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31

Main Message Board / Replacing keel nuts in the water

« on: January 20, 2021, 11:01:52 AM »

Eximius is on the hard getting the butt cleaned and painted and the hull polished, I'm doing a few other things while on the hard.
A couple of the keel bolt nuts are showing a lite corrosion and I have purchased 316 SS nuts and washer with the intent of replacing them all.

However, it would seem pointless to replace them without taking the opportunity to paint the bilge (before putting the new nuts & washers in place)

Because we have to stay on the boat overnight after splashing the boat on Wednesday morning ( a week from today ), and by all accounts the VOCs would make it untenable to sleep on the boat until venting for several days.

Therefore I'm considering doing on nut at a time while the boat is afloat after we get her back to her dock.

The good news is that I was easily able to loosen most of the nuts just to ensure it wasn't going to be an endurance test. I retightened them.

So, ok to replace them one at a time with the boat afloat?

32

Main Message Board / Re: Access Panel in Head

« on: November 07, 2020, 09:26:39 AM »

Jon, can you provide a few more pics of that water strainer (Vetus FTR140/16 ) that looks like a really good solution.

If our Raw Water intake is blocked (baggy, grass, etc) I have to disconnect the hose that connects to the thru hull and use a rod to clean anything from the intake. Your solution appears to setup such that you only have to take the lid off of the strainer and use a rod to clear. I'm guessing that the strainer is high enough that very little water overflows when the lid is removed (assuming the thru hull to be opened)

Paul.

33

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 23, 2020, 11:38:04 AM »

Well spotted Stu.
We do, but not what one would guess.

The Freedom Inverter is controlled by the Link 2000 system, Not by the 'Inverter' circuit breaker.

The 'Inverter' circuit breaker does not have a connection on the switched side.

We do have a 2nd inverter 400w. It's located in Aft Cabin. Used to charge the Handheld VHF, Winchrite, and Dyson Vacuum cleaner.

Not sure why the 'Inverter' circuit breaker is there! I'm making a connection between it and the terminal blocks simply to allow for any future use, can't think of any right now.

I spent quite a while figuring out what it was for. PO didn't know either.

34

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 22, 2020, 03:45:56 PM »

Modified as per Ken's suggestions.

Thanks Ken!

35

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 22, 2020, 03:39:53 PM »

Ken, good points.

I like your idea of having the Green LED indicate that Shore Power is connected to the boat ie. Plugged in! An easy change.

Yes, the wires will connect to the breakers and not be spliced.

I was not changing out the Dual Circuit breaker. But I am replacing the lead Outlets (Port & Stbd) for GFCI.

Paul

36

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 20, 2020, 10:47:47 AM »

Thanks Ken, I really appreciate the effort you put into that.
You are correct, the GI should be shown on the boat side of the diagram.

Using that, and talking (email) with blue sea, and re-reading Don Casey's Sailboat Electrics Simplified, I came up with this schematic.

It provides continuous indication of a reverse polarity test and shows when Shore Power / Gen Power is connected and switched on.

Blue sea confirmed that the LED's that I purchased have 33kΩ but I will test that they illuminate when connected.

37

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 19, 2020, 03:16:49 AM »

Thanks Stu.

That's the basis of my circuit. They do have a really nice panel with their system installed for both shore and gen power circuits. I couldn't find the circuit they used for it however.

:)

Paul

38

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 18, 2020, 03:21:18 PM »

When  I view the blueseas link, none of the images show:) I'll see if contacting them gets anywhere.   (I'm using blue sea terminal blocks and new LEDs - surely they'll respond as I'm such a big spender      )

39

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 18, 2020, 03:17:56 PM »

I believe that the freedom was installed according to the Rabbit DIY kit sometime around 2006.

The wiring is a nightmare to figure out on the boat, so I'm going from their diagrams.

A second issue is that I know the some of the wiring is incorrect and the on the boat wiring does not match the installation instructions. eg. The boat has two external regulators, one is connected to the link 2000 system, but it's not connected to the Alternator, the 'standby' regulator is connected to the alternator.  The Solar output is not connected according to the wiring diagram in the diy kit.

