Hunter 34 no 12 volt power after winter haul and

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Capt Robbie

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Jan 24, 2017
670
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
weird thing is my ignition switch had power but I'm pretty sure that is completely isolated from the house batteries unless I switch the battery selector to both a and b. I would think that when switched to both that I would energize the main dc panel from it being back feed. I’ll check that next before pulling out the breaker. Thanks for suggestions.
 
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kappykaplan

kappykaplan

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May 1, 2011
5,019
Pearson 37 Lusby MD
Need a little more information in order to help you. Are the battery switches turned on? What's the voltage on the batteries? Is the main breaker turned on?
 
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Capt Robbie

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Jan 24, 2017
670
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
Everything worked perfectly when i left a few months ago and now nothing. Batteries were turned to off during winter as I always have done. Switched to on yesterday to top them off for awhile with the battery charger while i did some winter house keeping and no powder when i turned on the main breaker. Battery indicator showed 90% charged which is what I expected as the battery are only three months old, before turning on the battery charger. I believe the main circuit breaker on the panel has failed or the emergency disconnect by the battery selector switch has failed. Strange thing is everything worked perfectly fine when I shut everything down for the winter. Going to check both next week to see if they are the issue that I suspect. I don’t recall what size the 12 volt main breaker is, does anyone happen to know what that breaker size is? I would like to purchase a spear one before i go back next week.

If anyone else has any other suggestions to check out if those two items don’t turn out to be the problem. Would appreciate any suggestions
 
Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

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May 17, 2004
5,680
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Start at the beginning of the circuit (the battery posts) with a multimeter, and work your way along the circuit until you find the bad voltage. I could think of a few reasons for the problem, including parasitic loads when the batteries were off, bad cell in a battery, failed switch/breaker, or bad connection. But until you have some voltage readings it’s all just guessing.
 
Ralph Johnstone

Ralph Johnstone

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Jan 4, 2006
7,264
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
Capt Robbie said:
Strange thing is everything worked perfectly fine when I shut everything down for the winter.
Click to expand
Things have a way of growing old.

Pull out your multi-meter and check your main DC breaker on your DC panel. That will tell you whether to proceed checking forward or back toward the batteries.

It can't get any simpler than that.
 
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Capt Robbie

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Jan 24, 2017
670
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
problem solved !
1706269073266.png

found this was tripped.
I Almost forgot about this breaker was even there. Hunter installed this in a truly stupid location. :mad: I’m posting this because this thing could drive someone crazy if it trips and you don’t realize it is there.

It’s installed in a really obscured location in the galley along side of the battery selector switch a few inches below the lid for the engine compartment. If you are looking down standing within the galley which in itself very confine space to move around in, you really can’t see it because the lid for the engine compartment overlaps the edge. I apologize I don’t have a photo showing the location. I will take a picture next time I’m on the boat to clarify its location.

I believe I accidentally bumped into the red button while I was working in the galley before I left the boat. Looks very easy to do because of its location. I don’t understand why Hunter installed this breaker unless for some electrical code compliance reason. It makes no sense to me for its purpose . :banghead:

The batteries have a fuse block before the switch then after the switch this breaker is installed which then supplies 12 volt power to the dc main breaker and the rest of the 12 volt power systems . Essentially the main circuit breaker is double protected, which again makes no sense. :banghead: Thought possibly it is there as some form of visible disconnect almost like residential central air conditioning units have an out side lock out disconnect usually within sight of the unit. This is for safety, to ensure that all power is off before technicians work on it.

I might be mistaken, but I thought that if the batteries needed to be isolated to work on the electrical system, that’s why the battery selector switch has the off position. That cuts all power to all of the 12 volt systems including the distribution panel. Anyway very strange that this is installed and doesn’t seem to me to have a logical purpose to be there.

Hope this helps someone that has lost all power to the dc main breaker. I can see just how easily this breaker could get accidentally tripped while sailing and someone being bounced around in the galley getting some beverages out of the icebox.
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,093
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
That is a strange one, Robbie.. my 34 does not have a breaker in that location. All breakers are on the electrical panel at the nav station.. The owner's manual for the 34 does not show a breaker there .. Electric diagram attached..
H-34 ELECTRICS.jpg
 
Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

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May 17, 2004
5,680
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Pretty strange location for a breaker like you said. Maybe a previous owner addition for some unknown reason? Is there any change in wire gauge that would suggest the extra protection is needed there?
 
Tally Ho

Tally Ho

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Jan 7, 2011
5,594
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
How close is it mounted to the shore power inlet?

My 1996 Hunter 280 had a breaker mounted in a hard to reach/find spot in the stern of the boat, but in close proximity to the shore power inlet….i thought that was required by ABYC at some point.

At least now you know!

Greg
 
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Capt Robbie

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Jan 24, 2017
670
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
kloudie, I’m the original owner so it was definitely factory installed originally equipment and I was looking at the owner manual electrical wiring as well to troubleshoot my issue It’s exactly the same as what you posted and it doesn’t show it on the diagram either. I’m thinking that it has to be there for some electrical code compliance reason. Very strange, however the factory technician should have mounted it somewhere better, even if they would have mounted it a foot lower or inside the engine compartment would have made better sense. Were it is is so easy to inadvertently bump into it and trip the breaker. Maybe I’m wrong, I’ve owned this boat for 40 years now and never bumped into it before. However now that I know it’s there I’ll probably bump into it all the time lol.
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,093
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Robbie, does your boat have the Westerbeke engine?
Reason I ask is that the Westerbekes I've worked on (not the one on some H-34's) had a breaker like that mounted on the port side of the engine block.. Maybe Hunter moved that breaker for easier access?? I dunno.
 
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Capt Robbie

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Jan 24, 2017
670
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
kloudie,
No, I have yanmar 3gmf. Having a breaker in line with the DC main breaker makes no sense at all. Probably was installed for so electrical code compliance 40 years ago.
I’m not an electrician, but I can’t imagine why anyone would need to install two 30 amp circuit breakers on the same circuit. Essentially that is what this is doing.
 
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