Inverter Charger Failre on R31

[Captain Pat]

My inverter charger failed on my 2015 R31. The storage compartments on each side of the engine almost always had moisture in them and I could not figure out why. Both of these compartments have lots of wires and electronics in them. When my inverter charger failed I traced the incoming water to the cup holders located above each compartment. They had drains on the bottom that let the water go on to the inverter charger and other electronics, wires and in the compartments. The cup holders had a nipple on the drain to attach a hose so the water could be routed lower in the bilge and not damage the electronics. Unfortunately there were no hoses on mine, I will add them soon. I told the owner of an R29 about my discovery and they said their cup hoolders had a hose on the bottom routing the water deeper into the bilge. I wonder if the drain hoses were never installed when my boat was built by mistake or if the previous owner added them to the r29. I wanted to warn others so that they would not have the same problem as we did. The invereter charger is expensive not repairable and no longer made. I was able to find a new one and replace it. I made a shield from a plastic tub to prevent water from getting on the inverter charger. I know boats get wet but it is ridiculous to have water routed onto the electronics by design.

 

[Salty7]

I'll add to this by saying on my 25SC the battery charger was mounted right beneath the hatch lip which overflows if the drains are plugged. The previous owner had to replace the charger after it was drenched and ceased to function. I keep the drains clear but wonder why there isn't a waterproof charger there or a gutter to make the water go elsewhere?

 

[bill46]

I added hoses to cup holders to drain into bilge, but not before Starboard plywood rotted.
Inverter is functional, but a lot of rust on terminals.
Also be sure to remove the screens in scupper drains, they will clog.

 

[BB marine]

One of the cup holders on my C26 was a problem. The transom cup holder at transom door. It drained water onto the trim pump and steering cylinder. I found this problem early on when I installed my transom shower.( Transom Shower is mounted below cup holder. I routed a clear PVC 3/8 hose down into the bilge. The deck hatches are also an issue for spilling water into the storage compartments. Installing a thicker weather strip and keeping the drain scuppers clean helps with this issue. After both of theses repairs I still noticed rain water leaking into the compartments. I have a full enclosure so the amount of rain water getting into the cockpit is limited but it has a few leaks. I found that the leaks were coming from the deck hatch latches. I first thought the sealing o-rings were bad so I removed one of the latches to repair it and found that the deck hatch latch had no sealant when installed at the factory. There is a wood core in the deck hatch that already rotted. I removed all the latches dried out the wood and sealed it with epoxy. I reinstalled the latches using a marine silicone (boat life) No more leaks. My boat has an enclosure, a boat without an enclosure would have significant deck leaks if the latches were not sealed. I call my boat a Friday boat so maybe the Monday through Thursday boats the latches were sealed. :shock:

I moved the inverter location to a area in aft compartment under the deck it is not near a deck opening so dry, and better ventilation.

 

[Irish Mist]

Our R29 came with hoses attached. They actually drain into the channel created for the hatch drainage so they are short hoses. Our rear cup holders over the storage compartment on our 2011 do not have hoses.

 

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Our R29 came with hoses attached. They actually drain into the channel created for the hatch drainage so they are short hoses. Our rear cup holders over the storage compartment on our 2011 do not have hoses.

I added hoses for the cup holders over the storage compartment. Make them long so they can drain into the bilge. 3/8 ID I think.

 

[Romakeme IV]

There is a guy in Goderich, Ontario that can still rebuild the older Trace inverters. I have a SW2512mc Trace inverter/charger that he has rebuilt 3 times. I bought it around 2002. They were between 4-5 grand(Canadian) back then. He says they are the only inverters worth rebuilding. Only the pure sine wave ones built by the original Trace company prior to the takeover. His company is called Farm Energy Inc.

There are waterproof chargers that use aluminum cooling fins instead of fans but I've never seen a waterproof inverter.