So I'm anticipating that there will be other errors/alterations. It's because I couldn't make sense of it that I drew the diagrams from the hand drawn sketch in the docs that came with the boat and from the dozens of photos I have taken.

At the end of the day, when we start to pull all of the wiring from behind the panel, I'll have a better idea of what was there.  I have figured out the correct wiring for the panel, but that's pretty straight forward. I'll follow the link you provided Stu to see if I can adapt what we have to what we should have.

Paul

40

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 17, 2020, 02:18:06 PM »

After reviewing the actual wiring -v- the sketch that came with the boat docs, I conclude that this is the actual wiring's diagram

41

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 17, 2020, 01:47:03 PM »

Thanks Ken.
NC - NO Switch Common is to the lamp
The NO is to Hot
The NC is empty

The RP lamp is connected to the switch common and to to the Neutral pre-switched side of the circuit breaker.

The GI is connected to the earth just inside of the Boat Side Connector before the the AC Main Switch

The 110v is routed from the AC Main Switch -> the Inverter and from there to the Panel.

I left out the GI and the Inverter just to keep it simple.

I'll re-label the switch and include the GI and Inverter for clarity.

:)

Paul

42

Main Message Board / Re: Access Panel in Head

« on: October 17, 2020, 07:13:12 AM »

Here's an idea that I use.
When I replaced the Engine Raw Water Filter I purchased 3 of them. The 2nd is used for our Air Conditioner Raw Water and the 3rd is a spare.
If we ever had an issue with the Engine Raw Water Filter housing, I have 2 that I can use to quickly replace it.

Paul

43

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 17, 2020, 07:06:29 AM »

Currently (no pun intended) the light works. When I press the spring loaded Lamp Test Switch, it illuminates.

The issue is that I cannot test if the shore power terminals were incorrectly connected - reverse polarity.

Right now, if we plug in Shore Power, the AC Ready light illuminates, we then have been operating the Lamp Test switch, just to test the lamp. But we didn't realize that the wiring was not installed correctly, as a result, if the polarity was reversed, we would not be aware of it.

I'm not replacing the panel, which has the two lamps installed. I'm just rewiring it so that it's easier to maintain and I should sleep better at night (subject to the weather) 

44

Main Message Board / Re: Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 16, 2020, 03:06:47 PM »

Sorry, I should have labeled both indicators. (and spelt Neutral correctly  )

The second (top, unlabeled) LED just shows that Shore Power is available before making the AC Main Switch.

If the Neutral line is HOT then the Reverse Polarity Warning Lamp would illuminate.

If the RP  Warning lamp is not illuminated, then a quick press of the spring loaded Lamp Test Switch will illuminate the lamp (because it connects the lamp to the correctly HOT line and Earth.)

45

Main Message Board / Reverse Polarity Indicator Wiring

« on: October 16, 2020, 07:52:05 AM »

Yes, I searched for this issue, mine is a bit unique.

Our boat (1987 Mk 1) had a new electrical panel or update around 2006 looking at the documentation that came with the boat (I'm at least the 3rd owner).

Over the years, the wiring behind the panel has turned into spaghetti junction, the wire terminals are awful, AC connections are Wirenuts, Circuit breakers have as many as 4 terminals connected on the switched side, there are more butt connections than I have ever seen on a boat. Wire colors and sizes are not either consistent or appropriate and labels - electrical tape that may have something written in crayola years ago.

As I prepare for a major update on the wiring behind the panel, I inspected the AC breakers and in particular, the Reverse Polarity Indicator. The attached photo shows the R.P. Test Switch and lamp, note the empty switch tab. The attached diagram shows what I believe is the correct wiring for the Reverse Polarity Indicator system. (the red wire is the one I believe is missing).

I know that I can purchase a Reverse Polarity Plug to test the shore power at any dock we plug into, but the existing system has the facility, it's just that it doesn't work (at least, I can't see how it works)

Any suggestions? Note. We do have a Galvanic Isolator installed between the Shore Power boat side plug and before a Zantrex Freedom 20 Inverter Charger.

TIA.

Paul