Electrcal Fire, Engine Room

My response last night was hurried with a hand full of grand kids over for fathers day, I forgot my other notes the same problem happens on the generator there is a longer delay and the needle bounces erratically on the amp meter. There is only a green light on the generator panel breaker, so the only indication is that the needle doesn't settle down.
 
Ok so if it happens on Genset then the shore system is out of the picture.

First thing is to completely disconnect the inverter and the charger, disconnect the hots, but also the neutrals and grounds. Input and outputs.
 
not exactly, the reverse polarity indicator does not seem to come on if I understand correctly.
Then is is not the same problem, this problem is jumping amps on the meter.
I expect the cause is identical though.

We want to help but this is serious stuff and with all due respect I think a pro is needed.
 
HI Bruce there is no certified marine electrician around our area.
The electrician,mechanic at the marina has been working on boats for over 40 years. He has been in conversation with Crate Marine who is the Carver dealer in Canada, as well the charger company and the inverter company. He has also contacted the ABYC to see if they had any suggestions.

Pascal and BillyIII thank you ,I will contact the marina and have them run the test. They have already done this but will ask to have it done again.

Don
 
Make sure they completely disconnect the inverter, not just pull the breaker. It s the only way to be sure.

There could be a bad relay in there or something causing the problem.
 
I agree Bruce probably the same cause.
I'm with Pascal pull all AC leads off the inverter, If the inverter has load balancing it could contribute to the cause/ problem.
I'm leaning pretty hard towards the inverter but you can't rule anything out at this point.
Bill
 
While isolating the inverter is worth a try, the inverter in question is brand new and this problem showed up first before the inverter was replaced, correct?
 
Good morning Gentlemen
The inverter was completely disconnected as well as the charger. They were still mounted on the boat but all wires were removed when testing. Rules out shore power cord, power to the panel, inverter, charger, whats left? A real puzzle (possessed you are thinking, who knows)
Don
 
I still not sold on the bad master breaker theory. Not that I couldn't be wrong of course. :-)
Make sure that 25,000 ohm resister on the RPI light is good. Perhaps it got fried when you had the original problem.

Also you never did say, or I missed it, if as they checked all the circuits they isolated the hot, neural and ground wires for each one as they tested them.
 
Assuming the inverter and charger are totally removed what happens now as you load the AC circuits does the red reverse polarity light still come on? How about with loading it down with other AC devices? Maybe now you can pin it down to one device or one leg of the dual 30 Amp AC panel? I wish I was close I would love to help investigate your problem. I wouldn't rule out anything still in the circuit just yet. Keep an open mind I still think it's something simple just not obvious.
Bill
 
The way I read it they did the test with those items removed, added a load at a time and as the amp load builds to 12a the light gets brighter and brighter. Sounds like something is leaking current.
 
The last post isn't clear however I guess I can assume the same 12 amp AC load causes the reverse polarity light to come on? I'm wondering if the light comes on with only one 30 amp leg attached at a time? Maybe it can be narrowed down to one side of the AC panel?
Bill
 
This is what he said about the behavior of the RPI light: " As soon as I put on a load and the amps go over 12 , I have a faint red light. As I increase the load over 12 the light gets brighter."

So it's not a dead short shall we say. But the fault builds as the current increases.

Which brings me back to the resister on the RPI light. If it's bad couldn't the light behave like that?
 
Bill, a resistors usual method of failing, they open. Rarely do they go lower in value. If it opened then the reverse polarity light would never come on.
Bill
 
Lets go back to the design of those RP lights. A simple resistor and light bulb between two wires that are supposed to be equal in voltage. When they are different in voltage current flows through the bulb. More difference more current and the bulb gets brighter. It is clear that there is some sort of resistance between those two wires causing a voltage build up with increasing load on one of them. Billy is correct resistors fail open. This one is doing its job the fault is elsewhere and it is showing it.
 
Well so much for that then. I guess I'm back to bypassing the master breaker and if that fails to cure it fully isolating each circuit/load one at a time.
 
I should get my ABYC electrical certifications and get a new less stressful job. I type this as I have been waiting for over an hour for an escort to get me out of an IT/ radio room at the IRS HQ.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

Well so much for that then. I guess I'm back to bypassing the master breaker and if that fails to cure it fully isolating each circuit/load one at a time.

Click to expand...

That's exactly what needs to be done. I think he has dual 30 amp breakers I would think it could be isolated to one leg?
It could be a resistive (one pole) main dual pole breaker or that and something in line the question is, could he be chasing 2 problems? I think so...
Bill
 
I still say if you have surge protecter, power strip, or extension cord(especially a non-ground type), remove it/them. I have had the reverse polarity problem twice. Both with surge protectors. The second time it was a brand new one. It had two of the plugs wired backwards inside of it. The first one I did not take apart to see what happened to it. Obviously i am not an electrician, But it seems like you tried everything else.
 
Was there something plug into the power strips at the time John? Otherwise I can't see how just a power strip wired wrong in and of itself could cause an issue.
 
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