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Capac monitor

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by Balancé, May 4, 2016.

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  1. Balancé, May 4, 2016
    #1
    Balancé

    Balancé New Member

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    I work on an aluminum hull vessel with a capac monitor model # 50030
    It was reading 0.95 which was in the protected zone for aluminum until after a recent hull cleaning. Now it is reading 0.7.

    The hull was cleaned by divers with scrub brushes. Before the cleaning, the hull had a light-medium amount on soft growth on it and and some barnacles were starting to grow as well. Now the hull is very clean. The boat is in saltwater.

    Can anyone explain what would produce a low reading vs a high reading? Or better yet, does anyone have a link to a manual for this model.
  2. Capt Ralph, May 4, 2016
    #2
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Any history on current readings (display readings) before / after previous bottom cleanings?
    Is the needle still in the green?
    By chance was there a bunch of rain recently or taller tides level? After a couple of days is the needle still down?
    Go wiggle and disconnect your shore power connects and see if that makes any changes. A new boat moved into the next slip? Any electrical work on your boat recently? Most alloy boats do not tie the shore power green wire to the hull.
    I remember on a Roamer I used to manage, the needle moved a little each way daily. I can not remember the reading in scale numbers. Had a steel hull move in 2 slips away, big deflection.

    Give us an idea what kind of ship your on and where (if you can).
  3. Balancé, May 4, 2016
    #3
    Balancé

    Balancé New Member

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    Shes a 62ft sailing yacht. She was dry in a shipyard for years until October. this is the first hull cleaning since then. Readings have been steady at 0.95 since I came aboard a few months ago. The day of the cleaning I took a reading of 0.9 while the divers were about halfway done. About a week later I checked again and it has been steady at 0.7

    There has been a lot of rain lately.

    The needle is not in the green for aluminum hulls.

    As far as recent electrical work... A smart charger was recently re-installed after being sent away for repair. It is hooked up to work off generator only so it's not getting power unless that's running. However, the 32V battery bank it charges has a battery voltage indicator on the panel and it has been acting strange lately also. It indicates that the battery bank is "charging" at 38 volts despite not having charged batteries in more than 2 weeks. A voltmeter shows 32V on the batteries themselves.

    She is not connected to shore power nor is she in a slip.
    She is on a mooring in the center of a bay, in the Atlantic on the north coast of Haiti
  4. Capt J, May 4, 2016
    #4
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Did the divers install new zincs? Or, did they knock off a zinc when they were cleaning?
  5. Pascal, May 5, 2016
    #5
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I would also start looking at zincs but have to wonder why a voltmeter shows 38v while you only have 32 at the battery bank.
  6. Balancé, May 5, 2016
    #6
    Balancé

    Balancé New Member

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    zincs are still there. They have some small chunks that broke off as barnacles were removed, but the zincs are quite big and thick and what was broken off seems minimal in comparison.

    voltmeter shows 32V not 38.
    The instrument panel has a voltage indicator that has multiple lights that light up and represent voltage of the battery bank. Before re-installation of the smart charger the lights indicate 32V except when charging they usually indicate higher (up to 38 max) after charging they go down to 32 V. Except now they stay at 38V all the time and I haven't charged them for 2 weeks. I thought it was a problem with the panel bc the voltmeter shows they are in fact at 32V
  7. Scallywag, May 7, 2016
    #7
    Scallywag

    Scallywag Member

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    Just to verify your CAPAC is accurate, get a reference anode and do a quick test with your multimeter. Here is a good video on how it to it:
  8. Balancé, May 7, 2016
    #8
    Balancé

    Balancé New Member

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    thanks that's helpful. I will order one of those tester electrode asap!