Microwave, No Power

[RiverRat]

OK, Over the weekend I was showing my boat to a potential buyer and he has never owned a boat with a power dist. panel. I showed him the basics on how to turn the different items on and off, all went fine and everything powered up as usual. I took them for a ride then returned to my slip about an hour later. The wife went to warm something in the microwave but it wouldn't power up... No clock no nothing. When just an hour before it powered up just fine.

Now, not being an electrician... Where do I need to start troubleshooting? What all needs to be checked before I condem the microwave.

Thanks in advance for any help with this...

 

[JC3]

I had the same mystery!!!! GFI'S were tripped. Problem solved & i have to give credit to FW and the other Experts who Diag it right off the bat. Hope this helps, JC

 

[oysteinhermansen]

I had the same mystery!!!! GFI'S were tripped. Problem solved & i have to give credit to FW and the other Experts who Diag it right off the bat. Hope this helps, JC

GFI ? I had the same problem in my Sea Ray 315. What is GFI ?

 

[duman95]

GFI - Ground Fault Interupting. These are the same style outlets you have in your bathroom/kitchen in newer homes.

The issue is you can have a few NON GFI outlets wired in parellel to the one GFI. Good for protection, bad for trouble shooting. If the GFI outlet trips all those wired in parrelle trip.

I would bet if there is a GFI on your boat is it by water either the galley or head. Push in the Test button, then push in the rest button.

Sometime the mechanics in the GFIs get loose and they trip easily or the button on the front is over sensitive and plugging somthing in trips the button accidentially...

 

[jrirvine1]

The protection devise built into the GFI is typically for receptacles only. It would seem odd to me that the microwave is wired on the same circuit. If resetting the GFI does not work, locate your master breaker panel and reset the breaker for the microwave. Not sure where your panel is, but the likely spots are in the engine compartment or under the helm station in an access door.

 

[smanier]

I just had to replace my microwave. It just stopped working.

 

[Cocktail Time]

Just for giggles, most microwaves, actually every one I've seen; are plugged into a receptacle and even though it can be on it's own circuit, most newer boats have them on a GFI as well.

I don't know if it is an ABYC standard but in terrestrial construction anything within 6 feet of a water source, ie galley sink, must be on a GFI circuit to be within code.

Sorry to hear it was the microwave, alot more expensive than pressing the reset button.

Dan

 

[RiverRat]

I just got off the phone with the person who I showed the boat to over the weekend and it's looking like we have the boat sold.... Now I've got to find the problem a bit more quickly. I tried the galley GFI and that's not it. The outlet still works, so it's either the switch/breaker on the dist. panel or it came unplugged behind the galley??? Or the microwave is just toast. The sad part is... I think this was the first time this season we tried to use it...

 

[RiverRat]

Well, just got back from the boat... Microwave is fixed. The lucky winner of the "What's Wrong With My Microwave" contest is... Cocktail Time!!!

It came unplugged from behind the galley.

Thanks to all for all your informative answers, it just so happened that when I pulled the microwave out of it's hole, you could see the cord dangling. Plugged it back in and life is once again good.

Also, The boat is SOLD!