High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surge??

[Iprof]

We splashed today and was I a happy camper, last year I had 4 heart attacks in June and our boating season was two or three short trips in late Sept for a few hours so this is going to be a great boating summer.
They rewired our marine this winter and I now have 30 amps at the slip yahoooo.
I get the boat into the slip adjust all the lines plug the shore power in and start testing the systems.
I turn the AC to start check the pump lots of water is flowing and I turn the switch to run. The shore power breaker trips. I try it twice more making sure there is nothing else drawing AC power but it continues to trip. I start the generator and go through the same process but this time it starts like normal. The AC has always had a high current draw needle on the amp gauge bounces up to 50 amps but goes straight down to 9.5 amps and the unit runs perfect and is very quiet.
We try my boat on another power source and it pops the breaker when I turn the AC unit on. We connect another boat with a larger AC unit and it starts and runs perfect on either power source.
I have a 12000 btu reverse air (Marine Air) original AC system on a 1988 300da with the 3 knob control.
I am wondering if others that have AC every notice the current draw on their amp meters at start up or had this problem.
I am thinking it is the capacitor in the hard start kit but I would like to hear others thoughts on this.

Ken

 

[jimmy]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

Had the same problem, changed out the capacitor and had the unit topped up with refrigerant, works good so far and draws 5 amps.

 

[Mike Blake]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

We splashed today and was I a happy camper, last year I had 4 heart attacks in June and our boating season was two or three short trips in late Sept for a few hours so this is going to be a great boating summer.
They rewired our marine this winter and I now have 30 amps at the slip yahoooo.
I get the boat into the slip adjust all the lines plug the shore power in and start testing the systems.
I turn the AC to start check the pump lots of water is flowing and I turn the switch to run. The shore power breaker trips. I try it twice more making sure there is nothing else drawing AC power but it continues to trip. I start the generator and go through the same process but this time it starts like normal. The AC has always had a high current draw needle on the amp gauge bounces up to 50 amps but goes straight down to 9.5 amps and the unit runs perfect and is very quiet.
We try my boat on another power source and it pops the breaker when I turn the AC unit on. We connect another boat with a larger AC unit and it starts and runs perfect on either power source.
I have a 12000 btu reverse air (Marine Air) original AC system on a 1988 300da with the 3 knob control.
I am wondering if others that have AC every notice the current draw on their amp meters at start up or had this problem.
I am thinking it is the capacitor in the hard start kit but I would like to hear others thoughts on this.

Ken

i had the same problem. They put ground fault breakers in the dock. I changed the breaker to non GF. Works fine

 

[Iprof]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

Had the same problem, changed out the capacitor and had the unit topped up with refrigerant, works good so far and draws 5 amps.

Thanks Jimmy do you remember where you got the capacitor and the cost.


Ken

 

[Iprof]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

i had the same problem. They put ground fault breakers in the dock. I changed the breaker to non GF. Works fine

All the 30 amp breakers are gfi right in the panel. I don't know if code would allow them to do that but I might ask them.

Thanks

Ken

 

[Old Vet]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

" I start the generator and go through the same process but this time it starts like normal."

are you saying it starts and runs normally on gen power...and is only tripping the breaker on shore power?

"The AC has always had a high current draw needle on the amp gauge bounces up to 50 amps but goes straight down to 9.5 amps and the unit runs perfect and is very quiet."

This is normal.

 

[Larry]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

What is the actual voltage your getting on the dock? With there new system could there be a slight voltage drop (less then 110v), which would cause an increase in amperage and would blow the breaker? I don't think the capacitor would couse this because it works fine running on generator.

 

[Iprof]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

Yes the high amp draw has always been normal.

Larry I have 123V on shore power. When I am running the genny and turn the AC on the voltage drops below 100 on the boat analogy meter, I will connect a digital and get the exact voltage.

Ken

 

[Larry]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

The high Amperage draw is normal at start up, start up can run up to 300% of your running load. The breakers are designed for this and should hold, maybe you have a weak breaker? But this doesn't explain why it would run off the genny...

 

[Iprof]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

The high Amperage draw is normal at start up, start up can run up to 300% of your running load. The breakers are designed for this and should hold, maybe you have a weak breaker? But this doesn't explain why it would run off the genny...

It's not the breaker, tried it in another slip and it does the same thing. The breakers the panel even the wires are all new, nothing was reused in the marina rewire this winter. My genny does not have a GFI and that could be the reason high current draw and the voltage drop a GFI won't allow that, it trips. Code does not allow them to switch the GFI out and put a standard 30 amp breaker in.
I started to take the AC apart today and take the capacitor out will finish Monday and have it tested. It is possible that it is the "Hard Start Kit" that has gone but I am leaning more toward the capacitor, Monday we will know. I would like to replace the capacitor and the hard start kit with a Supco SPP6-e but the Canadian distributor in Barrie has a policy that they will only sell the units to people with a HVAC license. I told them it's an electrical problem not an AC but they would not budge, not even when I told him that I can but it out of the states on the internet direct from the manufacture. The genny will rev up as the voltage drops and the amps increase, it recovers in less than a second. From what I have read about the SPP6e it will prevent the high amp draw which is very hard on the AC systems. I have read alot about them on RV sites and the manufactures. It looks like a good mod for our boats. I should run the genny and make a video of the gauges and you will hear the genny if I remove the hatch before I remove it.


