Several times this summer I have tried to plug my boat into a standard 110 receptical with a GFI circuit. My boat will always trip the GFI plug. However, others boats do not have this problem at the same dock. My boat will work with a standard 110 Receptacle and the adaptor, but when it comes to a GFI receptacle the boat trips it everytime. I was at Lake Cumberland Poker Run at the stated dock, every boat there was using the standard 110 power with no problem, my boat would not work. Thoughts?
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GFI and DOCK
- Thread starter borst
- Start date
Pdecate, I was wondering, when the boat is on the trailer I can plug into any wall outlet or GFI. Do you think the (not for sure what the name of this is) electric anti corrosion system could be at fault.The little control panel or test panel only works when plugged in at the dock?
borst;
try a few simple tests. first get a receptical tester at home depot, very inexpensive. it will check the outlet for correct polarity and will test the GFCI also. next, shut down all electrical systems on the boat including the main breaker, plug into to the GFCI outlet you have just checked with your new tester and know is working correctly. if you trip the GFCI without any breakers on in the boat you have either a bad cord outlet or bad cord. one at a time turn on your breakers starting with the main until you get the GFCI to trip. this will isolate the problem assuming it is on the boat.
let us know what you find.
try a few simple tests. first get a receptical tester at home depot, very inexpensive. it will check the outlet for correct polarity and will test the GFCI also. next, shut down all electrical systems on the boat including the main breaker, plug into to the GFCI outlet you have just checked with your new tester and know is working correctly. if you trip the GFCI without any breakers on in the boat you have either a bad cord outlet or bad cord. one at a time turn on your breakers starting with the main until you get the GFCI to trip. this will isolate the problem assuming it is on the boat.
let us know what you find.
If your boat has a GFI outlet in the boat, I know all my Regals did/do, and you plug shorepower into a GFI outlet then you will tend to blow the shoreside GFI. Turn turning off the breaker for your AC outlets and see if that solves your issue. My electrician friend tells me that plugging a GFI circuit into another GFI circuit is unwise as they work against each other.
You could also have a bad galvanic isolator.
You could also have a bad galvanic isolator.
Do what Vic said. with the boat out of the water the is no earth ground thus no GFCI fault. sounds like the white wire and green wire are connected somewhere. Easy to unhook that anti corrosion device and see what happens. With the boat out of the water you cound try a voltmeter between the boat green bonding wire or any bonded metal through hull, not the green AC wire, and house green wire and see if there is any voltage.
When I first plug into the GFI outlet, there is nothing turned on. I leave all breakers in the off position. My shore power cord has a green light on it that tells me it is connected. As soon as I plug into the GFI outlet that green light on my cord goes out and trips the GFI circuit. I am almost sure it is the anti corrosion device. Now I just need to know how to unplug it or turn it off? My boat works fine when plugged into the larger outlets at all docks.
Borst
the problem may be as simple as Roomer indicated the two GFCI outlets are not going to cooperate together. if you have an outlet on the boat that is not GFCI protected use that one. if not, get a 30amp to 20amp cord adapter that will let you land your shore power cord in a 30amp receptacle which is not GFCI protected. if you can borrow one from someone and test this out before you buy the adapter you may solve the problem without breaking a sweat.
the problem may be as simple as Roomer indicated the two GFCI outlets are not going to cooperate together. if you have an outlet on the boat that is not GFCI protected use that one. if not, get a 30amp to 20amp cord adapter that will let you land your shore power cord in a 30amp receptacle which is not GFCI protected. if you can borrow one from someone and test this out before you buy the adapter you may solve the problem without breaking a sweat.
check737, I think you are correct. As soon as I plug my shore power cord into the ship (this is with nothing on) the green light on the shore power cord goes out, and the dock GFI trips. I wonder how I turn or unplug the pro mariner galvonic isolater (what a name)? I do not want to be stuck again at a dock in the middle of summer with no AC.
Even tho everyone will say , "Do Not" do this as you will get electrocuted & die ! My Silverton is wired in such a way that I cannot hook up to GF outlets while on the hard w/o breakers popping everytime. This is when I use adapter to go from 15A to 30A connection on boat. All I do is use a three prong adapter to a two prong. Several other Silverton owners said this was B.S. but now use this so they can get power to boat's electrical system. Still alive & kicking.......maybe this year I'll fry !
BobJ, I see what you mean, by taking the 30a connector and using a two prong adaptor, you are eliminating the ground. Since I currently have a three prong 30amp to a three prong 15a or your standard 110v house looking adapter it still trips the ground. Since I am not an electrician and really dont want to unhook my galvonic isolator, this seems like it will work. Back to the RV store this spring.
Don't know if it means anything but my cable is white, most shore power cables are yellow. I had isolated (disconnected) the shore power cable from the back of the breakers and the GFI still popped on shore. With that said, it can only be the cable that is leaky. Called regal on the subject and they advised that I not plug into a GFI on shore.
