1986 SunDancer 250 breaker panel question...

[nvenezia]

Can someone explain the differences when pluged into shore power and when out on the water with just your batterys? This is how i think it works, correct me if wrong.

1. When out on the water the shore panel is not use for anything. For example, I have a switch for outlets, refrigerater, water heater and converter. None of these do anything when out on the water.

2. When plugged into shorepower, and with the converter switch on my battery charger\converter is charging and producing 12volts for anything that I have switched on.

Nick

http://tinypic.com/vggpc

 

[yachtjim]

Your boat has 2 seperate electrical systems. The AC system (converter, AC refrig, water heater) will only work when plugged into shorepower. If you are not plugged into shorepower then they will not work.

Your other system, the DC system, powers most things on the boat like lights, DC refrig, stereo, bilge pumps, trim tabs, head, etc. The DC cystem will work anytime your battery switches are on as the system is powered from the batteries. Your batteries get charged from the engine alternator and from your AC powered converter (battery charger).

If you are not running your engine and you are not plugged into shorewpoer your batteries will run down after a period of time depending on how many DC systems you are running.

Your panel should have a DC section and an AC section, this will let you know which systems run off which kind of power.

If you ever want to use the AC system while you are away from the dock you can get an inverter which creates AC power from a DC system.

Did this explain everything?