DC distribution panel red lamp on meaning

[scfoster]

What does a steady red light on an individual breaker on the DC panel mean? When I turn on the main switch, the bilge pump breaker red light comes on with that breaker off. When the breaker is engaged the bilge pump does not work.

Will do the electrical troubleshooting next week, but if someone has a quick answer, could save some time.

[SailRN]

i'm not familiar with your particular boat wiring, but that should indicate either an energized circuit for bilge pump automatic operation and the breaker is for manual operation, which is not working,


or


it could be an indication that the breaker is off when it should be on if it's the automatic mode, and when you turn the breaker on the bilge pump circuit is energized, but the pump is not operating because instead of operating manually the breaker energizes the circuit with a float switch is series with the pump, i.e., you're not turning on the manual operation, you're turning on the automatic operation,


or


it's broke...

[mlydon]

Basically, that breaker is being fed power FROM the bilge pump wire - those leds are powered by the output of the breaker......

Matt

[ttex]

Breaker is wired backwards or is backwards....or both.

[smac999]

The load of the breaker is getting powered by another source. If you turn on that breaker. That source will try to power the whole panel. So you need to find and fix the issue.

If that is a manual switch only. It might mean the pump is getting power from its auto source.... like the float switch is up but the pump is dead. (Or it’s running constant).

Or you have other wiring issues.

[PirateGuy]

Originally Posted by scfoster

What does a steady red light on an individual breaker on the DC panel mean?.

You have the dreaded red light lit up on your breaker panel?

I’d get out from under it and sell the boat. Electrical gremlins need trained exorcists.

[shimari]

I have the same panel on my 373. The led lights are wired up separately from the breaker, but they are connected to the breaker. Is the led on when the breaker is on? If so, the led is probably wired incorrectly to the hot side.

On my boat if I turn that breaker on, the bilge pump comes on. Off, it's off. I presume in your case that it's off regardless of the breaker position?

Hopefully, whomever rewired that led incorrectly failed to reconnect the bilge wire to the breaker.

[trifan]

Originally Posted by scfoster

What does a steady red light on an individual breaker on the DC panel mean? When I turn on the main switch, the bilge pump breaker red light comes on with that breaker off. When the breaker is engaged the bilge pump does not work.

Will do the electrical troubleshooting next week, but if someone has a quick answer, could save some time.

To paraphrase a Simpson's episode: "You ever known a siren (redlight on panel) to be good?"


Just a guess but maybe the circuit is going to ground or at least enough to light the led. Hard to say without knowing the panel's wiring diagram as to how it is actually wired. Good luck.

[Capt Clark]

SC, it sounds like your bilge pump float switch is on thus engaging the red light. It sounds like your bilge pump is not working. It’s easy to test; hold down the float switch & see if the light goes out. Hold the switch all the way up & see if the pump runs.

Capt Clark

[shimari]

The red light means the circuit is engaged (if wired correctly). If it doesn't ever go off, the led was wired to the hot side of the breaker. If it goes off, the breaker could be reversed, but 1) that's a hard thing to do, and 2) you'd see it saying off when on and vice versa on the front of the panel. I believe the lettering would be upside down as well.

I agree with Capt Clark. First check the float switch to ensure your bilge pump is not dead. If the float switch turns on the pump, that's a good thing and probably means the wire from the panel isn't connected (best case). FYI the float switch is directly wired to the batteries by-passing the panel to ensure the bilge pump goes on when the float switch trips. It only shows the pump is working. It says nothing about the panel status.

Presuming the float switch activated the pump, disconnect your batteries with the main isolator and look at the back of the panel. The LED's use two thin wires (22 gauge I think) a red and a yellow. The yellow should be connected to the negative bar (easy to ID as all of the wires connected to it will be yellow perhaps some black). When you look at the stack of breakers, you'll see a bar connecting the terminals on one side. This is the hot or positive bar. You should only see red wires connected to this bar. The other side of the breaker is where the red LED wire should be connected. From what you've said, I'm going to guess that the red LED wire is connected to the positive bar. That would cause it to always be on. If I was right, you need to move the LED red wire to the other side of the breaker. Now, it will be lit only when the circuit is engaged.

Now the fun part. There should also be a thicker red wire where you moved the positive LED wire. If there isn't, your bilge pump is not connected to the breaker. You need to determine which wire is supposed to be connected there. If there is a thick red wire there, you need to trace it. It will either lead directly to the pump, or a large terminal block.

If it goes to a terminal block, you'll need your Beneteau manual to figure the block out. I might also suggest the help of a marine electrician as well. The Beneteau terminal blocks drive me crazy. Ideally, the wire goes straight to the pump. Trace that wire and ensure all of the connections (and any fuses inline) are good.

Good luck!

[shimari]

I found a picture of the back of one side of my DC panel, and I annotated it. NOTE: The bottom breaker isn't really to my bilge pump. It's to my macerator. I didn't have a pic of my bilge pump breaker.

This will give you an idea of what you'll see when you open the panel up. My macerator was directly wired by Annapolis Yacht Sales. The breakers above that all go to the terminal block.

[sinnerman]

Bilge pumps are normally wired HOT to the battery , not through a breaker / battery selector switch to prevent someone from accidentally turning it off and coming back to the boat a few weeks later to find a foot of water in the bilge.

[shimari]

Originally Posted by sinnerman

Bilge pumps are normally wired HOT to the battery , not through a breaker / battery selector switch to prevent someone from accidentally turning it off and coming back to the boat a few weeks later to find a foot of water in the bilge.

On the Beneteau's, the bilge pump is wired HOT and through a breaker so you have manual control over the pump as well as via the float.

[AndyEss]

Originally Posted by shimari

On the Beneteau's, the bilge pump is wired HOT and through a breaker so you have manual control over the pump as well as via the float.

If that’s the case, the OP’s red light on the panel
probably means his float switch is stuck in the “on”
(closed circuit) position, and his bilge pump has probably burnt itself out trying to run dry.
That, or he has a leak that matches the output of the bilge pump.

[shimari]

Originally Posted by AndyEss

If that’s the case, the OP’s red light on the panel
probably means his float switch is stuck in the “on”
(closed circuit) position, and his bilge pump has probably burnt itself out trying to run dry.
That, or he has a leak that matches the output of the bilge pump.

I believe this is probably the case.

I was on my boat today and when I raised the float switch the LED would illuminate even with the breaker in the off position.