Circuit Breaker Help

[OBXTucker]

Background information:

Had a leak in the master stateroom head, which caused the teak flooring to buckle. We've pulled it up (removed the GM head), replaced the wood and have put a West System coating over the wood to keep the water away from the wood in the future.

Problem:
Master head AND guest head + water pump solenoid (seperate breakers) are both tripping. Master is on one circuit and guest head/water pump are on another.

BOTH are showing a 35 amp draw with nothing operating!

Work is being done by my yard, whom has been very capable to date. While it's possible they shorted something out when removing the head - they've been very good in the past.

They'll be tracing the shorts down tomorrow, but any thoughts on where these draws are coming from?

Thanks!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Maybe someone put a screw down through a wire creating a dead short.

 

[MikeP]

Frankly, I don't think you're ever going to find the problem but I'm feeling generous tonight - I'll swap you my 1980 53MY with no wiring issues straight up for that troublesome 58LRC.

 

[OBXTucker]

Yeah, I know Mike....it's pretty frustrating and I'll probably dump her for a song....

Of course, I was always partial to Ginger over Marianne too.....so what the heck do I know.

Anyone know where the Professor is? Gilligan?

 

[bigbill]

what wires did they have to remove? any chance they put the wires back on the heads wrong? bigbill

 

[Trojan]

It sounds as if one could be wired wrong. Providing the units were fine before you ripped them out. If you have time to read the amp. draw before the breaker trips, its not a dead short. An over load, but not a dead short. Maybe there is a pump motor on the unit that's tied up from setting with a stuck relay. What is common to the two units.There should be nothing common except the grounds. It's real hard to trip two circuits on two different breakers at the same time. Something is common to the two. I would look at the grounds on both units. The big question is how can you have voltage and amp load with nothing on? Something else is causing the draw. The voltage is going somewhere from the two breakers and it does not need to be at the units. Where is the rest of the story. Are these breakers GFI's? With this much amp draw and no work being performed your looking at a probability of a fire. Keep the breakers off until you find the trouble.

BILL

 

[REBrueckner]

"Master head AND guest head + water pump solenoid (seperate breakers) are both tripping. Master is on one circuit and guest head/water pump are on another."

Hmmmmmmmmmmm........I do not get that.....if the wiring is original and separate it should NOT happen....

So what's common? I'd pull the schematic drawing for the heads and look for clues first...a lot easier than crawling all over and not being able to see 3/4 of the wiring anyway..

I'd also shut off both breakers activate them one at a time and confirm that each breaker still trips when the other is off....

disconnect the positive leads from each toilet motor....both still tripping??? reconnect one at a time....can do the same with each motor ground....

good luck..post what you find....

 

[OBXTucker]

Well, the verdict is in and as suspected....there was nothing in common with the 2 faults, other than pure coincidence.

Guest head/water pump also happens to be tied into the guest shower sump pump.....which happened to have a clog which was shorting out the circuit/tripping the breaker.

Master head breaker was shot (replaced breaker and everything was fine).

I was obviously looking TOO deep into the entire situation, when independently neither was a big deal.

All is well....until the next thing breaks.

Speaking of which, I'm chasing gremlins on my FB Grill (that also happens to be tripping the breaker), but I'm guessing time & the elements have gotten the best of the equipment. Not sure if it's worth chasing down fried diodes/circuits....but I may work on it a little bit while in Soloman's this weekend. I miss the grill almost as much as I'd miss the head working!

Thanks for everyone's recommendations!

 

[REBrueckner]

"...there was nothing in common with the 2 faults.."

Good post and a good reminder......
ALWAYS check the simple stuff first....Like "light doesn't work"...is it plugged in? Is the bulb good,,etc,etc.....

It's amazing how that kind of thing can happen.....

I have switched on a 12 volt light and had a 120 volt light blow simultaneously .....nothing more than a bulb blowing, but what are the chances?? and also had the 12volt frig click on exactly as I switched on the light....

And stepping down from salon the galley level below every so often starts the 12 volt refrigeration...I finally decided a slight vibration must set off the thermostat in the frig adjacent to the steps....

And why when I walked to the aft bridgedeck does a sump pump cycle on...I am getting to heavy??

And what are the chances I would lose a GPS signal in Penobscot Bay on one of the few occasions I decided to make a run in really dense fog???? And on the that same run, what are the chances while running via compass, how could two USCG inflatibles approach out of the fog and ask when I had my last inspection????

I don't believe any of it....statistics does NOT work!!!!!

 

[Boatnut]

Well, the verdict is in and as suspected....there was nothing in common with the 2 faults, other than pure coincidence.

Guest head/water pump also happens to be tied into the guest shower sump pump.....which happened to have a clog which was shorting out the circuit/tripping the breaker.

Master head breaker was shot (replaced breaker and everything was fine).

I was obviously looking TOO deep into the entire situation, when independently neither was a big deal.

All is well....until the next thing breaks.

Speaking of which, I'm chasing gremlins on my FB Grill (that also happens to be tripping the breaker), but I'm guessing time & the elements have gotten the best of the equipment. Not sure if it's worth chasing down fried diodes/circuits....but I may work on it a little bit while in Soloman's this weekend. I miss the grill almost as much as I'd miss the head working!

Thanks for everyone's recommendations!

Glad everything worked out for you. No big major repairs. Thanks again for letting us know what you found, all info is much appreciated here.