Borst;
if i understood your last post correctly, you plug the shore power cord in dockside will all the breakers on the boat turned off and it still trips the GFCI outlet on the dock. if you have turned off the main breaker at the transom where the shore power cord hooks up to the boat and the problem still exists your solution is very easy. you have a bad shore power cord or cord cap. replace the shore power cord, or for an easy check, borrow one from a friend who does not have this problem on your dock. the galvanic isolator is upstream from the main breaker at the transom. using a 30amp receptacle does not remove the ground or the neutral. the only thing it does is step up the potential amperage from 20 amps to 30 amps. same with a 50 amp connection. for a safe connection to a 30 amp receptacle you simply need to use a 30 amp cord and step it down at the transom where that breaker will protect the lines upstream from it.
if i understood your last post correctly, you plug the shore power cord in dockside will all the breakers on the boat turned off and it still trips the GFCI outlet on the dock. if you have turned off the main breaker at the transom where the shore power cord hooks up to the boat and the problem still exists your solution is very easy. you have a bad shore power cord or cord cap. replace the shore power cord, or for an easy check, borrow one from a friend who does not have this problem on your dock. the galvanic isolator is upstream from the main breaker at the transom. using a 30amp receptacle does not remove the ground or the neutral. the only thing it does is step up the potential amperage from 20 amps to 30 amps. same with a 50 amp connection. for a safe connection to a 30 amp receptacle you simply need to use a 30 amp cord and step it down at the transom where that breaker will protect the lines upstream from it.
vic33004, when I plug my shore power cord into the boat, all of the breakers switches are in the off position, as soon as I turn the main breaker at the transom, the GFI trips. I have changed cords wiht no luck. I am sure it is the galvonic isolator, since this is the only item on my boat that differs from all of my friends boats who use the same GFI outlet and have no problems running there boats AC. I think BobJ is correct, I need to get an adapter that goes from three prongs to two. I need to bypass the ground completely on the dock end. 98% of the time I am at a standard 30amp dock with and have no problem. The boat will work on a standard 110 plug with no GFI, its those darn GFI dock recepticals that trip.
Borst;
you may be correct with the problem being at the galvanic islolator. I had problems with mine a few years back, it was a corrosion issue. turns out both isolators were wired incorrectly at the factory and did not protect the boat. although i did not plug into a GFCI outlet, i suspect that i would have had the same problem until the wiring was fixed. in my case the solution was a galvanic survey from a marine electrician, he isolated the problem and then wired the isolators correctly. corrosion problem was fixed. it might be worth looking at this before you replace the isolator. if yours is faulting at a GFCI it may not be protecting the boat from stray current.
you may be correct with the problem being at the galvanic islolator. I had problems with mine a few years back, it was a corrosion issue. turns out both isolators were wired incorrectly at the factory and did not protect the boat. although i did not plug into a GFCI outlet, i suspect that i would have had the same problem until the wiring was fixed. in my case the solution was a galvanic survey from a marine electrician, he isolated the problem and then wired the isolators correctly. corrosion problem was fixed. it might be worth looking at this before you replace the isolator. if yours is faulting at a GFCI it may not be protecting the boat from stray current.
Vic, not had any corrosion to speak of. The boat stays in dry storage. I think from some of the post above it may be imposible to plug a boat with a galvanic isolator into a smaller 110 15amp GFI circuit?? As stated I have no problems with the 30amp or non GFI dock connections. The boat has been at the dealer for the past several weeks getting gel work fixed and other issues resloved. Just glad to have her back even for the winter. Next spring I will play around with different grounding plugs.
borst,
The promariner galvanic isoloator will always trip a consumer grade GFI as the way it's designed for the startup 'check' it intentionally leaks a very small amt of current to ground. Mine does same thing when in storage over the winter. I have disconnect the ground wires from the Prosafe and jumper them together thereby bypassing the unit.
This has worked for me for the past two seasons since I installed the ProSafe. This way I can go down, plug into the household outlets in the storage building and charge my batteries.
There was a thread on this whole topic on the old Regalowners forum where a rep from ProMariner explained the whole thing.
Bob
The promariner galvanic isoloator will always trip a consumer grade GFI as the way it's designed for the startup 'check' it intentionally leaks a very small amt of current to ground. Mine does same thing when in storage over the winter. I have disconnect the ground wires from the Prosafe and jumper them together thereby bypassing the unit.
This has worked for me for the past two seasons since I installed the ProSafe. This way I can go down, plug into the household outlets in the storage building and charge my batteries.
There was a thread on this whole topic on the old Regalowners forum where a rep from ProMariner explained the whole thing.
Bob
you are going at it the wrong way. bypassing safety features such a gfci is never a good idea. Test your theory by unhooking the isolator. if that is the problem ask the maker for advice. dont use the wrong plug and cause other problems.