It has just been determined that the 11o V outlets on my Catalina 30 are apparently wired wrong. The tester shows a hot line on the right side post of the outlet, which I'm told is a no no. It's been like that for ? years I guess. Certainly it must be fixed immediately, and I'm told it only involves swapping two wires that have been improperly installed, But which two wires and where? This is a convential 1988 Catalina 30. I also wonder if this is a common problem? Having owned many boats over decades, I'v never checked, and believed if they worked all was well. Definately not so? Good sailing Ron B
110 volt reverse polarity problem
- Thread starter Ron2533
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Plug-in Tester
Did you use one of the plug-in circuit testers that shows "Good", "Hot Neutral" and "Not grounded"? Is there a "Reverse Polarity" light on your electrical panel? Could it be something with your shore cable? If the wiring is really wrong, you can refer to a home improvement book on electrical wiring (like from Home Depot or the local library) to get the wire hooked up correctly. Do you only use your AC outlets when you are connected to shore power or do you also have a generator? If it is good with the shore cable and bad with the generator, the problem may not be at the outlets. Good luck.
Did you use one of the plug-in circuit testers that shows "Good", "Hot Neutral" and "Not grounded"? Is there a "Reverse Polarity" light on your electrical panel? Could it be something with your shore cable? If the wiring is really wrong, you can refer to a home improvement book on electrical wiring (like from Home Depot or the local library) to get the wire hooked up correctly. Do you only use your AC outlets when you are connected to shore power or do you also have a generator? If it is good with the shore cable and bad with the generator, the problem may not be at the outlets. Good luck.
When you pull the receptacle the wire on it
should be black and white. The back of the receptacle may be marked white and black or the screws for the white wires will be nickle plated and the screws for the black wire will be plain brass the ground wire should be connected to a green screw. It is good practice to have a ground fault circuit interrupter in the system. Preferrably in the first outlet feed from the circuit breaker.
should be black and white. The back of the receptacle may be marked white and black or the screws for the white wires will be nickle plated and the screws for the black wire will be plain brass the ground wire should be connected to a green screw. It is good practice to have a ground fault circuit interrupter in the system. Preferrably in the first outlet feed from the circuit breaker.
Backwards
This is no big deal Ron. Looking at the back of the outlet, reverse the black and the white wire. The black wire goes on the gold screw and the white wire goes on the silver screw. Another way is looking at the front of the outlet with ground slot up, the left hand slot (small slot) is the hot side (gold screw). Have a good season. Ron
This is no big deal Ron. Looking at the back of the outlet, reverse the black and the white wire. The black wire goes on the gold screw and the white wire goes on the silver screw. Another way is looking at the front of the outlet with ground slot up, the left hand slot (small slot) is the hot side (gold screw). Have a good season. Ron
The correct wiring explained
If your looking at the outlet and the ground is facing down then the right terminal will be hot (smaller blade) and the left terminal will be neutral (larger blade) Outlets have two different size blades for polarity, if you check with a tester then put one probe into the hot and the other to ground and if you get a reading of 125 then you found the hot side, if you put the probe to neutral and the other to ground you should get nothing.
If your looking at the outlet and the ground is facing down then the right terminal will be hot (smaller blade) and the left terminal will be neutral (larger blade) Outlets have two different size blades for polarity, if you check with a tester then put one probe into the hot and the other to ground and if you get a reading of 125 then you found the hot side, if you put the probe to neutral and the other to ground you should get nothing.
Check your wiring to the 110 panel first.
I seems more likely the wires at the 30amp receptical or the 110V panel are reversed thus reversing the blac/white on the outlets. The brass colored screw is hot or black and the silver screw is white or neutral on the back side of the outlets. Check polarity before the outlets first!
I seems more likely the wires at the 30amp receptical or the 110V panel are reversed thus reversing the blac/white on the outlets. The brass colored screw is hot or black and the silver screw is white or neutral on the back side of the outlets. Check polarity before the outlets first!
This is a collection of the best answers
that I have seen in a long time on any forum. If the outlet is wired correctly but shows reversed polarity then the fault is in the on board panel or the supply. If it is in the panel you can correct it. If the fault is in the supply the the marina has to correct it. Among other things a GFCI won't work if the supply is faulty.
that I have seen in a long time on any forum. If the outlet is wired correctly but shows reversed polarity then the fault is in the on board panel or the supply. If it is in the panel you can correct it. If the fault is in the supply the the marina has to correct it. Among other things a GFCI won't work if the supply is faulty.
one last thing
in addition to Ross' note that these are all good answers: please learn how to tell what's right or wrong. Yeah, I know, "it's electricity, and nobody understands it, so I'll just take one of the answers and switch the wires..." It's for your SAFETY to learn about it and if you get the right book, like a Calder's or a Casey's, if it takes you more than 20 minutes to read about it and learn about it, I'd be surprised. After all, I assume you've either got or had and retired from a job...this stuff is way easier!
in addition to Ross' note that these are all good answers: please learn how to tell what's right or wrong. Yeah, I know, "it's electricity, and nobody understands it, so I'll just take one of the answers and switch the wires..." It's for your SAFETY to learn about it and if you get the right book, like a Calder's or a Casey's, if it takes you more than 20 minutes to read about it and learn about it, I'd be surprised. After all, I assume you've either got or had and retired from a job...this stuff is way easier!
