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Shore Breaker on the boat keeps tripping! Help!

Discussion in 'Electronics' started by xdeerizx, Jul 25, 2017.

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  1. xdeerizx

    xdeerizx New Member

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    I've got a 2016 Azimut 55s and am away from it over extended periods of time (1-2 months). Twice now the shore 1 switch in the engine room has tripped (in the last two months) causing my service batteries to start draining. Eventually that will ruin the batteries! I was told that it could be a surge from the pedestal however it wouldn't make sense to me that the breaker in the boat would trip. I would think it would trip on the pedestal supplying the power. There are minimal things running while away, maybe A/C and fridge so it can't be the load. Any thoughts on what else it could be?

    Thanks!
  2. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Hmm, if you leave the boat with the AC running, you should be glad that the fuse trips so the boat is still afloat...
  3. xdeerizx

    xdeerizx New Member

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    I'd rather not have the interior 95 degrees with 100% humidity. Being a 2016 and combined with a yacht maintenance crew that checks it early morning then afternoon, I'll run the risk. Any thoughts on the problem at hand would be appreciated though! ;)
  4. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    Might be a bad breaker. When there, operate the equipment that you leave running while gone and see what happens...keep an eye on the amperage...could be a compressor start-up popping it.
  5. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

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    Yep, could be time to change the breaker, they do weaken over time if they have a fault. If that doesn't cure the problem, sounds like a compressor on the way out.
  6. Danvilletim

    Danvilletim Senior Member

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    That's a great question. Under what circumstances is the boat breaker likely to trip vs the pedestal. We had only one power cord in Bahamas and needed to run a lot. It was no surprised that it tripped but it was very inconsistence on which one would trip.
  7. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    AC and refrigeration are the biggest loads... normally the individual breaker to a compressor should trip before th master when a compressor is getting iffy but considering we re talking Italian electricals...

    As to leaving the boat with AC running... may an option in Sweden but it is not an option in so fl.
  8. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    OK, you said you were away 1-2 months at the time, and was afraid the batteries drained... but with crew checking twice a day that would not be your problem.

    My experience with leaving the AC running when not onboard, was on a 2 year old Dutch built yacht with a 3 compressor system and a seawater pump of at least 3000 GPH. It was connected with a reinforced 2" hose that burst when we were for lunch in the same port. Luckily we were back within about 30 minutes so it was "only" a few thousand litres of sea water in the engine room to pump out... plus cleaning it all with fresh water...

    Anyway, since then I never leave the boat with the AC running and I prefer domestic fridge freezers without sea water cooling...

    CSS-PVC-braided-hose.jpg
  9. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Normally if a hose burst the compressor will trip the high pressure switch and the pump will stop. Unless the builder cheaped out and hard wir the pump.

    I woudl hope that a boat which requires 3000gph to cool its compressors has at least two to three times this in bilge pump capacity :)
  10. chesapeake46

    chesapeake46 Senior Member

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    Before you buy a new breaker, maybe you can swap the two existing breakers and see if the problem follows the breaker or stays put.
    That might tell you if it's a load problem or a weak breaker.
  11. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    The hose was not totally cut off, but had a 4" long split where perhaps half of the water was spraying out so the pressure was not zero. And of course there were both an alarm and a pump going, but the automatic pump was not enough, so we had to start a bigger one manually...
  12. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Those hoses don't just split like that... I was probably damaged during install with poorly handled knife.

    Design flaw... bilge pump capacity should be significantly higher than any air con pump, water maker etc
  13. xdeerizx

    xdeerizx New Member

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    You're right, it hasn't been a problem because of that. She is a regularly maintained vessel with a preventative attitude, I am not that worried about a hose going. More worried about an electrical fire at this point. Let this be the end of the "leave A/C on or turn it off" debate please. Keep the thread on topic.

    My point exactly, boat is in Miami Beach Marina and it isn't really an option to not at least have it in HUMIDITY mode. And outside of my maintenance crew, the employee activity around the marina is also very comforting.
  14. xdeerizx

    xdeerizx New Member

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    So in your instance the breaker on one or the other would trip with no rhyme to reason?

    That's a good thought.

    Swap the shore 1 with the shore 2 breaker just for trial and error?

    True, although those two running don't come close to the 50 amp line. And yes, those Italians are brilliant with their designs but "different" on all other things lol.
  15. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Depends... figure about 50 to 60k BTU total on a 55 footer... say 3 compressor running plus a couple of fridges, freezers and ice makers... 4th compressor kicks in and breakers pops.

    It is hot in so fl right now...
  16. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    I don't believe that hose in the photo is for use below the waterline, even though it is somewhat reinforced.
    After another look it looks like it is suitable for pressurized potable water systems, but I would not be inclined to use it as a raw water a/c circulating hose.
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2017
  17. xdeerizx

    xdeerizx New Member

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    REAL HOT lol!

    Yea that could be the case. I don't know too terribly much about it other than I believe I only have one compressor and 5 blowers throughout. Maybe the same power draw though. I have never had any issues any other marina when boat has 5 guest and EVERYTHING running lol. Maybe it could be the something kicking on..
  18. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    Sounds like a water chiller system. So you won't have 4/5 compressors running. Need to check amperage, if in spec, probably the breaker. Could also be a power surge and there are surge protectors for your shore power cable.
  19. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Miami Beach Marina is your problem. Their power there is really crappy and you usually only get 208 volts. When there are a lot of boats in the marina the power is also a problem. If you have 208 volts coming in you need to buy a step up voltage transformer. At 208 volts the seawater pump and a/c compressor kicking on is mostly using over 50 amps on startup and killing the boats breaker. The boats breaker probably trips right away and the ones on land are usually slow burn breakers meaning they take a minute of over 50 amps to actually trip. Also if you haven't had your a/c chiller acid washed it for sure is using more electricity.......
  20. Dj239

    Dj239 Member

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    Actually you have a two compressor condaria top climate system. I would be inclined to agree with the previous post as these systems have a tendency to run a lot as they don't have a humidity control setting. The biggest problem can be the strainer and growth Within the associated lines and chiller. Also easy check on your dock line voltage, go the the starboard side engine room abb box which is your ac breaker panel. Inside this cabinet there should be a voltage indicator control. You can use this control to monitor the Voltage and the amp draw. If it's reading below 220 vac you have a problem with consistent dock power from pedestal