Shore Power reset breaker

[Old Sailor 2]

Good day! I need some expertise and I come to this forum to get it. 1992 Hunter Passage.

I think I have a "weak" dagger breaker at my shore power connection station. 120 VAC inlet cord. Not the breaker panel at the nav station but where I connect the shore power line. I have two "dagger" or "plunger" style breakers and one iin particular pops almost at will. This is the "A" side of inlet power. I do not have the "B" incoming power connected since I do not have A/C or heat so the "B" side is not used. I have looked everywhere I kow to try to find a new breaker panel and do not see one for this location. Does anyone have advice on how to handle this situatiion and if you have ever replaced your breaker panel at the 120 volt connection and if so, what did you replace the breaker pannel with? Since I do not utilize the "B" side I was thinking of just switching out the dagger reset breakers. A little snip and tuck and voila. But, I learn by other's advice. Thanks!

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Try mouser.com. I just tried the search feature to select the proper breaker but it appears down. They will have it.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Ditto Mouser.com
Also it is just a breaker, as long as it has the right amp rating and type (quick trip, slow trip etc) and will physically fit it should work fine. I believe the holes are all the same size.
Course you will want a marine grade item.

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

Yes if both breakers are the same rating you could interchange them. But first, is this a new problem ? Have you checked the electrical box on shore ? Breakers are rarely a problem. So if you breaker was not popping off previously, what has changed on shore or on board to make it do it. I would try connecting to another box or running the genny (if so equipped) to see if same problem happens.

 

[Old Sailor 2]

Yes if both breakers are the same rating you could interchange them. But first, is this a new problem ? Have you checked the electrical box on shore ? Breakers are rarely a problem. So if you breaker was not popping off previously, what has changed on shore or on board to make it do it. I would try connecting to another box or running the genny (if so equipped) to see if same problem happens.

Good point. I will check the dock power to see if I am getting variations or if there is something goin gon at the meter. Especially since this was apparently new this weekend.....and we just relocated slips. The breaker at the dock does not trip though. But still might be causing the problem. THANKS!

 

[Mikem]

breaker trouble

Good point. I will check the dock power to see if I am getting variations or if there is something goin gon at the meter. Especially since this was apparently new this weekend.....and we just relocated slips. The breaker at the dock does not trip though. But still might be causing the problem. THANKS!

I had that issue on my 466. Look at your power share and bump it up say from 20 to 30. That cured my problem.

Mike

 

[Bill Roosa]

You could also try pluging in to the second shore power on the boat and see if that trips its breaker. You don't have anything turned on in either case so it should give an indication of where the fault lies.

 

[Benny17441]

Before you do anything, check the shorepower pedastal outlet on shore. Marina's from time to time develop problems with corrosion and one sign is that boat breakers start popping. If you have been to a transient slip in another marina and the problem continued then chances is your breaker and is time to replace it.

 

[Benny17441]

Sorry, I just seen your posting that you hade relocated slips. It is quite likely that is your problem, it does not matter that the shore breaker does not pop for your boat to have a problem.

 

[Old Sailor 2]

So I will check the shore breaker but one suggestion said to increase my "power share" and bump it from 20 to 30? I am unsure what "power share" might be. Are you talking about the trip amperage of the breaker? Thanks for the advice. It is sound and I will check essentially both ends of my power cord, shore and vessel. Thanks!

 

[Mikem]

breaker trouble

So I will check the shore breaker but one suggestion said to increase my "power share" and bump it from 20 to 30? I am unsure what "power share" might be. Are you talking about the trip amperage of the breaker? Thanks for the advice. It is sound and I will check essentially both ends of my power cord, shore and vessel. Thanks!

I am away from the boat at the moment...and memory is foggy...if you have a Xantrex control panel look for some small led lights on the right side in a vertical column. My shorepower breaker "A" kept popping until I adjusted the amps from 20 to 30. It is done right there on the panel. That was the advice from Hunter and Signature-Yachts, Seattle. Haven't had a problem since.

Mike

Mike

 

[Old Sailor 2]

I am away from the boat at the moment...and memory is foggy...if you have a Xantrex control panel look for some small led lights on the right side in a vertical column. My shorepower breaker "A" kept popping until I adjusted the amps from 20 to 30. It is done right there on the panel. That was the advice from Hunter and Signature-Yachts, Seattle. Haven't had a problem since.

