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  1. #1

    AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    Hi friends: I have my New Year Eve trip at the corner and still don't find my problem. The port breakers from saloon sink counter to V berth including bathroom dead suddenly. One day my boys are looking Tv and the zoom no power. First I tested and no ground appear no nothing all outlets dead but the outlets of the aft cabin in port side connected to that breaker are good. I checked several times and yes that outlets are connected to the same breaker. I changed yesterdey all switches and outlets in the dead area but nothing changed. This is getting me crazy, I checked for burn cables or terminals nothing for the moment. I put power in one outlet ground and the breaker jump to off so that's the breaker and his working because I have a portable air cond in the aft cabin connected to the outlet. Please any advice? Thanks and Happy New Years Eve! Mario

  2. #2

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    You should have a ground fault outlet in the forward head ... check that it didn't trip out thus cutting off the rest of the outlets in that circuit beyond it. There should also be a ground fault outlet in the galley ... check it also.

  3. #3

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    The GFI outlets will trip and shut all the other outlets down the line off. As stated above that sounds like a real good place to start.

    If they do not look like they tripped press the test and reset buttons anyway. If the do not reset check for current going in to them.
    Scott
    41C117 "Hattatude"
    Port Canaveral Florida.


    Marine Electronics and Electrical Products Distributor.

  4. #4

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    +1 on a single GFI dropping all the outlets. If you changed all the outlets and they are not working at all something else is wrong. If the GFI pops immediately then something is miswired or grounding by accident.
    If the latter is the case disconnect everyone else from the GFI and test the circuit with an ohmeter.
    Regards
    Dan

  5. #5

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    When I bought my boat, it had a 6 from 2 receptacle expander plugged into one of the outlets. The GFCI on that circuit (upstream) would trip intermittently until I unplugged that expander. Apparently it was leaky. If you have anything like this, try removing it.
    Looking for another boat...not a Hatt

  6. #6

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    Be sure to check your ground connections, if neutral and ground are reveresed this problem can occur, it could be on anything connected to the faulty circuit. You can try unplugging or disconnecting things on that branch of the circuit, wjhen the problem goes away that was the culprit causing the problem. The GFI compares the diffenence between the hot and the neutral, if they are unequal then another path for return current is present, and can be dangerous. Ground and neutral should not be tied together except at the source.

  7. #7

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    Hi: the only strange thing I noticed replacing the outlets was a outlet in thr top of the bathroom (outside) beside the windows. This one was very rare and don't have ground connected the ground was hanging. When I installed the new outlet I attach them. Other thing was an outlet in the head that have a switch beside them that switch was completly loose in his interior and I don't know what is the purpoise of them. I still don't change them he have a black cable that came from the outlet, ground that came from the outlet and a black cables that goes behind the wall I think to light that the previous owner installed in the wall that don't want to work either. Apart to that I completly lost here. Thanks to everyone I will try again tomorrow

  8. #8

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    first thing to check is that you have power at the breaker, on the out terminal. use a multimeter to check that (red lead on the terminal, black lead to you neutral bus.

    if you do then go to the first outlet and check for power. your electrical blue print (if you have them) will show which outlet is the first one in the circuit.

    if no power there, the problem can be either with the hot or with the neutral wire. an easy way to test both, is get some wire (single wire, any gauge will do) and connect it to the neutral bus. bring the other end to the outlet you're testing, put the black lead of your meter on that wire and test the outlet again.

    if you have power, then you know the problem is with your neutral wire. check the neutral bus to see if you have a loose wire.

    if you dont' have power then you're likely to have an issue in the wiring from the panel to that first outlet.

    if you're not sure which outlet is the first one in your circuit, then you may have to test each of them individually.

    there are two problems with older boats... first over the years owners or "mechanics" may have done some creative wiring and cause issues. like taping into a circuit to feed something, then 20 years later that connection corrodes or comes loose and you dont' know it's even there, somewhere...

    the other one is that back then Hatteras didn't use tin wire or shrink tubing on connectors. with years, they get get some corrosion, come loose, etc... you get some arcing in the connector and eventually the connection fails.

    the switch is likely a switch for a light. it's fed from the oulet and power is sent to the light fixture. the switch only cuts out the hot. The neutral is probably going straight to the fixture. Again, it may be original or not...

    the key to successful electrical troubleshooting is to go step by step, from the source (breaker) testing both wires until you see where one of them goes dead.
    Pascal
    Miami, FL
    1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
    2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
    2007 Sandbarhopper 13
    12' Westphal Cat boat

  9. #9

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Pascal View Post
    first thing to check is that you have power at the breaker, on the out terminal. use a multimeter to check that (red lead on the terminal, black lead to you neutral bus.

    if you do then go to the first outlet and check for power. your electrical blue print (if you have them) will show which outlet is the first one in the circuit.

    if no power there, the problem can be either with the hot or with the neutral wire. an easy way to test both, is get some wire (single wire, any gauge will do) and connect it to the neutral bus. bring the other end to the outlet you're testing, put the black lead of your meter on that wire and test the outlet again.

    if you have power, then you know the problem is with your neutral wire. check the neutral bus to see if you have a loose wire.

    if you dont' have power then you're likely to have an issue in the wiring from the panel to that first outlet.

    if you're not sure which outlet is the first one in your circuit, then you may have to test each of them individually.

    there are two problems with older boats... first over the years owners or "mechanics" may have done some creative wiring and cause issues. like taping into a circuit to feed something, then 20 years later that connection corrodes or comes loose and you dont' know it's even there, somewhere...

    the other one is that back then Hatteras didn't use tin wire or shrink tubing on connectors. with years, they get get some corrosion, come loose, etc... you get some arcing in the connector and eventually the connection fails.

    the switch is likely a switch for a light. it's fed from the oulet and power is sent to the light fixture. the switch only cuts out the hot. The neutral is probably going straight to the fixture. Again, it may be original or not...

    the key to successful electrical troubleshooting is to go step by step, from the source (breaker) testing both wires until you see where one of them goes dead.

    Did you just suggest testing 110 v circuits with a wire into the source and the power on? There is a reason meters come with short leads.

    OSHA should hear about that.

    DO NOT PLAY WITH LIVE POWER FOR TESTING LIKE STATED ABOVE. We do not need to lose any members.


    Unplug the boat and test the circuits for continuity with the power off. If you need to track down where wires go get a fox and hound. If you are absolutely sure the outlets that do not work are on the same circuit as ones that do you need to see where the circuit branches. It may not be on the same circuit breaker as you think or it may branch somewhere and an outlet or junction box has failed.

    Check the GFCI outlets first though.


    Older boats had a 2 wire systems. newer ones a 3. Know about yours before trying to trouble shoot.
    Scott
    41C117 "Hattatude"
    Port Canaveral Florida.


    Marine Electronics and Electrical Products Distributor.

  10. #10

    Re: AC electrical problem getting crazy!!

    unlike you i think most members here are intelligent enough to take the necessary precaution and use common sense when working on electrical system... Neutral is not going to kill you especially since it's often bonded to ground anyway so touching the neutral is pretty much like touching the metal case of the fridge.
    Pascal
    Miami, FL
    1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
    2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
    2007 Sandbarhopper 13
    12' Westphal Cat boat

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