Just bought this 95 Catalina 270 and I'm learning as I go. Found today that I could not run anything with battary switch to off with AC pluged in at dock. I think I could before - batteries appear to be charging so I think I'm getting juice. The green light under the battery selector is NOT on. Breaker at AC is ok as is the one on the panel. Any suggestions????? What am I doing wrong??
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Dockside AC
Your probably doing nothing wrong. Most all of the systems on a boat run off DC and therefore the batteries. The shore power supplies the battery charger which supplies the batteries which supplies the lights, pumps, instruments etc. Hence to turn on those DC appliences the battery switch must be ON. Check to see if your battery charger is on when connected to shore power. You can also check any AC outlets you might have. If your battery charger is on and stuff works when plugged into the AC outlets, your shore power is probably ok
Your probably doing nothing wrong. Most all of the systems on a boat run off DC and therefore the batteries. The shore power supplies the battery charger which supplies the batteries which supplies the lights, pumps, instruments etc. Hence to turn on those DC appliences the battery switch must be ON. Check to see if your battery charger is on when connected to shore power. You can also check any AC outlets you might have. If your battery charger is on and stuff works when plugged into the AC outlets, your shore power is probably ok
AC outlets
Ron, I hope you are right! Question, will the AC outlets only work when the battery switch is on one or both batteries or should they work when the switch is on - OFF? I also assume and thought I'd seen the green light on the pannel lite when I first plugged in the shorepower but it is not glowing now..... thanks, Bill
Ron, I hope you are right! Question, will the AC outlets only work when the battery switch is on one or both batteries or should they work when the switch is on - OFF? I also assume and thought I'd seen the green light on the pannel lite when I first plugged in the shorepower but it is not glowing now..... thanks, Bill
AC DC Basics
Bill AC and DC are two separate things. The AC outlets (120 volts, like at home) will only run from shorepower (unless you have an inverter). There should be a separate AC power switch on your panel. It needs to be ON to use the AC outlets. AC power on board is usually for only two things: AC outlets and the water heater. The DC side (12 volts) is from your batteries, using the 1-2-Both switch. This runs your lights, bilge pump, engine starter, etc. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the AC side. If the 1-2-Both switch is OFF, nothing on the boat will run, even if you're connected to shorepower, since the boat systems (except the AC outlets) run on DC power from the batteries. The 1-2-Both switch IS the DC power switch. Your battery charger works from the AC side, and simply converts 120 volt power into 12 volt power to charge your batteries. The charger is wired directly to the batteries, it shouldn't go through the 1-2-Both switch, because the switch is only used to take power OUT of the batteries. The charger is usually wired directly to the incoming AC power, however, it may be switched from the main AC power switch, so you need to check: if it runs when you plug into shorepower with the AC switch off, it's directly connected; if you need to turn the AC switch on to power up the charger, it goes through the AC power switch on the panel. Since you're new to this, please do yourself a favor (intellectually and safety-wise) and buy and read Calder's Boatowner's Manual. It will answer all the questions you're going to have, and save you a lot of time typing questions to this forum. You will also have to look at your boat and follow all the wires so that YOU understand what is there on your boat. All we can do is help to point you in the right direction. Good luck.
Bill AC and DC are two separate things. The AC outlets (120 volts, like at home) will only run from shorepower (unless you have an inverter). There should be a separate AC power switch on your panel. It needs to be ON to use the AC outlets. AC power on board is usually for only two things: AC outlets and the water heater. The DC side (12 volts) is from your batteries, using the 1-2-Both switch. This runs your lights, bilge pump, engine starter, etc. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the AC side. If the 1-2-Both switch is OFF, nothing on the boat will run, even if you're connected to shorepower, since the boat systems (except the AC outlets) run on DC power from the batteries. The 1-2-Both switch IS the DC power switch. Your battery charger works from the AC side, and simply converts 120 volt power into 12 volt power to charge your batteries. The charger is wired directly to the batteries, it shouldn't go through the 1-2-Both switch, because the switch is only used to take power OUT of the batteries. The charger is usually wired directly to the incoming AC power, however, it may be switched from the main AC power switch, so you need to check: if it runs when you plug into shorepower with the AC switch off, it's directly connected; if you need to turn the AC switch on to power up the charger, it goes through the AC power switch on the panel. Since you're new to this, please do yourself a favor (intellectually and safety-wise) and buy and read Calder's Boatowner's Manual. It will answer all the questions you're going to have, and save you a lot of time typing questions to this forum. You will also have to look at your boat and follow all the wires so that YOU understand what is there on your boat. All we can do is help to point you in the right direction. Good luck.
