Shore power circuit breaker

[rm_fleming]

Re: 1989, C-34, My shore power circuit breaker (on/off) switch pops "off" from time to time.  It may be O.K. for a week, then just goes to "off" with no apparent cause.  Of course, it only happens when I'm not there so my batteries drain.  The only thing I leave on A.C. is the battery charger. I have replaced the shore power cord, didn't help.  Any ideas?

[rirvine]

Have you measured the AC current that you boat is drawing when at the dock?   It could be that the CB has just aged and opens after a load has been on for some time - slow get warm and trips. I

[dave davis]

I would suggest that you report your problem to the harbor, they will check out your CB and may find that it is old and can not handle the ma it is designed for. They replaced mine and it now works great. Good Luck

[Rodney]

Perhaps your battery charger is going bad. Is it an old ferro-resonate unit? Anyway, you could eventually solve the problem through the process of elimination. Just unplug everything from the AC when you go. If the breaker still trips then the breakers bad (assuming there isn't a problem in the AC bus itself). If not, then start adding things back on one by one until the problem reoccurs. That'd be your culprit.

Rodney Grim
San Diego WA7ZIA

[Ted Pounds]

Roger,

Circuit breakers do go bad.  When they fail, for obvious reasons, they fail in the open position. And they can fail intermittently.  I would suggest replacing your circuit breaker and see if that solves the problem.  Even at the marine stores they're probably pretty cheap.

Ted