Thanks for the suggestions Larry.

Ken

 

[Larry]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

Any large amperage motor (especially a compresor) is very hard on a GFI, try that kit but I am not sure that will do it (I hope it does). GFI's on the dock is a problem...

 

[Alex F]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

The biggest issue I see here is that (if I recall correctly) the GFI breaker trips with only A/C being the power user. I'm not sure what kind of magic this kit will do, but ideally you'll have a lot more equipment drawing the juice out of that breaker. So, the kit sounds like a bandage to the issue.

 

[CV-23]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

It's a ground fault issue....been there with mine, Mike.

 

[Iprof]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

It's a ground fault issue....been there with mine, Mike.

I have a ground fault issue only when I turn my AC on and only when on shore power not on the generator??? Maybe you could explain that to me I don't understand that.


Alex


Every marine AC unit has a hard start kit built in, a home AC window unit will have a hard start kit on the larger units. The capacitor is like a reserve tank that is holding power for the initial start when you experience a high current draw and a low voltage drop, it prevents it. If the capacitor goes or the control for the capacitor you have high current draw and voltage drop. I can buy either a hard start capacitor or hard start with the control for on and off (to keep it simple) for less than $30.00, Marine Air which is now owned by Dometic wants $625.00 for the hard start kit for my boat. I think it is a no brainer who not to buy from. If you look on your AC schematic you will see the hard start kit.


Ken

 

[2texoma]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

I can buy either a hard start capacitor or hard start with the control for on and off (to keep it simple) for less than $30.00, Marine Air which is now owned by Dometic wants $625.00 for the hard start kit for my boat. I think it is a no brainer who not to buy from. If you look on your AC schematic you will see the hard start kit.


Ken

Yup,I'm with you on where not to buy.
Try Acklands-Grainger Inc. WWW.acklandsgrainger.com or call them 1-888-602-0000
$30 isn't bad if the mfg will sell you. If you don't find satisfaction,pm me and I will call you for specs and buy one here and ship it to you.
Anywho, if the hard start doesn't fix it,I have a few thoughts regarding the GFI arangement. Are you sure noone else had similar experence after the dock was rewired? I would even go as far as connecting another boat to your pedistal in case there is a problem isolated to only your slip. Assuming all that checked out,there is a chance your system has something the GFI doesn't like. Have you recently connected to a different GFI protected supply? I wouldn't suggest this for just anyone but it's obivuse from your remarks you know your way around electrical. Have you used a sensitivy multi-meter testing for stray current and poor bonding? Maybe temporarly connecting a conductor from pedistal housing or safety ground lug to your 4th safety lug test for high resistance/lack of continuty in the cord,plug or junctions. Same tests from hvac unit to onboard breaker box. Just brain storming. Good luck with it.

 

[SCORPIO]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

How old is your shore power cord? Just a WAG but try a different (newer) cord and see if the problem persists. I'm wondering if maybe you have an older cord and when the high current load from the AC kicks in, if perhaps there is some kind of ground fault that is causing the breaker to trip. Borrow a friends cord and see what happens.

 

[Iprof]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

I like everyones idea's and I like the brain storming and the suggestions, it does give me other things to look at and think about.
Thanks for the offer to buy in the states and ship to me, I did open a US paypal account yesterday and I do have a winter home in Florida that my mail gets forward to me in Canada right now so I should have that covered but if there is a problem I will take you up on the offer. We are going to try 3 different but used shore cords in the morning. I would be great if that is all it is and I have my fingers crossed on that one.

Ken


Ken

 

[2texoma]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

Johnstone Supply has several locations in Fl and their online catalog is very user friendly as well as the counter help at thier mortor & bricks.

 

[Alex F]

Re: High amp draw when I turn ac on trips show power breaker. What is your power surg

....Alex


Every marine AC unit has a hard start kit built in, a home AC window unit will have a hard start kit on the larger units. The capacitor is like a reserve tank that is holding power for the initial start when you experience a high current draw and a low voltage drop, it prevents it. If the capacitor goes or the control for the capacitor you have high current draw and voltage drop. I can buy either a hard start capacitor or hard start with the control for on and off (to keep it simple) for less than $30.00, Marine Air which is now owned by Dometic wants $625.00 for the hard start kit for my boat. I think it is a no brainer who not to buy from. If you look on your AC schematic you will see the hard start kit.


Ken

Ken,

It sounds like your unit is missing either the hard start kit or capacitor. If this is the case, then this would mean that the problem should have been there form the day one. But, my understanding is that there was no problem and it started only after the marina changed all dock wiring. Am I missing something?