AC stuff
Bill, Your AC outlets should work as long as you are hooked up to shore power and the AC switch is on. The battery (1-ALL-2) switch does NOT have to be on. The battery switch DOES have to be on for any of the DC stuff to work (lights, pumps, etc) whether or not your hooked to shore power. The AC provides power to the AC outlets and the battery charger. If your boat has a water heater or air conditioning those would also be on the AC circuit. Unless your boat has an inverter these items will only work when hooked up to shore power(with the battery switch either on or off). Like Stu said these are two totally different circuits. The only thing they have in common is the battery charger which gets it's power from the AC side and then charges the batteries on the DC side. Clear as mud ;-) oh yeah, in order to charge your batteries at the dock you have to leave shore power connected and the master AC switch on. The battery switch can be left off. I'd definitely go with Stu's suggestion and pick up a copy of Nigel Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electical Manual". Happy sailing, Ron
Bill, Your AC outlets should work as long as you are hooked up to shore power and the AC switch is on. The battery (1-ALL-2) switch does NOT have to be on. The battery switch DOES have to be on for any of the DC stuff to work (lights, pumps, etc) whether or not your hooked to shore power. The AC provides power to the AC outlets and the battery charger. If your boat has a water heater or air conditioning those would also be on the AC circuit. Unless your boat has an inverter these items will only work when hooked up to shore power(with the battery switch either on or off). Like Stu said these are two totally different circuits. The only thing they have in common is the battery charger which gets it's power from the AC side and then charges the batteries on the DC side. Clear as mud ;-) oh yeah, in order to charge your batteries at the dock you have to leave shore power connected and the master AC switch on. The battery switch can be left off. I'd definitely go with Stu's suggestion and pick up a copy of Nigel Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electical Manual". Happy sailing, Ron
Thanks Stu! - sounds like I do have a problem
Stu - thanks a ton for the info and taking the time to do it. So far it appears as it the battery charger is wired via the ac master breaker (both are in the port lazerette) and regardless of what I do, other than the battery charger, the outlets do not appear to be getting juice but I'm going to investigate more today. There is also an AC breaker on the electrical panel along with three push type breakers - I've tried all of these but still no "green light" nor power at the plugs. Thanks also for the advice on the book - Amazon here I come! How are things on the bay - I just moved to Fl in June - until then I spent my time renting out of Santa Cruz and reading Lat 38. Thanks again, Bill
Stu - thanks a ton for the info and taking the time to do it. So far it appears as it the battery charger is wired via the ac master breaker (both are in the port lazerette) and regardless of what I do, other than the battery charger, the outlets do not appear to be getting juice but I'm going to investigate more today. There is also an AC breaker on the electrical panel along with three push type breakers - I've tried all of these but still no "green light" nor power at the plugs. Thanks also for the advice on the book - Amazon here I come! How are things on the bay - I just moved to Fl in June - until then I spent my time renting out of Santa Cruz and reading Lat 38. Thanks again, Bill
No AC
The same thing happened to me one time and it turned out that the ground fault circuit had tripped. On my 1997 its located on the AC outlet just above the stove.
The same thing happened to me one time and it turned out that the ground fault circuit had tripped. On my 1997 its located on the AC outlet just above the stove.
power up
When my boat was new to me I had the same problem .I had a switch behind my ice box that my wife turned on for lights every night and turned off by day I had no shorepower all day long and it took me to weekends to find the switch I told her to keep the lights on from now on . I takes time to learn your boat John Olson
When my boat was new to me I had the same problem .I had a switch behind my ice box that my wife turned on for lights every night and turned off by day I had no shorepower all day long and it took me to weekends to find the switch I told her to keep the lights on from now on . I takes time to learn your boat John Olson
Latitude...
Bill ...38 is still going strong, as are the winds here on SF Bay. Seems Santa Cruz is th only area getting any sun this winter (whoops, I mean summer!). Hope you're enjoying FL. Fair Winds, Stu PS how's it going with the wiring?
Bill ...38 is still going strong, as are the winds here on SF Bay. Seems Santa Cruz is th only area getting any sun this winter (whoops, I mean summer!). Hope you're enjoying FL. Fair Winds, Stu PS how's it going with the wiring?
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