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342 air conditioner breaker

brandonmayberrybrandonmayberry Member Posts: 226 ✭✭
edited May 2017 in General Boating Discussions
I have a 2002 Rinker 342 fiesta vee. When I'm on shore power, the small breaker will trip when the air kicks on sometimes. Other times it will be fine and not trip at all. It's not the big double breaker up top, only the little one. I thought maybe there was too much power draw but it trips with everything else on or off, doesn't matter. Also never does it when running on the generator. 

I have times ones when I can leave for a week and the air will continue to run and be fine when I get back, and other times it will be off. Hoping to get this fixed before it gets real hot out. 

I have the dual cable set up and have swapped the cables around thinking it may be one of the cables but it still does it. 

I just replaced the shower power connection on my boat including the mounting plate that the locking portion of the cable connects. That did not fix it and is still acting up.

Not sure where to go next. 

I have attached a picture of my breaker panel.

Thanks 
 

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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bad breaker or a wire is loose.
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    reneechris14reneechris14 Member Posts: 3,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Maybe try to put a amp meter on the A/C to check the draw.If the draw is not near 15 amps probably just the breaker.2002 it is 15 year's old.
    2005 Rinker FV342  Pawcatuck river,Ct
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    Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Working on memory here, I think that smaller breaker is for the A/C water pump. 

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Feeds the control side as well as pump
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    brandonmayberrybrandonmayberry Member Posts: 226 ✭✭
    edited May 2017
    It has seemed to trip more frequently so far this season than it did last season.

    Any idea where  the best to buy a replacement breaker is and also how many amps the breaker is?

    Thanks for the help so far guys!
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    brandonmayberrybrandonmayberry Member Posts: 226 ✭✭
    edited May 2017
    Here is a picture of my boat just for entertainment purposes since most threads get boring without pictures.
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    raybo3raybo3 Administrator Posts: 5,461 admin
    Why not swap the breaker with another one from the panel and see if the problem goes away........ just say'n
    2002 342 Fiesta Vee PC Point Of Pines YC Revere MA. popyc.org     raybo3@live.com
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    brandonmayberrybrandonmayberry Member Posts: 226 ✭✭
    raybo3 said:
    Why not swap the breaker with another one from the panel and see if the problem goes away........ just say'n
    Thats actually a very logical thought! I hadnt thought of that solution here. Used the ole' switcharoo to figure out my distributor cap was bad a few weeks ago and it worked so ill give it a shot here.



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    brandonmayberrybrandonmayberry Member Posts: 226 ✭✭
    Im actually on the boat right now, but after reading another thread about how difficult it is to remove the panel and do the work, it might be worth just paying the 25 bucks or so for a new breaker and replace it instead of doing the job twice.

    Not sure thou. Ill have to ponder on it.
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    raybo3raybo3 Administrator Posts: 5,461 admin
    Just leave the panel out if you need a new breaker. You most likely get it in a couple of days.
    2002 342 Fiesta Vee PC Point Of Pines YC Revere MA. popyc.org     raybo3@live.com
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    brandonmayberry said:
    Im actually on the boat right now, but after reading another thread about how difficult it is to remove the panel and do the work, it might be worth just paying the 25 bucks or so for a new breaker and replace it instead of doing the job twice.

    Not sure thou. Ill have to ponder on it.
    Change the indicator lamps to LED while in there!
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    reneechris14reneechris14 Member Posts: 3,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
    could be the pump drawing to much juice.
    15 amp I believe.
    Can you put your hand on the pump to see if it's hot. 
    2005 Rinker FV342  Pawcatuck river,Ct
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Why don't it trip on Gen power? Odd
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    brandonmayberrybrandonmayberry Member Posts: 226 ✭✭
    reneechris14 said:
    could be the pump drawing to much juice.
    15 amp I believe.
    Can you put your hand on the pump to see if it's hot. 
    It wouldnt be hot because it does it as soon as it kick on after having not been on for days. As soon as the unit kicks on it will pop. If it doesn't pop it usually runs for many hours before any issues. It kicked off about 3am this morning but ran for about 10 hours before that without issues. 
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    brandonmayberrybrandonmayberry Member Posts: 226 ✭✭
    Handymans342 said:
    Why don't it trip on Gen power? Odd
    That's what confuses me. That's why I thought maybe it was the connection at the boat but I replaced that with no luck. 
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    randy56randy56 Member Posts: 4,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @brandonmayberry, off topic, I'm not going to make it down there this month as planned. Breakers do get weak. Not so sure if it ran 10 hours.
    Boat Name : 

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    raybo3raybo3 Administrator Posts: 5,461 admin
    I just saw that it only trips on shore power and not genny. Take a voltage reading on shore power then take a voltage reading from the genny. Maybe the shore voltage coming into the boat is a little too high causing the pump to draw too much current. 
    2002 342 Fiesta Vee PC Point Of Pines YC Revere MA. popyc.org     raybo3@live.com
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    Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Breakers are Blue Sea brand. 

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
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    brandonmayberrybrandonmayberry Member Posts: 226 ✭✭
    I replaced the breaker. Wasnt as terrible of a job as i thought, but wasnt super easy. New breaker fixed the problem and all is well in that area now. Discovered my coupler on my port engine has gone out now. Its always something. BOAT
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