Reverse Polarity/240 SeaRay 2000

[scubamiller]

I had my boat pluged into 115VAC shore power for a few days. Today I checked on it and on the main distribution panel the reverse polarity red light was on. I cannot find anything in the owners manual that talk about it. I unpluged the shore power and the batteries seem to be OK. What does the reverse polarity light mean and could there be any hidden problems because of it? Thanks.
Scubamiller

 

[hack4alivin]

It could mean a loss of phase from your shore power A/C. It could be either at the plug on dock or a loss wire on the plug coming into your boat. That would be a bigger deal as loose wires will create hot connections, when left unchecked can cause a fire. Check your shore power line and plug first to make sure it is plugged in all the way. Either way don't leave it plugged in unattended until you find the source of the problem.... Good luck.

 

[Kreole Kid]

I was using my buddy's 50 amp splitter for a while and I finally bought a "open Box" splitter from West Marine and installed it to my box and gave him his back. What I didn't do was actually go on my boat to check everything:smt021.

When I did go back 3 or 4 days later, I discovered the "Reversed Polarity" light on. Turns out the dam friggin open box 20% off splitter was bad:smt013 and also fried my battery charger.

So I had to order another one that was reconditioned from the factory for $150 bucks.

 

[electricaldoctor]

I had my boat pluged into 115VAC shore power for a few days. Today I checked on it and on the main distribution panel the reverse polarity red light was on. I cannot find anything in the owners manual that talk about it. I unpluged the shore power and the batteries seem to be OK. What does the reverse polarity light mean and could there be any hidden problems because of it? Thanks.
Scubamiller

"Reverse Polarity" simply means that the live & neutral conductors are reversed. Start at the source with an inexpensive plug-in circuit tester at your power source on the dock.

It is good to have one of these on board for transient docking situations when you are away from home port. Your circuit tester will indicate such things as "correct wiring", "reversed polarity", "open ground", "open neutral", "open hot", etc. Any of the "open wiring" indications simply means that you have lost a hot, neutral or ground because of a loose or dropped connection for one reason or another. If the dock-side power pedestal checks out OK, plug in your shore power cord and check out your power cord before plugging it into the boat. You will need to have an adaptor for the end of the cord to plug in your circuit tester. If your cord checks out OK, then plug the cord into the boat and move inside with your circuit tester & plug it into one of your receptacles. Process of elimination. Have you ever had a "reversed polarity" indication from this same power source before?

~Ken

 

[hack4alivin]

"Reverse Polarity" simply means that the live & neutral conductors are reversed. ",
~Ken

Not always that simple!

I got the reverse polarity light when the socket on the shore power plug (that was working fine for years) broke and so one phase was not making connection.

My dock neighbor got the reverse polarity light wire a wire on the inside back of the shore power receptacle in the transom came loose, which by the way, had already started to heat up and create a hot joint. We had to cut a small section out of the wire to get back to good wire.

What I said in post 2 was from past experience and does hold true! The circuit test is a good idea for helping to isolate the problem though.

 

[electricaldoctor]

Not always that simple!

I got the reverse polarity light when the socket on the shore power plug (that was working fine for years) broke and so one phase was not making connection.

My dock neighbor got the reverse polarity light wire a wire on the inside back of the shore power receptacle in the transom came loose, which by the way, had already started to heat up and create a hot joint. We had to cut a small section out of the wire to get back to good wire.

What I said in post 2 was from past experience and does hold true! The circuit test is a good idea for helping to isolate the problem though.

I agree with you that after applying basic trouble shooting techniques, one can sometimes find some unusual problems. Nothing is perfect in life, but I find that it is always best to start with the basics and go forward from there. This approach will give him the knowledge that everything is good from start to finish. i.e. the power pedestal's supply receptacle is good, the shore power cord is good, etc, etc. and hopefully that will lead him to his problem and that will be the end of it. If not, then he will have to dig deeper into his AC panel inside the boat and then do a visual investigation for loose and/or burnt wires. While he in the A/C panel, he should tighten all connections. If he does not see anything obvious, then he may be in over his head and will require somebody with a little more experience to dig deeper with different test equipment. All the way throughout his troubleshooting adventure, he will tighten all of the connections and leave with the peace of mind that everything is safe & solid. I will keep a close eye on this thread for a successful solution to his problem.

~Ken