Is it in a place where there could have been a 220 appliance at one time?I have a GFCI which pops anytime a load is put on it. Also, I took my meter and measured the voltage at the plug and found 240+- volts. My guess is it may have been wired incorrectly. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Phil
Is it in a place where there could have been a 220 appliance at one time?
Not likely. I was told 220v power comes from 2 110, legs. The past owner may have been attached to the wrong positions on the GFCI receptacle.
I can fix mechanical things, I hardly understand electrical. I had a mechanic look and he was flummuxed also.
Phil
More than likely the neutral is hooked up to a hot wire or terminal block back at the main panel somewhere.
it is common to share a neutral with two 120 volt circuits. I personally would not do this on a boat but maybe someone did. If the GFCI is placed in the wrong place along the shared neutral it will trip if the other circuit is used. Once tripped the neutral can become hot! One of my guys wired one in like this the other day. Once a neutral is opened (as in tripping the GFCI) 240 volts can be seen on the loads when the GFCI is tripped. Did you see the 240 volts with the GFCI tripped or when it was not tripped? That will be key in helping you determine the issue. My money is it has to do with the neutral and placement of the GFCI but just an educated guess with the current information available. Measure voltage from hot to neutral, hot to ground, and neutral to ground. Do this with the GFCI tripped and then again with it not tripped. This will help in determining the problem.
You need a marine electrician, not a mechanic, before someone gets hurt.Not likely. I was told 220v power comes from 2 110, legs. The past owner may have been attached to the wrong positions on the GFCI receptacle.
I can fix mechanical things, I hardly understand electrical. I had a mechanic look and he was flummuxed also.
Phil
You need a marine electrician, not a mechanic, before someone gets hurt.
Bottom line is we're all just guessing here at what the solution to your problem is.
get a simple plug in GFCI tester and verify which ones pass and which ones fail. then find out the order of the circuits. If you treat the problem as links in a chain, it won't be as intimidating. Only thing is chains don't shock you...
You have a circuit that is wired incorrectly.
These are not built for 220V. Who knows what it will show if it doesn't smoke first.I stopped by Lowes and purchased an outlet tester GFCI capable. I will rattle the chain in the morning, come looking for me if I do not show up for dinner.
Thanks
Phil
I think everyone's concerns are misplaced. Sure the receptacle may cause some problems to equipment and wiring within the vessel, but the concern should be with the original owner's condition. Post #4 clearly states that the previous owner was attached to wrong positions on the GFCI. How is his condition? Did he stay attached very long? I was shocked NOT to see any concern on this Forum for his condition.
dan
"instead of a simple terminal block for the DC connection...sure enough the factory installed an outlet and regular old 110 plug.nicely labeled though."
A house plug and sockets are great for DC as they wipe and clean when the plug goes in.
With most boats having no 240v items , the use of a 15A or 20A plug an socket built in the 240V style is a great way to power DC items of less than 20A.
These are cheap (in boat terms) and work well as DC supplys as the ground pin (not hooked up ) works to self polarize the circuit.
About 3X the current caring ability of a std cigar lighter socket and plug.
A boat with a genuine 240v socket and plug need can simply use a std 240V with a 30A plug and socket so there is no confusion.
Assuming the the correct setup was used...as we know...you never know for sure what some will do on bosts.
I finally looked behind my fridge this week ...instead of a simple terminal block for the DC connection...sure enough the factory installed an outlet and regular old 110 plug.nicely labeled though..fortunately the label glue is better than the construction methods.
Having read that some people have had their DC systems with black and white wiring (like the old Furuno power cords)....I wonder what color code is used in the OPS boat and still wondering if the boat is wired for a 50A 125 /250 or 2 30A cords and how the out of phase leg is in the outlet line and not the whole boat.
My boat is wired 50a 125/250.
Phil