
I understand the logical reaction when this first happens is that it must be a problem with the marinas' power supply. That was my reaction too. But in most cases the problem is indeed with the boat. It is a dangerous situation and must be corrected to keep everyone safe. If you want more information Google "electrical shock drowning ESD"
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20-07-2018, 10:43
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#20
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 30
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Re: Marina with GFI
If you really meant to say “how do I bypass the inverter” rather than “how do I bypass the GFI” then my comment was unfair.
However, that’s not what you wrote and therefore my comment, whilst harsh maybe, stands and was meant to cause effect to anyone reading this now or at a later date.
If you’re tripping the GFI constantly, like others have said, there’s not the same level of current returning on the neutral path as is drawn on the positive side.
That current is going somewhere, to ground.
Ground on a boat is ultimately the water. Anyone who contacts the water near your boat, or touches something conductive in contact with the water near your boat like pontoon piles, maybe cleats; if you’ve gone and bypassed the GFI, gets seriously hurt or dies.
That’s the truth. And that’s why you need to fix the fault in your boat, whether it’s the inverter/charger or anything else.
It’s not just you or your crew at risk, it’s innocents nearby too.
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20-07-2018, 11:45
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#21
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: East Coast North America
Boat: Down East Yachts, Downeaster 38
Posts: 295
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Re: Marina with GFI
I think some inverter/chargers leak a bit of current in to the earth ground line during startup. A way to check would be to disconnect the ground line, perhaps at the galvanic isolator, if you have one, plug in to shore power, then start up your charger. If it doesn't trip, you know the problem is with the charger. Then re-connect the ground. If the gfci trips on the ground connection, then you know the problem is persistent, if it doesn't trip, then it's just a brief intermittent leak right at start up.
__________________
S/V Argyle
Downeaster 38 #40
"Downeast Yachts - More sailing per mile since 1975"
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24-07-2018, 05:47
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#22
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Guest
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 80
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Re: Marina with GFI
Quote:
Originally Posted by hooligan6a
Is there anyway I can bypass the GFI?
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Sure, you pull the lid off the GFI box, cut the plug off your cable, and wire the cable directly to the input of the GFI. It will work perfectly!
But you don't want to do that and are not going to do that, so you'll have to fix it.
Trouble is, earth leakage breakers are a bitch. Aint no two ways about it.
Do you have a freezer onboard with tens of KG of meat in it? I hope not, because if you leave it unattended and that breaker has the tiniest bad hair day, you will be in a lot of trouble.
I won't have GFCIs on the property, but I can choose and you can't.
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24-07-2018, 15:34
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#23
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Cruising Mexico Currently
Boat: Gulfstar 50
Posts: 1,981
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Re: Marina with GFI
I'll jump in here too.
Where I keep my boat installed 5 ma GFCI on each 30 amp circuit at the slip. One per boat.
Of the 150 boats in the marina a handful tripped the GFCI when initially energized.
Every one of those boats had an electrical fault of one kind or another. Most of the boats had been in the marina for years "without" problems....
One boat for example had the neutral and grounding conductors swapped.
Every one of the boats that trip the GFCI had the problem found and corrected. Even with 5 ma GFCI we rarely see nuisance tripping.
Just find the problem and correct it.
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25-07-2018, 04:16
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#24
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: NZ
Boat: S34 Bob Stewart - 1959 Patiki class. Re--built by me & good mate.
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Marina with GFI
Quote:
Originally Posted by hooligan6a
Every time I plug in my shore power in a marina with a built in GFI myboat trips the circuit breaker and I can not use shore power. Is there anyway I can bypass
The GFI?
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Sure if you want to tamper with something that is not your property and suffer the legal consequence of doing so.
Or, hook up an isolating transformer out of the pedestal, and then hook into that. But if you have a major fault, that would be shooting yourself in the foot as Iso Tranny has no polarity relative earth. (As long as your AC boat negative is not grounded.)
Easier use it as designed & find the reason its tripping.
ie hook up and sequentially eliminate devices and circuits one at a time.
On land, EFI, ELCB's, RCD's can be a PITA, but THE way forward for safer electrics.
ie minor leakage, just over the 30mA for 50mS in something like water pump, dishwasher etc, that don't get any worse or were even like that from birth.
M2CW
Anyways, chill. This is prissy HQ. What did you expect with your attitude.
Ask it on SA and you'll get beheaded
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25-07-2018, 13:58
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#25
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Moderator Emeritus

Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Seville London Eastbourne
Posts: 13,406
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Re: Marina with GFI
Gentle people.
If you cannot be nice, please dont post. If you have had a post removed, and we have to remove another one from you, an infraction will be issued.
We take being nice VERY seriously...
__________________
- Never test how deep the water is with both feet -
10% of conflicts are due to different opinions. 90% by the tone of voice.
Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.
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