Hello, I have a 3607 Carver with C-Air. This weekend, when the main breaker for the A/C was flipped to the "on" position, a red light lit up indicating reverse polarity. The water pump doesn't run and neither does the A/C. Is it possible that the bilge water has shorted the water pump, or do I have bigger issues? If so, how do I run this down?
Was this while you were connected to shore power? Most times I've seen this it's been because the shore power plug was lose or there was a problem at the pedistal.
Yes, it was while connected to shore power. I don't have a working gen-set. I just moved to a new marina this past Thursday. It has been only after that, that I developed this problem. I have a mechanic working on the starboard engine tonite. I will check the plug-ins while I am there. If that doesn't fix the problem, I guess I can call the marina in the morning and ask them to check their pedestal.
+1 on this...had the same thing happen this past winter on my 3807 as we were restoring it.....was loose power cables every time, finally scorched them enough to ruin them. I had the boat connectors re-wired from the OEM 50 amps, which required adapters, which were always loose and falling out, to 30 amp connectors so I could eliminate the adapters, and no more loose cords, no more reverse polarity lights.
First check that your connection to the outlets is solid (boat end as well). Often the outlets are damaged by people who forget to give that 1/8" turn to the right after plugging in. If that doesn't do it try another pedestal. If your connection remains lose you may be able to tighten it by bending the prongs just slightly.
Went to the marina tonight and swapped out the plugs...no change. The mechanic was just wrapping up changing the impellers. I brought this to his attention and all he could do was scratch his head. Tomorrow, I will call the marina and have them to check the pedestal to make sure it is wired correctly. Thanks for everybody's help.
Check the power source We had a similar issue last year after the marina was rewired. Try using a cable known to work for someone else then check your power source. If no change try plugging into a different power pedestal using the good power cord. Good luck
First I'd use a small wire brush to make sure there's no 'green' corrosion over any of the shore power connecting metal which is a good idea to do routinely anyway to keep heat from building up. If the shore power connector is home made [replaced plug etc] make sure it's wired correctly. Secondly if you have an adapter to go from the marina's stanchion, to your shore power cable, adapted to ordinary 120VAC wall power, you can use one of those small outlet testers to see whether the marina is wired correctly. If you're good with a voltage tester, you can do it manually at the stanchion testing that hot is not swapped for neutral. If all wiring checks out correctly to the panel, then I'd check that no shorts exist between the panel and each leg going to the A/C ; it's more work, but the process of elimination.
The mystery is solved!!! Thanks to all who responded. As it turns out, one of the plugs on my shore power cord is an aftermarket replacement. The neutral leg (white wire) had loosened up and backed out of the plug. Once I fixed this issue, it worked like a champ. I am slowly but surely resolving the issues with this boat. You guys' help is invaluable.
Do you happen to have a voltage isolator on your boat? That would explain why the ground was taken off the plug or disconnected. First time I ran into that I thought the leg had broken off. The boat yard was about to install one for us. Fortunately I spoke with the mechanic as he was doing the job. He was installing it because it was ordered, but didn't understand why since it wasn't supposed to be there. I got educated.
I don't know what an isolator is. The wire that was loose was the white wire, the neutral. The ground is green and the hot wire is black. It was loose due to working it's way loose.
If it's working when connected that's right. If you had an isolator the line would ground on the boat, not at the pedestal, thereby eliminating the need for a grounded plug.