smoke but no fire

[Ken Juul]

Packing up the boat after a great weekend.  Started smelling smoke, electrical smoke. AC off, Batteries off, smoke continued.  took the Negative off the battery and the smoke started to diminish.  Opened the ports to let the smoke clear.  After some investigation, it is the wires to the LinkLite that are charred. It appeared to be working correctlyjust before the fire.  Haven't called Xantrex yet for troubleshooting info.  Can an internal failure in the LinkLite cause this or maybe just chaffed wires?

[KWKloeber]

Packing up the boat after a great weekend.  Started smelling smoke, electrical smoke. AC off, Batteries off, smoke continued.  took the Negative off the battery and the smoke started to diminish.  Opened the ports to let the smoke clear.  After some investigation, it is the wires to the LinkLite that are charred. It appeared to be working correctlyjust before the fire.  Haven't called Xantrex yet for troubleshooting info.  Can an internal failure in the LinkLite cause this or maybe just chaffed wires?

Yowsa.  I think regardless what could cause it (not knowledgeable on the LL) there's some over current protection missing at a key location?

Ken

[Footloose]

Has anyone else noticed that all circuits seem to contain smoke.  If too much of the smoke is allowed to escape the circuit no longer works.  Fuses are cheap smoke reduction agents.   

[Ken Juul]

I agree with both of you and in hindsight probably should have fused it, however, installation instructions said fusing not necessary because it is just monitoring loads and not high a high current load.  So much for following insturctions.

[KWKloeber]

I agree with both of you and in hindsight probably should have fused it, however, installation instructions said fusing not necessary because it is just monitoring loads and not high a high current load.  So much for following insturctions.

Well the instructions are probably "basically" correct, but ignore the fact that that WIRE to the LL can become a load sink if it touches something, so ANY wire that has the potential for current to it, must be protected at/below it's amperage capacity. 

Perhaps that was the issue? Or the LL failed and shorted that source?

"THEY" say - a fuse at the equipment "protects the equipment," a fuse at the source end "protects the wiring."

[mainesail]

I agree with both of you and in hindsight probably should have fused it, however, installation instructions said fusing not necessary because it is just monitoring loads and not high a high current load.  So much for following insturctions.

Fusing is always necessary or the wire becomes the fuse. The Link-Lite requires fusing in the wires connected to the positive side of the DC system...

[Ken Juul]

Thanks MS.  I stand corrected.  In my earlier post I was going from memory.  If the instructions called for fuses, they were installed.  Now I need to investigate why the fuses didn't protect the wires.

[WTunnessen]

You might check to make sure that the one of the wires going into the LL did not come lose and short. 

Although - if the wires are all fried, that could be hard. 

My monitor is on a panel with other devices and when adding/servicing these other devices, I have experienced one the wires coming lose & pulling out.  This happened just a few weeks ago.

The connections are small and require a very small screw driver which comes with the monitor in order to tighten down.

BTW - if you monitor starts acting odd and starts thinking that the battery is discharged (when you know its not) the problem is likely a bad fuse.

[Ken Juul]

Repalced all the damaged wires today.  It was wired correctly, per the diagram.  The fuse to the house bank blew, but when I got to the start battery wiring the fuse holder was a melted mess. Not sure of the failure mode, too damaged to tell, it uses the automotive blade type fuses, not the glass cylinder type, but it oboviously allowed the wires to get hot enough to melt.  Battery monitor was unharmed and both the banks of batteries seem to be charging ok, will see if they hold their charge over the next week.  Big bullet dodged