polarity problem solved
We went after the problem with the help of your good opinions, and did isolate the culprit and fixed it. The shore power tested OK all the way to the main board, through the switches and breakers, all the way to the first box in the outlet line. Polarity was OK, white neutral, black hot. All the downstream boxes were not OK. BINGO, the first outlet had to be it. The first box in the series was a ground fault unit with confusing [to us]markings and hard wired, obviously incorrectly. We removed the box and clipped compatable wires together [white to white black to black] and powered up, and to our delight problem solved. Polarity in the system is normal. We substituted a standard outlet for the ground fault, but maybe I need to reinstall a ground fault? I am about positive the ground fault was an after thought by an owner. I can't believe Catalina would let an error like that slip through. Anyhow, I thank you for the good advise, including the suggestion I learn up on modern marvels. Or go back to oil lamps whence I started Good sailing Ron B
We went after the problem with the help of your good opinions, and did isolate the culprit and fixed it. The shore power tested OK all the way to the main board, through the switches and breakers, all the way to the first box in the outlet line. Polarity was OK, white neutral, black hot. All the downstream boxes were not OK. BINGO, the first outlet had to be it. The first box in the series was a ground fault unit with confusing [to us]markings and hard wired, obviously incorrectly. We removed the box and clipped compatable wires together [white to white black to black] and powered up, and to our delight problem solved. Polarity in the system is normal. We substituted a standard outlet for the ground fault, but maybe I need to reinstall a ground fault? I am about positive the ground fault was an after thought by an owner. I can't believe Catalina would let an error like that slip through. Anyhow, I thank you for the good advise, including the suggestion I learn up on modern marvels. Or go back to oil lamps whence I started Good sailing Ron B
Ron, THANK YOU for the feed back!
That's the nicest, most appreciated thing you could of done. And I was just a bystander, thinking about your problem. Thanks again!
That's the nicest, most appreciated thing you could of done. And I was just a bystander, thinking about your problem. Thanks again!
reverse polarity
I am a licensed electrical contractor and many of the posts are correct, you obviously found the problem and are happy with that . II do however recommend the installation of a GFI device at the first outlet for safety reasons.All you need to do is find out which 2 conductors are the power in and connect them to line side terminals white on silver {neutral}and black {hot}on the positive or brass?gold screw. The other set of wires goes to load side white on silver black on gold. Green if you have one on the green ground screw.
I am a licensed electrical contractor and many of the posts are correct, you obviously found the problem and are happy with that . II do however recommend the installation of a GFI device at the first outlet for safety reasons.All you need to do is find out which 2 conductors are the power in and connect them to line side terminals white on silver {neutral}and black {hot}on the positive or brass?gold screw. The other set of wires goes to load side white on silver black on gold. Green if you have one on the green ground screw.
Replace your GFI
with a new one. the old GFI(removed) may have been miswired to bypass a fault. If the new one works properly THEN you will be done.
with a new one. the old GFI(removed) may have been miswired to bypass a fault. If the new one works properly THEN you will be done.
GFCI Wiring
GFCI receptacles are clearly marked Line & Load. "LINE" or "LINE IN" on the back of the GFCI receptacle indicates that the wires from the power source (panel) are to be connected at this location. The "LOAD" area on the GFCI receptacle is for wiring connections that enable outlets further down the circuit to be protected by this GFCI. Receptacles made after July 4, 1995 will have a label covering the "load" terminals. Line-load miswiring. You can easily verify with no special test instruments that line terminations have been made properly. Simply insert a night light (or a circuit tester) into the GFCI receptacle. Push the "test button." If the GFCI trips but the night light or circuit tester stays energized, the GFCI receptacle is wired with reverse line-load connections. The GFCI needs to be removed and properly wired. Some GFCI receptacles have an integral light that can indicate line-load reversed wiring. With this type of GFCI receptacle, you don't even need a test light; they will indicate line-load reversal when the GFCI test button is pushed. The GFCI trips but the indicator light stays illuminated, indicating that the receptacle is energized even though the GFCI tripped. Since some GFCI receptacles have indicator lights that are normally illuminated when the GFCI trips (the reverse of the type previously described), care must be taken to read and understand the instructions of the GFCI being installed. Since testers establish a test circuit between hot and equipment ground, if the receptacle into which the tester is plugged is wired with reverse polarity, there will not be a voltage across the tester and test current will not flow. The GFCI will not trip and thus the GFCI might erroneously be considered defective.
GFCI receptacles are clearly marked Line & Load. "LINE" or "LINE IN" on the back of the GFCI receptacle indicates that the wires from the power source (panel) are to be connected at this location. The "LOAD" area on the GFCI receptacle is for wiring connections that enable outlets further down the circuit to be protected by this GFCI. Receptacles made after July 4, 1995 will have a label covering the "load" terminals. Line-load miswiring. You can easily verify with no special test instruments that line terminations have been made properly. Simply insert a night light (or a circuit tester) into the GFCI receptacle. Push the "test button." If the GFCI trips but the night light or circuit tester stays energized, the GFCI receptacle is wired with reverse line-load connections. The GFCI needs to be removed and properly wired. Some GFCI receptacles have an integral light that can indicate line-load reversed wiring. With this type of GFCI receptacle, you don't even need a test light; they will indicate line-load reversal when the GFCI test button is pushed. The GFCI trips but the indicator light stays illuminated, indicating that the receptacle is energized even though the GFCI tripped. Since some GFCI receptacles have indicator lights that are normally illuminated when the GFCI trips (the reverse of the type previously described), care must be taken to read and understand the instructions of the GFCI being installed. Since testers establish a test circuit between hot and equipment ground, if the receptacle into which the tester is plugged is wired with reverse polarity, there will not be a voltage across the tester and test current will not flow. The GFCI will not trip and thus the GFCI might erroneously be considered defective.
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