Electrical Issues - Shocking!

Jim26m

.
Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
EJ, you'll probably live a lot longer as a result of not having a cell phone strapped to your head! I hope I didn't come across as bustin' your chops. Just interested in your problem. Sorry if I inadvertently wire brushed you!
 

RoyS

.
Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
One more question to narrow down the possibilities. On the pedestal circuit breaker; is there a test button? Test buttons are on ground fault circuit breakers but not on ordinary circuit breakers.
 
Last edited:

EJWash

.
Nov 25, 2015
49
Catalina 30 Hoodsport
Not at all.

It has turned into an instant-interaction, constantly-connected world. I'm just not a part of it.

Being that my charger is powered, and the batteries and bilge pump are good, my problem is not pressing.

The mystery is the "all-of-a-sudden" angle of the problem. Something has changed, and it's just a matter of figuring out what. My money is on corrosion, but which electronic component? As pointed-out, the boat is thirty-years old. I expect things to age, wear-out, and fail. It's the nature of the beast.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
It's the nature of the beast.
Yes it is. And the term beast is sometimes more accurate than other more affectionate terms I use to describe my boat. But please don't tell her or mention this out loud.
 

Jim26m

.
Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
I would disconnect all power supplies, verify the panel in your boat is completely dead, then loosen slightly, and re-tighten every wire connection in the panel - including all grounds (per Capt Robbie). Since you are not able to trip it with a single device, I'm thinking it might be in your distribution panel. If I understand you correctly, you are still tripping the dock power pedestal breaker. I'm assuming it's ground-fault, but I don't think it's been clearly documented. This does NOT indicate to me that one of your panel breakers is bad. Exception would be if you open up the panel and everything looks like Titanic salvage.
 

Jim26m

.
Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
That's what I would have done first. But I have an open-nose Fluke meter in my box. My thinking is, he's tripping the 30 amp on the dock. His panel is 30 and breakers are all less than that. He's getting intermittent trips even when low loads are connected. Since he doesn't seem to have diagnostic equipment, I was giving him something to try; based on the assumption of ground fault trip rather than over current.

He probably ought to get an electrician buddy to put eyes on it. These are tough to do using this format. Had to do a house circuit using face-time the other day for a buddy in Denver. Better than text, but still not the same as being there. Hard to smell the smoke over the internet...
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Hard to smell the smoke over the internet...
You need to get one of those bottles of magic smoke. Set it next to the computer and it will sense the issue and give you a whiff of warning just when you need it. Real cool. Saw it in a YouTube video one late night.
 
  • Like
Likes: Jim26m

EJWash

.
Nov 25, 2015
49
Catalina 30 Hoodsport
Me: "Is there an option to close a discussion/thread?"

"Jim26m likes this"

Really dude?
 

Jim26m

.
Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
Maybe I misread you. Thought you were making a sarcastic remark about the tangential humor.
Sorry. I truly was trying to help you work through your problem. I'm new here -trying not to tick anybody off. I don't appear to be doing a very good job...
 

EJWash

.
Nov 25, 2015
49
Catalina 30 Hoodsport
Thank you Hayden. Better way to go than swapping-out breakers that may not be bad.
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,078
Catalina 1999 C36 MKII #1787 Coyote Point Marina, CA.
I find that sometimes when I return to dock and connect the shore power, the shore power circuit breaker trips. After I reset it it does not trip again. By trial and error I found that when I first plug in, the battery charger takes a large amount of current to start charging the batteries and this trips the breaker. To avoid this, I run the engine a long distance away and let the alternator charge the batteries first. When I arrive at the dock and plug in the shore power there is no tripping of the breaker. So it may be that your charger is working hard to charge the batteries since they may be getting old and needing to be replaced. How old are your batteries and do you check the water level regularly - every 90 days. Add distilled water if it is needed.
 

