Power inlet bad?

MiamiAG

Hi,

No shore power. Every time I connect the cord to the shore power inlet the main breaker trips. Any way for me to make sure it's the inlet that's bad before buying a new one? Thanks!

MarkB

Can you borrow someone else's chord?

raybo3

What I would do is make sure all your other breakers are off. This will isolate everything down to the main breaker. Then turn on one breaker at a time and see what is causing the main to trip. Also what boat do you own. Is there a hot water heater on it???

MiamiAG

Everything is off. The main trips when I connect shore cord to it. Already tried another cord and main still trips.

2013 290ec

raybo3

Ok need more ask more questions. When you say main do you mean the main on the boat or the shore power main? If it is the boat main and all the breakers are off then it could be a bad main breaker. 

MiamiAG

Main breaker on boat trips. It trips when the cord touches the inlet. Does even give me time to twist the cord to lock.

raybo3

And all breakers are off on the boat? My guess its a bad breaker. Now when you say inlet I assume you mean the "male" connector on the outside of the boat. If that was bad it would arc as soon as you put the cord on it and the shore main would blow. My guess is that you have a bad breaker on the boat.

MiamiAG

Raybo, thanks. That stinks. The dock breaker doesn't blow. Now I have to figure out how to change that main breaker...

raybo3

Do you have a genny on your boat?

Michael T

 I am concerned that the breaker trips as soon as your (metal contact parts I assume) shore power cord touches your Its Shore Choice inlet of your Rinker. That sounds like a ground fault or reverse polarity problem to me and if so is quite dangerous. If unsure you should enlist help. Be careful! MT

MiamiAG

I do have a generator and it works fine.

I also tries another pedestal and the breaker tripped too.

MiamiAG

Btw, generator on and all breakers working. Would the gen blow the main breaker or is the main breaker only for shore power?

raybo3

I could under stand the low voltage problem if some things were turned on and running. Low voltage would cause amps to go up. In this case everything is off and trips right away. 

TikiHut2

Is it a new problem or just since trying a new marina. Never turn on the pedestal breaker until the cord is connected on both ends. If all breakers are off and you get a fault while connecting the cord then it's a live ground wire at the pedestal. DANGER.

Id highly recommend you check with a marine mech. Theres very little room for error in this issue. Good luck. Mike

MiamiAG

Thanks Tiki. I tried it. Connect both sides of cord then turned on breaker on pedestal. Boat breaker then blows, not pedestal breaker.

raybo3

Open your electric panel and dissconnect the "load" wires and plug the shore power cord in and see if the breaker trips. 

MiamiAG

Raybo, that's a bit beyond me. I wouldn't know which is the load wire.

TikiHut2

Clint Eastwood famously said " a mans got to know his limits". Better to live to boat another day. Mike

MiamiAG

Spoke to Marina and told them had a dangerous situation with a live ground wire on the pedestal. They said, "Yeah, we'll try to get someone there by Monday". :-/

Black_Diamond

A live ground is really dangerous. Very bad.

MiamiAG

I don't think it's a live ground. I plugged into neighbors pedestal and my breaker still blew.

I think it's got to be a bad inlet or bad main boat breaker.

Black_Diamond

So is this problem new? The load wires are just the output wires from the circuit breaker. Basically you are allowing power to the breaker then but not to your distribution panel. If it does not pop, you have a short in the panel somewhere. If you are not good with electrical work, be safe and call in an electrician. Good learning oportunity.

MarkB

If you own a 2013 boat, then this is a warranty issue. I would not start tampering. Call your dealer and get them to either send someone out to fix it or endorse a mechanic close to you.

MiamiAG

Called dealer. They will make an appointment to send someone down to see what's wrong. Thanks

raybo3

If it was a bad "inlet" the shore power breaker would trip. I am glad the dealer is going to take care of this for you. My bet it something in the panel is causing this or its a bad main. Good luck and keep us posted....

212rowboat

If he's flipped the breakers off to every single channel, therefore eliminating current down those legs, and it still trips its just about got to be the breaker, no? If he can maintain closed breaker while he systematically closes each channel/leg, he'll have found the leg with the unintentional ground, no?

What voltage and amperage is the shore power? Is there anything onboard that has selectable voltage? Does the power invert/convert at a central location or each individual device (if its selectable at all, or if it converts/inverts at all)?

MarkB

Can this be due to a bad battery charger or something wrong there?

Black_Diamond

Probably not a charger.  There is (or should be) a galvanic isolator in-line before the circuit breaker.  Then the 'shore power switch' (port / starboard inlet power).  Could be as simple as a cut wire shorting out from installation too.

MiamiAG

OK Update.

Switch inlet plug and that's not it. I connected port shore power and everything works perfectly. Electrician believes it's a bad breaker and Rinker is sending me one on warranty. It's the shore power GFI breaker that is located after starboard on the inside gunwale. 

Thanks so much for everyone's input.

TikiHut2

Sure hope that fixes your issue and being under warrantee it makes perfect sense to step back and let Rinker cover it, especially for safetys sake. Use that warrantee, that's what its there for. =D>