Starting the boat while hooked up to shore power

Steve OD said:
So this is a little off topic, but Little Ducky shuts his genny of while on the hook, but what happens to the refrigerator and Ice maker? If you leave my boat moored for a half day, do you leave the genny off or does the fridge stay cool with no power to it for 4-5 hours?
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My fridge is dual voltage ...is yours not?
 
I'm not sure, just got it in the fall and only did a one day sea trial before haul out and winterizing
 
a marine frig is dual power and will run off the batteries if no 110VAC is present.....but the freezer will only run on 110VAC.....so if the genny is not running and you are not hooked to shore power the ice in the freezer is going to melt....

cliff
 
Steve OD said:
I'm not sure, just got it in the fall and only did a one day sea trial before haul out and winterizing
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Ah, copy ..yeah your fridge will run off your batteries. No worries.
 
I always start the blowers and motors first, then get everything ready to go including shutting down and disconnecting the electric.
 
CliffA said:
a marine frig is dual power and will run off the batteries if no 110VAC is present.....but the freezer will only run on 110VAC.....so if the genny is not running and you are not hooked to shore power the ice in the freezer is going to melt....

cliff
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Both my galley fridge and freeze run on 12v, but not all that Well. The fridge in the cockpit should, but doesnt. Best to test for yourself. See what breakers are available to give you an idea and then try it out.
 
importmonkey said:
Both my galley fridge and freeze run on 12v, but not all that Well. The fridge in the cockpit should, but doesnt. Best to test for yourself. See what breakers are available to give you an idea and then try it out.
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interesting....that is the first I have heard of a freezer running of batteries DC power.....I would imagine that puts a heavy load on the batteries.....

cliff
 
searay495 said:
I'm curious as to why some people run with the generator on. I understand the theory of exercising a generator. Unless you also have your A/C on, what's the advantage?
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Maybe it is a Florida thing... It gets warm.

When we are on the boat we have power active. Either through shore power at the dock, or the genset. It is rare that we would run without the genset on. Just our preference.

Boat stays cool inside all the time, don't have to wait for the inside to cool off after we tie up for the day. Personal boating style, we typically are not sitting in the marina, when we are on the boat we are moving. Got in the habit a long time ago, just our default.

Mark
 
CliffA said:
interesting....that is the first I have heard of a freezer running of batteries DC power.....I would imagine that puts a heavy load on the batteries.....

cliff
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Screenshot_20180425-230307.png


It's definitely not that effective when on battery.

That's said, I run my generator every time I'm away from the dock unless we are anchored and need some peace and quiet. It keeps the air blowing in the cockpit and the fridges/freezer going. Also, I rarely used it on the last boat, so it only got exercise when I needed it to work - which meant it never worked. Running it often means I can catch little problems before they turn into big deals.
 
What's maddening, it's that the cockpit fridge/ freezer is only 120v. I sware it's the same as in my old 260 in the galley, but it won't run on DC. Another reason to run the genny - that's the beer fridge!
 
importmonkey said:
What's maddening, it's that the cockpit fridge/ freezer is only 120v. I sware it's the same as in my old 260 in the galley, but it won't run on DC. Another reason to run the genny - that's the beer fridge!
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Not sure why, but the 390/40/44 did not have a DC wire run to the cockpit PORT side. Only a 120v outlet down in there for the fridge or icemaker.
 
I turn the genny on after I start the engines. It runs almost all of the time we are away from the dock. I invested in a sound shield and dual stage muffler so the genny is quiet. In the fall and spring we do turn it off when anchored if neither AC or heat are needed.
 
Steve OD said:
So this is a little off topic, but Little Ducky shuts his genny of while on the hook, but what happens to the refrigerator and Ice maker? If you leave my boat moored for a half day, do you leave the genny off or does the fridge stay cool with no power to it for 4-5 hours?
Click to expand...

Can't talk about an ice maker since I don't have one..... but the old frig is still doing very well on AC or DC power. My frig is the size of a dorm room frig.
 
I've always disconnected power prior to starting. I don't like the idea of the battery charger and the alternators charging the batteries at the same time. I figure, under the right scenario, it COULD damage the alternator, the charger or the batteries. It probably won't, but why take the chance? Just my $0.02.
 
For those that have a newer pro mariner I wonder what the digital display says when running an engine(s).

Does it even change?

I'm thinking the newer battery tenders are pretty smart and will shut down internally when they sense your batteries are are seeing a voltage above 12.5-13v but that's just a guess seeing there's no in the owners manual.
 
importmonkey said:
View attachment 55273

It's definitely not that effective when on battery.

That's said, I run my generator every time I'm away from the dock unless we are anchored and need some peace and quiet. It keeps the air blowing in the cockpit and the fridges/freezer going. Also, I rarely used it on the last boat, so it only got exercise when I needed it to work - which meant it never worked. Running it often means I can catch little problems before they turn into big deals.
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I made the mistake of equating the 'freezer' section of a frig with an 'ice maker' when I made my earlier comments.....I am pretty sure an 'ice maker' only runs on 110VAC.....

thanks....
cliff
 
Facebook is a place for your mother-in-law to show off photos of your kids or her garden club meeting.....not a place to get boating advice.

The reason some boats blow fuses if they are started with shore power connected is because they are probably a model that did not come with a battery isolator. A 70-100 amp alternator on your engine will back feed enough current to blow a fuse on a 60A convertor unless the batteries are isolated.

Some people run their generators all the time because of air conditioning, but some boats have only 120V refrigeratora, icemakers, etc. Additionally, there is some necessary equipment on some larger boats that is powered by the generator, like the power steering pump and the stabilizers.
 
Frank has my vote on the why the charger fuse blows. Also I would speculate that a failing or failed isolator would not operate as expected and could lead to issues when the inverter is on and engines are running.

I don't start from the inverter because the newer pro-mariner chargers actually have enough current output to mask a nearly dead battery. I usually kill the charger, then start the engines, then disconnect power and water....
 
Little Ducky said:
For those that have a newer pro mariner I wonder what the digital display says when running an engine(s).

Does it even change?

I'm thinking the newer battery tenders are pretty smart and will shut down internally when they sense your batteries are are seeing a voltage above 12.5-13v but that's just a guess seeing there's no in the owners manual.
Click to expand...

I just looked at this yesterday, the Promariner shows the battery voltage but 0 output.
 
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