Shocked from Touching A/C Distribution Panel

[Cheechako]

I've got a pretty good jolt off battery cables before... wet/damp hands. I was pretty surprised.... anyway, don't know your problem.

[a64pilot]

He is measuring 12V DC with a multimeter, I doubt thats static, but it has me puzzled too
Surely has something to do with the reverse current breaker set up he has, I don't understand that either

[bornyesterday]

How are you charging your batteries? Engine? Solar?
Is there no 120V whatever to your boat at present - ie not even a separate lead to your battery charger? How quickly do the batteries drain?

I don't know US systems but I believe some US appliances use 240V? Does air conditioning typically do that? Do larger boats use two shore power leads and could the reverse polarity breaker be intended to utilise two phases in that way?
Does your boat have two shore power inputs?

Or is the reverse polarity breaker just to identify/disconnect a wrongly-wired dock post?

If the previous owner is still alive (!) I'd be asking him (politely at first, I am English after all) what the frock is going on...

[smac999]

the blue sea panels use 12v dc for the back lighting. if you have 12v dc on an ac panel that would be the place to check. probably this power connection came lose and is touching the ac panel. if the ac panel itself is not grounded as it should be, it would go +12v. if it was grounded as should be. you'd blow the fuse for the backlight circuit. or melt the wire if no fuse was used.

do you have backlighting behind the panel labels?


I have never been shocked by 12v dc though.

[liveaboardL]

This boat isn't hooked up to shore power at all. The power comes from a 17 watt solar panel and a worn-out 800 or so watt wind-turbine. The wind-turbine doesn't have to be going for me to feel anything, but I'll double-check that. I never run the engine to charge the batteries.

>Is there no 120V whatever to your boat at present - ie not even a separate lead to your battery charger?
No

> How quickly do the batteries drain?
I'm luck if the wind-generator can get it past 12.3 in a full day of charging. Sometimes the the solar panel can bring it to 12.3 V DC in a day.
I try not to let it go below 12.2 V DC
I usually charge my laptop battery at least once a day, so that might be 100 watts for an hour with the inverter.
The GPS is always on anchor-alarm, but it's not supposed to even draw 1/4 watt and the backlight setting of the GPS is always dim. It's a Lowarance Mar-4 grey-screen.

>I don't know US systems but I believe some US appliances use 240V?
Yes, that's true, but not on this boat.

> Does air conditioning typically do that? Do larger boats use two shore power leads and could the reverse polarity breaker be intended to utilise two phases in that way?

I believe the Air conditioner only works w/ 120V AC from shore-power, so I don't use the Air conditioner. My boat does have 2 a/c shorepower outlets to hook up to, but it's always unhooked. I never use shorepower a/c. Only my little 400 watt inverter to charge the laptop about 1 or 2 hours a day.

>Does your boat have two shore power inputs?
yes

>Or is the reverse polarity breaker just to identify/disconnect a wrongly-wired dock post?
Wow! fascinating knowledge. It could be. I'll ask the PO.

[Atiyeh12]

unless you have installed a new reverse cycle ac unit, then no it willnt run unless its on shore power. as for being shocked. that boat shocked me several times. have you done any work to the electric system sense purchase?

[sailorchic34]

Please verify that you have 12.3V on the panel with the wind turbine disconnected or stopped/shorted. If it does not shock you with the wind turbine stopped then the wind turbine might have a bad rectifier. The Low voltage output of the turbine, sort of indicates that too.

Are you in a marina or on the hook/mooring ball