Mike

Mike

Thanks Mike! I do have a Xantrex and I bet it is set at 20 amps so I will reset it to 30 and see what happens. Between your advice and checking the shore connections I bet my problem goes away.
Smooth Sailing! Sandy

 

[Old Sailor 2]

Well folks, visited the boat and had no problems until I left the dock for a sail and when I returned I could get neither breaker to hold. I have the maintenance folks check the shore power and that was steady and in phase. I had all breakers at the nav station turned off and still neither breaker would hold. I had to leave with the battery power on for bilge pumps etc and with an urgent call to a marine elextrician friend to come check out the boat electrical systems.

One observation I made though was that the Xantrex system would go out each time the I tried to reset the breakers. No display at all even though I know the batteries were supporting the boat since I turned on the water and the pump came on. I know I don't really understand the Xantrex system but does that sound like things are working correctly?

 

[Stu Jackson]

I know I don't really understand the Xantrex system but does that sound like things are working correctly?

What Xantrex system?

 

[Old Sailor 2]

I know I don't really understand the Xantrex system but does that sound like things are working correctly?

What Xantrex system?

I am afraid this shows my ignorance. However it is the Xantrex inverter and battery monitor, power share kind of thing.

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

If all your breakers are turned off at your breaker panel and you are still popping the main breaker where your shore power plugs in then it sure sounds like there is a short circuit somewhere between the main breaker and your breaker panel. If you are trying to reset the breaker to the Xantrex and it pops both the breaker at the panel and the shore power breaker it could be an internal short in the xantrex.

 

[Old Sailor 2]

If all your breakers are turned off at your breaker panel and you are still popping the main breaker where your shore power plugs in then it sure sounds like there is a short circuit somewhere between the main breaker and your breaker panel. If you are trying to reset the breaker to the Xantrex and it pops both the breaker at the panel and the shore power breaker it could be an internal short in the xantrex.

Thanks Ken, that is kind of what I was thinking, not that specifically but that there is something involved with the Xantrex that is causing all the problems because I did turn off all breakers at the nav station and the breakers at the power entrace to the boat are still popping....the only thing between shore power and nav breaker panel is charger and Xantrex. Sandy

 

[artboas]

Do you have a transformer

Thanks Ken, that is kind of what I was thinking, not that specifically but that there is something involved with the Xantrex that is causing all the problems because I did turn off all breakers at the nav station and the breakers at the power entrace to the boat are still popping....the only thing between shore power and nav breaker panel is charger and Xantrex. Sandy

Some of the larger boats have isolation transformers. (big white box that hums faintly).
The Xantrex is an inverter / charger. Here is how it works:
The unit is connected to the main power coming into the boat, and then the output of the Xantrex feeds the 120 volt bus on your AC electrical panel.
When you are plugged into shore, a large internal relay connects the shore inlet to the panel.
At the same time, the internal battery charger puts charging current out to your batteries via the 2 large red & black wires connected to it.
Once you unplug your boat, the bypass relay opens, disconnecting the boat's power inlet from the AC panel.
Now, if you turn on your inverter, those 2 huge battery wires work in the reverse direction, taking power from the batteries to power the internal inverter.
And the output of the inverter feeds the AC panel.
The Power Share function does the following:
When you first plug into shore, your charger will be running full tilt
This takes a lot of shore power current. Assuming that it is a 150 amp charger, that is about 12 Amps it will need from your shore power to service the battery charging.
But, you've just pulled into your slip, and you want to go to dinner.
So, out comes your wife's hair dryer, the hot water heater is turned on for your freshen up shower, and the kids throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave.
Well, you've only got 30 amps of power coming in on the inlet, and it has to be shared between the house loads and your charger.
The power share allows you to dial down the maximum current the charger will take from your mains input.
Hope that explains the PS concept.
Why is your breaker blowing?
Don't know.
In your AC panel there should be a breaker called inverter.
Turn that off, and see of the breaker still pops. That will isolate a problem with the Xantex if it is there

 

[Marc14857]

Sandy

The Xantrex LEDs going out when AC power is lost is 100% normal and is designed to do that to preserve your battery power. You can verify this by pressing any of the Xantrex buttons when the panel is in this standby mode (unlit) and the LEDs will light up again for about 10 seconds.