Electrical Issue

[tackleshep]

Ok need some help or advice here. Got the call today from the marina who is still doing some port side engine work that my battery charger was dead and needed to be replaced. Ok no big deal I'm familiar with the definition of b.o.a.t but went out there tonight to do some more delivery of bedding and organizing and found the boat basically without power. The air worked fine but all the light or any other power source was dim or dead. What it seems is that every electrical connection on the boat is routed through the batteries and the shore power is doing nothing but running the charger for the batteries.

Now I've owned campers before but always understood when your hooked into direct power the batteries are bypassed. Is this right?? The air is obviously not involved in the battery process but why wouldn't things like the outlets and the lights work direct from batteries and then have a high dollar charger to keep the batteries running.....wouldn't this stress both the charger and batteries or is this just normal procedure for watercraft??

[seapuppy]

nope..normal...batt's run your 12vdc lights and any other system that is 12vdc....your ac system is 120vac...anything in the galley is usually 120vac....so..hooking up the shore pwr is going to run all the 120vac systems like ac...fridge....tv(unless the new 12vdc flat panels).......your 120vac receptacles will not be affected....just need to turn them on at the shore pwr 120vac panel...

so..since the batt charger is dead...the 12vdc system isn't getting anything to replace the charge in the batts......

hopefully this makes sense.....

SP

[tackleshep]

Thanks, what your saying makes perfect sense. The fridge still didn't work which you wouldn't think would be 12V but everything else your saying makes sense other than the fact that it would sure seem like a bypass system would make more sense.....being new to the power world of these boats it just doesn't make sense that when your plugged in to keep charging and using the batteries. But oh well I was more concerned something else was wired weird.

Thanks

[TonyA]

Do you have 2 shore inlet plugs for 2 leads: if so to have all your 120vac stuff working they have to be both in, this might explain why the fridge and some outlets don’t work? SP is right in what me is saying in regards to the 12vdc

[tackleshep]

yeah the shop is doing a little more research. Both leads are connected and getting power to the board. According to the shop things like the fridge and 110 outlets should be working but right now it looks like the fridge is only working off battery power which is what is draining the batteries. Were going to get the new charger installed hopefully today and then we will know more.

[seapuppy]

don't forget to check the gfi on one of the outlets....if it's popped...then all the outlets are dead....

SP