According the the owner's manual, the white dots next to the switches on the electrical panel are circuit breakers. They should pop out and show a red line when the load on the circuit exceeds the limit. To reset them, we push them back in.
I've never seen them work, and I'm not sure if they still do. Is there a way to test these circuit breakers without damaging the battery?
John Ring
CD28 #241 Tantalus
(heading south toward Block Island this week)
Can we test the CD electrical panel circuit breakers?
Moderator: Jim Walsh
Can we test the CD electrical panel circuit breakers?
Sailing involves the courage to cherish adventure and the wisdom to fear danger. Knowing where one ends, and the other begins, makes all the difference.
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Matt Cawthorne
- Posts: 355
- Joined: Mar 2nd, '05, 17:33
- Location: CD 36, 1982
Hull # 79
Fuse
You could try and short the back of the breaker to overload it with a fuse of slightly higher capacity. If it pops you could guess that it is working. If the fuse burns first, it is not working. Be prepared to shut the whole system off at the battery switch if things go wrong. A fire extinguisher at hand is prudent. Whatever you do, don't let the smoke out!
Matt
Matt
Can they be replaced?
I like the fuse idea, but I think I know what the test will tell me. Has anyone seen one of these work lately on their original CD electrical panel?
Can we buy replacement circuit breakers for these? Anything similar?
Maybe these "thermal breakers" at Defender?
John
Can we buy replacement circuit breakers for these? Anything similar?
Maybe these "thermal breakers" at Defender?
John
Sailing involves the courage to cherish adventure and the wisdom to fear danger. Knowing where one ends, and the other begins, makes all the difference.
John,
To answer your last post in part, Yes I had an original one trip shortly after we got our Dory. More on replacements later.
Concerning your first post, I have been checking around with some people that I know before I opened my mouth. So far, I have been told of a few ways to test them, but none are something that a typical owner has the equipment on board to do. Plus if you had the equipment they were talking about, I doubt seriously if you would be posting this question.
Anyway, the closest thing to a self test I have been advised of is to place a large load on the breaker and watch it trip. To get closer to a real test though, you will need to know the exact load you are put on it, and to verify the set point you will need know that the load is about 130% of its rating.
Now if you decide to try this be extremely extremely cautious, you don't want any injuries or damage and that is always possible. Personally, I do not recommend that you try testing them yourself especially since the things are so cheap. Just replace them for your own peace of mind.
When it comes to replacements I got mine from Pacer Marine. It has been several years, so I am sure the price has gone up some, but the best I can remember they were 2 or 3 dollars a piece.
This is their main site:
http://www.pacermarine.com/
The part you are looking for is on the last page. Series 658 is the closest to what our original ones were, and like I said they were cheap. However, you could get a little fancier and go with the ones that you can manually turn off.
http://www.pacermarine.com/catalogparts ... eakers.pdf
Well I hope this has helped.
To answer your last post in part, Yes I had an original one trip shortly after we got our Dory. More on replacements later.
Concerning your first post, I have been checking around with some people that I know before I opened my mouth. So far, I have been told of a few ways to test them, but none are something that a typical owner has the equipment on board to do. Plus if you had the equipment they were talking about, I doubt seriously if you would be posting this question.
Anyway, the closest thing to a self test I have been advised of is to place a large load on the breaker and watch it trip. To get closer to a real test though, you will need to know the exact load you are put on it, and to verify the set point you will need know that the load is about 130% of its rating.
Now if you decide to try this be extremely extremely cautious, you don't want any injuries or damage and that is always possible. Personally, I do not recommend that you try testing them yourself especially since the things are so cheap. Just replace them for your own peace of mind.
When it comes to replacements I got mine from Pacer Marine. It has been several years, so I am sure the price has gone up some, but the best I can remember they were 2 or 3 dollars a piece.
This is their main site:
http://www.pacermarine.com/
The part you are looking for is on the last page. Series 658 is the closest to what our original ones were, and like I said they were cheap. However, you could get a little fancier and go with the ones that you can manually turn off.
http://www.pacermarine.com/catalogparts ... eakers.pdf
Well I hope this has helped.
Lee
S/V Solomon Lee
S/V Solomon Lee
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Oswego John
- Posts: 3535
- Joined: Feb 5th, '05, 20:42
- Location: '66 Typhoon "Grace", Hull # 42, Schooner "Ontario", CD 85D Hull #1
Testing Circuit Breakers
Hi John and all.
There is a saying that some people ascribe to in regard to the circuit breakers (CBs): "If in doubt, toss 'em out." Properly functioning CBs are cheap insurance.
Here is another way to test whether a CB is operating and at what amperage it kicks off.
Turn the switch for the breaker to Off. Disconnect the load wire of the breaker.
Hook up a rheostat (variable resistor ) between the breaker's load terminal and negative (-). You can buy a rheostat for a couple of bucks at Radio Shack or any electronic supplier. Reactivate the circuit.
Using Ohm's Law, amperage is found by dividing voltage (12v +) by the resistance. The resistance across the rheostat can be measured with your multimeter. Rotate the wiper, which will lower the resistance, until the breaker kicks off. Read the ohms and compute the amps at which it kicked off.
If you own a clamp-on type of meter, you can double check the amps at any point of the series circuit between the breaker load/rheostat/negative.
Good luck,
O J
There is a saying that some people ascribe to in regard to the circuit breakers (CBs): "If in doubt, toss 'em out." Properly functioning CBs are cheap insurance.
Here is another way to test whether a CB is operating and at what amperage it kicks off.
Turn the switch for the breaker to Off. Disconnect the load wire of the breaker.
Hook up a rheostat (variable resistor ) between the breaker's load terminal and negative (-). You can buy a rheostat for a couple of bucks at Radio Shack or any electronic supplier. Reactivate the circuit.
Using Ohm's Law, amperage is found by dividing voltage (12v +) by the resistance. The resistance across the rheostat can be measured with your multimeter. Rotate the wiper, which will lower the resistance, until the breaker kicks off. Read the ohms and compute the amps at which it kicked off.
If you own a clamp-on type of meter, you can double check the amps at any point of the series circuit between the breaker load/rheostat/negative.
Good luck,
O J
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M. R. Bober
- Posts: 1122
- Joined: Feb 6th, '05, 08:59
- Location: CARETAKER CD28 Flybridge Trawler
Mr Dunn, you are electrifying!
Excellent post, OJ. You've done it again.
Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster (where Ohm's Law is awaiting judical review), VA
Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster (where Ohm's Law is awaiting judical review), VA
CDSOA Founding Member
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Mark Yashinsky
- Posts: 258
- Joined: Feb 6th, '05, 15:24
- Location: 1980 CD27, #173
Second Chance
O.J. and Ohm's Law
The largest wirewound pot that R.S. has, can only handle 3 watts. Using the correct Law, 3 watts at 12v is only pulling 1/4A (across 48 ohms). What size breakers are being tested? The ones I use, are in the 5 to 10A range, which means the load will be dissipating 60 to 120W of power (at 12V), before being close to tripping.
Power resistors that can handle that that much are going to be at least $20.
Power resistors that can handle that that much are going to be at least $20.