EJWash

.
Nov 25, 2015
49
Catalina 30 Hoodsport
Joe, the batteries are at least five years old. Ya know, I haven't checked water levels in several months now. That will be a go-to.

As far as I know, and from the maintenance records from the previous - and original owner - I assume that the battery charger is the original. Although just warm to the touch, maybe it has run its course - along with the batteries.

Thanks for the input!
 
Jun 2, 2014
589
Catalina 30 mkII - 1987 Alamitos Bay Marina, LB, CA
I’m no expert, but I know few! I was just reading this and it reminded me of a problem I had in my home kitchen. I was all of a sudden popping a breaker when using the microwave that had been fine for years.
In my case, I also had smelled some magic smoke and called an electrician. He looked at my breakers and said everything was fine and that I was just overloading the circuit.
Well... I found the problem later in one of the outlets. What happens is... if there’s a slightly loose connection somewhere, and you start to pull current, the loose connection arcs a little bit and starts to oxidize and the connection gets worse. Eventually, the arcing gets hot and might melt part of the outlet. But you’re essentially pulling a crap ton of current through a tiny connection and will overload the circuit.
I fixed my kitchen problem by replacing the outlet and tightening all the connections.
No more tripping breakers.
Just because it’s a boat doesn’t mean it’s any different.
If it were me, I would start by disconnecting the AC somewhere like the main breaker panel and attach an outlet to the AC feed then plug in something like a power tool and see if it trips. Then I would follow the AC line around the boat and do the same thing until I found the problem connection.
The AC lines are all connected in series around the boat as far as I know.
 
Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
I’m no expert, but I know few! I was just reading this and it reminded me of a problem I had in my home kitchen. I was all of a sudden popping a breaker when using the microwave that had been fine for years.
In my case, I also had smelled some magic smoke and called an electrician. He looked at my breakers and said everything was fine and that I was just overloading the circuit.
Well... I found the problem later in one of the outlets. What happens is... if there’s a slightly loose connection somewhere, and you start to pull current, the loose connection arcs a little bit and starts to oxidize and the connection gets worse. Eventually, the arcing gets hot and might melt part of the outlet. But you’re essentially pulling a crap ton of current through a tiny connection and will overload the circuit.
I fixed my kitchen problem by replacing the outlet and tightening
Notorious with aluminum conductors.
 

EJWash

.
Nov 25, 2015
49
Catalina 30 Hoodsport
If it were me, I would start by disconnecting the AC somewhere like the main breaker panel and attach an outlet to the AC feed then plug in something like a power tool and see if it trips. Then I would follow the AC line around the boat and do the same thing until I found the problem connection.
The AC lines are all connected in series around the boat as far as I know.

THANK YOU!

I ended-up going that route and traced is back to one of the AC breakers. Replaced it - all is well.

Now I'm moving on to replacing my house batteries (12V) and updating my battery charger. The batteries are wet, and seem to be getting more thirsty every 3-months. The charger is the original, and the meter on it shows a constant and steady output draw of 5-AMPS.
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Eventually, the arcing gets hot and might melt part of the outlet. But you’re essentially pulling a crap ton of current through a tiny connection and will overload the circuit.
I fixed my kitchen problem by replacing the outlet and tightening all the connections.
No more tripping breakers.
We had a similar problem about 15 years ago. When we used our 5 year old hot tub the main panel breaker would trip after about 15 minutes.
I was Chief of our local fire company and borrowed the company's thermal imaging camera. I started at the breaker panel and found one leg of the incoming power was hotter than the others at the breaker connection. An electrician from my work came out and tightened the leg and checked the others. No more tripping after that.

When I bought my C30, my first boat with an inboard, I bought a $22 IR Thermometer from Amazon. I use it to confirm engine temp and even found a loose screw on an AC breaker behind the AC panel. Being loose the screw caused increased resistance and got hot enough to darken in color. The IR gun is a very useful tool to have.
 
  • Like
Likes: Jac123