No a/c voltage at 120 v panel

[LET IT BE]

Today I was checking the function of pro mariner 2500 inverter . Long story short after flipping the 3 position switch on the remote panel and the large red on off switch marked Inverter and disconnecting the shore power cord to see if I was getting inverter power to the 120 volt panel it was ok . Then after re connecting the shore power cord there was no voltage at the 120 ac volt meter. The green light was on saying ac was connected but no volts? And no ac circuit could work. I checked I had 120 at the plug and the main breaker near the power inlet also had a green light showing power coming in was ok and no reversed polarity. To be sure I pressed the white button ( test?) to trip the breaker and re set it and got green light again. I then checked the two thermal cut outs on the top of the Pro mariner they seemed normal. The green light on the Pro mariner indicating it has shore power was OFF as we're all other led lights on the unit. So I have no idea what to look for next? Power seems to be getting to the main breaker and the shore power light on the panel is on but there is no voltage?? Any suggestions? What did I blow up flipping switches? Usually when I connect to shore power and hit the main 120 volt rocker on the panel there is a short delay before the voltage shows up on the volt meter and I suspect something is "thinking "or checking all is ok before volts show up on the meter. Is that normal?

 

[Andrew Custis]

Hello. The way the power runs on your boat is it runs from the shore power connection to the line side of the main breaker. From the load side to the in on the inverter and out of the inverter back to the panel. I would check Power in to the inverter itself. If it has good power, chances are the charger / inverter pass through function is no longer operational. Unfortunately this will mean sending it into pro mariner or ordering a new unit.

Best,

 

[LET IT BE]

Thanks again Andrew. I will check the power as you suggested. If it turns out the Promariner 2500 has lost its pass through circuits I have a few questions you might help with. I think you know that my boat ( Let It Be) is a 2013 R29 with solar option and no generator.
1 if I find a local dealer in Victoria and send the unit for repair, can shore power be routed directly to the a/c panel so that outlets etc can be used on a temporary basis until the unit comes home? I understand I will have no battery charger.
2 if I decide to buy a new unit what do you recommend today?
3 can it be wired so that the inverter will not kick in unless I ask it to? I suspect other problems I have had ( flat house batteries) result from me not understanding that the inverter has switched on when I disconnect shore power which I mostly did to reduce galvanic corrosion . When the boat was on the hard this winter I left a small heater plugged in to a/c outlet. I suspect that shore power might have had a power out and discharged the house batteries which I have replaced.

 

[knotflying]

Lots of choices. This is what I am working on now. We have a special problem because our promariner is a combi. You could run power direct to the panel with a spare breaker in the panel appropriately sized to run back to the Combi "in AC". Then split your panel between hi draw items such as, air conditioner, water heater and the Combi. The rest of the panel will run off of the Combi. If you lose power the inverter will still power the low amperage items . When on the hook and using the inverter only those items on the combi circuit will be powered and then no chance of overloading the inverter with the high amp items. I think the question for Promariner, which I need to confirm is, if the automatic transfer switch goes bum will the charger still work. If the charger still works then you will not have to worry about the batteries being drawn down when plugged into shore power with a transfer switch loss.

The method of using a manual transfer switch will require a separate charger and inverter and still require splitting the panel.

 

[BB marine]

There are options. When we purchased our boat we didn't get the Promariner charger/inverter. The Promariner offered at the time was a modified sine wave I preferred a pure sine wave. We Purchased the boat with a Promariner Pronautic 1230P charger only which has a designated breaker in the AC panel and only charges the batteries. That takes care of the batteries when at shore power. We then purchased a 2000W 120V SWXFR1220 KISEA Pure sine wave inverter. It has a transfer switch but I elected not to use it. It was very easy to wire using the Blue Sea selector switch.
Blue Sea selector switch and panel


The selector switch allow's for each power source to be wired individually Shore power/ Generator (We do not have a generator) / Inverter. The only way the inverter can draw the batteries down is to have the selector switched inverter and the 30 amp breaker turned on. We don't have a generator, but we do have a boat with all electric cooking and we also like to run the Fan from the marine air unit while cruising, and turn the hot water heater on in the morning while at anchor. So I have wired the inverter to power my complete AC panel. There is also a inverter on/off switch with battery voltage display.




I also installed a battery switch dedicated to the inverter. Another safety to make sure that the batteries are isolated from the inverter if I'm not using the inverter.

Battery switch using 2 house batteries and option of using thruster battery if needed.


The cost of the Charger and inverter is close to the same cost of the Promariner 2500W Inverter/charger. I am not implying that what I have installed is better option to the Promariner 2500W it is just an option. It is an option to manually operate the inverter and have a separate battery charger.

 

[LET IT BE]

Update for Andrew. ( or any one paying attension)
Today I checked for a/c volts at both input and output at the top of the 2500 No volts checked shore power plug 117 volts checked input and output on the ELSI both had 117 v ( I am hooked up by a long regular extension cord so maybe loosing a few volts there ) the green led on the ELSI is working and it cuts off power when turned to off.
So there should be power at the other end of that wire that I figure goes to the 2500 unit. It's very hard to actually trace those wires from the breaker to the inverter.
I took the cover of the unit and it looked good. I got it to invert from the batteries ok. No rust no burns no melted stuff. The two black thermal cut outs seemed good and had continuity .
What could be stopping the current in that wire. Is there any other fuse I don't know about? Could it still be a problem with the ELSI or a bad ground somewhere? I didn't loosen the ground on the inverter and check it.
I'm thinking the unit may still be good ? It can't work if it's got no power!
Any more thoughts?

 

[knotflying]

I heard that there are some internal fuses, but cannot say this is true or not. Perhaps a call to Promariner tech support can shed some light on the subject.

 

[BB marine]

I may be off on this, not knowing exactly how your boat is wired. This is the way my boat was wired. Power in at at shore power plug, goes to ElCI,then to power panel selector switch, green light indicating proper polarity,Switch selector switch to shore power, then it goes to the 30 amp breaker switch , then feeds panel. (If I were to use the transfer switch) My 120V feed line would come after the the selector switch have a fuse or breaker protecting the 120V line going to the inverter. I would now have power at the inverter in. Transfer switch activated and power out of inverter to the panel. The inverter has a internal breaker to protect the feed line back to power panel and a GFCI if either is open or transfer switch is bad you would not have voltage at the inverter power connections (out) but you still should have power at the AC power( in )to inverter. If you don't have shore power at the inverter (in), your panel switch is open or has a bad connection, or a breaker feeding the inverter is open. I would get a couple jumper wires and a ohm meter. With shore power cord disconnected selector switch on check continuity from shore power plug to inverter if .... then go to power in to selector switch connection and power in connection to inverter if ..... then go to selector switch power out connector to inverter in connector. Find where the open is. Like you said it doesn't sound like the inverter is bad you have to have power going in to it .

 

[Andrew Custis]

Please have a look at the shore schematic I just posted. This is for the Ranger 31 with an Onan Generator. It is also the same for the R29 with the Next Gen generator with the only difference being that there is a jumper on the rotary switch between pins 1 and 9 and 5 and 13. Please locate these under Ranger Tug factory technical bulletins.

Thank you,