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Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 1:34 pm
by shade2u2
On our 1986 39 Sedan, there was a stern shorepower plug in set added recently by the PO. So it has dual 30A plugin's up front at the bow seat and dual 30A plugin's in the rear cockpit. They are connected at a "Blue Seas" brand switch that has bow - off - stern options. AC power is also tied in with the newer Kohler 7.3 generator. The genny works when the switch is set to the bow position. I assume there is some sort of transfer switch tied in with the genny and AC panel somewhere.

ANYHOW... I have had low readings (.63 to .70) on my CAPAC since going in the water at our dock. I had not been to concerned yet since all 110V items on the boat worked without any breaker issues on the boat or at the shorepower pole. Polarity checks out on all outlets. I started to troubleshoot the low readings a little over this past weekend by starting with the shorepower input. I found that the low reading exist when either of the two stern plugins are connected to a cable or a cable is connected to the top bow plugin. Oddly enough, the cables do not have to be turned on at the pole in order to get the low capac readings - just plugged in... When only using the lower bow 30A plugin, my capac reads .9+. For now that is all that is plugged until I can figure out more. This 30A side powers the solon A/C, refrigerator, galley and starboard outlets so we can function short term.

That is about as much as I have learned at this point. As you can probably tell, I am not an marine electrical expert. I know that the "Blue Seas" switch is the proper one because I spoke with the Blue Seas technician before closing on the boat. I am concerned that he PO combined neutral inputs on the boat with a busBar because he installed the busbar for this switch installation. This is where I plan to start this weekend. I need to open the panels up and see what I can learn.

Well, any words of wisdom from you smart guys here? Where would you start?
Thank you in advance,
John

This is the switch:

https://www.iboats.com/shop/blue-sea-sy ... 3UQAvD_BwE

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 5:20 pm
by Joe
Check/ disconnect your water heater. I had a heater element split. It still worked, butt it was back feeding.

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:51 pm
by barefoot99
Make sure common and ground are separate through all the switches - gen hookups sometimes share them. Second the water heater check

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2018 8:54 am
by shade2u2
My readings and electric leak issue actually occur without any breakers or systems drawing on the panel. Actually the low readings occur with all main breakers turned off. Only the shorepower cable is connected. The water heater is only a year or 2 old but will double check it. I believe that the problem is somewhere in the shorepower (bow/stern) switch, galvonic isolator, isolator genny switch, and/or panel itself. I am concerned that neutral is combined on a busbar. I'm trying to learn enough to begin trouble shooting.

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2018 11:23 am
by jralbert
I've heard that sometimes these problems originate at another boat

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2018 11:49 am
by shade2u2
jralbert wrote:I've heard that sometimes these problems originate at another boat
Thank you for the idea.
I thought about that, but I think that I eliminated that by narrowing it down to three of my shorepower plugins. One specific shorepower plugin gets me a reading 0.90 plus while the other 3 plugins send the capac meter to about 0.65. There is a Marinette houseboat in front of me that gets good readings on their capac.

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2018 3:33 pm
by Joe
With the breakers off. Disconnect the "white" wires one at a time. Disconnect the water heater completely. Every wire going to it.

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 8:15 am
by robalo220
Did you find and fix your problem?

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 11:58 am
by shade2u2
I have located part of the problem... shorepower ground, selector switch and galvanic isolator.
Shorepower and selector switch may get completely rewired this weekend as the weather is looking decent. I'm replacing the galvanic isolator and redoing the grounds to the panel too. 3 of my 4 shorepower lines have been added in that last few years prior to me getting the boat.

Also the manner that the stern and bow shorepower are wired through the automatic transfer switch for the genny looks to be a problem. If I don't get it sorted out, I may get rid of the fancy automatic switch.

In the end the panel will be mostly rewired also.

Re: Shorepower, transfer switch & genny

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2020 11:44 am
by barefoot99
John, glad you found part of the issue.Those gremlins are the worst . Took me 2 months to figure one out and wound up rewiring the entire panel as you mentioned. I had to add a separate selection switch for each feed and checked each common and ground wire with an elec meter when I put it back together. Still to learn our dock electric had the same issue. Which turned into a GFI issue they still haven't fixed.
I ditched the auto transfer switch all together. Safe Harbors, Scott