Power (voltage) loss to the boat

[angleiron]

Boat was put away with everything working as far as power from the starting battery to the rest of the boat. I am installing a Mega 360 on my Ultrex and when I went to check for voltages at the bow I had nothing. Tried turning on the master power switch at the console and nothing with no light. Got the meter out and checked the battery...13.1volts. Breaker at the battery was not tripped so I checked the voltage across this breaker and had nothing...no voltage whatsoever.

Then after really looking at the breaker I am seeing rust on the studs that the connections are made to, and every rivet that holds this breaker together is rusted. So I then tried ohm'ing the connections across the breaker with the breaker closed and nothing. The outside of this 30amp breaker says "Waterproof"...but with nothing making from one point to the other that tells me that the inside of this breaker is also rusted/corroded. My boat is a 2021, this breaker sits well away from any water, and my transom area barely ever gets any water in it so how did this breaker rust up the way that it did?

So if I were y'all I would take a look at this breaker and if you see any signs of rust then expect a failure at some point in the future. Someone told me that this was kinda an issue with the certain vendors that provided this part?

[CatFan]

Zero volts is what you should see across a breaker that isn’t tripped. 13.1V on each side will measure 0V. Trip it, and it may measure 13.1 depending on the load.

[angleiron]

Zero volts is what you should see across a breaker that isn’t tripped. 13.1V on each side will measure 0V. Trip it, and it may measure 13.1 depending on the load.

No. If the breaker is tripped then the circuit is open so no voltage comes across. The breaker was not tripped which means that the circuit is closed so voltage should come across. After I removed this 30amp breaker I made the connection minus the breaker and as soon as I did this the lights came on in the transom area and I had power everywhere else. Based upon the rust on the outside of the breaker I am sure that the inside of this breaker is also rusted. My boat sits in a heated garage so no exposure to the elements.

[CatFan]

No. If the breaker is tripped then the circuit is open so no voltage comes across. The breaker was not tripped which means that the circuit is closed so voltage should come across. After I removed this 30amp breaker I made the connection minus the breaker and as soon as I did this the lights came on in the transom area and I had power everywhere else. Based upon the rust on the outside of the breaker I am sure that the inside of this breaker is also rusted. My boat sits in a heated garage so no exposure to the elements.

You are completely mistaken. I tried to help, but if you don’t want listen to an electrical engineer, feel free.

[Bass Cat Boats]

We have added a copper washer to the main battery posts on all new boats, which improved contact to the post. The electrical guys will tell us all this makes no sense, though it works and apparently there is a metallic difference in the post that reduces contact in time.

BCB

[CatFan]

We have added a copper washer to the main battery posts on all new boats, which improved contact to the post. The electrical guys will tell us all this makes no sense, though it works and apparently there is a metallic difference in the post that reduces contact in time.

BCB

It’s possible the threads are ending too soon on the posts on the batteries, resulting in the nuts getting tight before they apply enough pressure to the wire terminals and the base of the post. The washer could make the nut tighten sooner, resulting in a better electrical connection.

[angleiron]

We have added a copper washer to the main battery posts on all new boats, which improved contact to the post. The electrical guys will tell us all this makes no sense, though it works and apparently there is a metallic difference in the post that reduces contact in time.

BCB

This is an issue of corrosion within the breaker and not with the contacts to the battery posts. I cleaned and played with the connections and nothing changed, What I did notice that I will fix is that the lug that comes off of the battery that the breaker attaches to is a little too wide, and because of this it pushes the connection of the lug to the breaker post off to one side which makes the connection marginal. I am going to take a little material off of the lug so that it can be centered and have more contact with the post base on the breaker.

[catdude28]

I recall reading another post somewhere where that same breaker had failed. I believe BCB responded that during the Covid supply shortage that was the substitute for the Blueseas. Replace it with the correct Blueseas.

[MMosher]

It’s a boat, gremlins happen. Replace it and go fishing.

[Jasonrs]

When measuring voltage, think of it as measuring the potential of a circuit. Try measuring voltage from a ground source to each post on the breaker. I bet you 13.1 on the battery side and 0 on the load side

[angleiron]

I recall reading another post somewhere where that same breaker had failed. I believe BCB responded that during the Covid supply shortage that was the substitute for the Blueseas. Replace it with the correct Blueseas.

Called Bass Cat yesterday and they are still using the same breaker that I have the issue with. And of course being Bass Cat they are sending out a replacement. I tried looking for an alternative to what had failed and could not find something that would fit as a one-for-one replacement without making modifications.

[angleiron]

When measuring voltage, think of it as measuring the potential of a circuit. Try measuring voltage from a ground source to each post on the breaker. I bet you 13.1 on the battery side and 0 on the load side

Normally I would not bother doing the following but I am doing so to try to help others. I am using a different breaker but the functionality is the same. The pics show the breaker with the arm open (tripped) and the arm closed (not tripped). The meter is set to ohms/tone to verify continuity. Breaker tripped/open no continuity which means that voltage cannot pass. This arm is supposed to trip if the current (30amps) in this case is exceeded to remove the source. No point in showing the breaker that failed well because it failed and would not show any continuity regardless of the position of the breaker arm.

[Bass Cat Boats]

there is no shank to prevent tightening.

It’s possible the threads are ending too soon on the posts on the batteries, resulting in the nuts getting tight before they apply enough pressure to the wire terminals and the base of the post. The washer could make the nut tighten sooner, resulting in a better electrical connection.

[catdude28]

This is the one that came in my Classic. 187 series. Previous Cats also had the 187's

https://www.bluesea.com/products/713...face_Mount_25A

[lpugh]

[QUOTE=angleiron;12839917]Normally I would not bother doing the following but I am doing so to try to help others. I am using a different breaker but the functionality is the same. The pics show the breaker with the arm open (tripped) and the arm closed (not tripped). The meter is set to ohms/tone to verify continuity. Breaker tripped/open no continuity which means that voltage cannot pass. This arm is supposed to trip if the current (30amps) in this case is exceeded to remove the source. No point in showing the breaker that failed well because it failed and would not show any continuity regardless of the position of the breaker arm.[/QUthereOTE]<br>


CatFan is correct, you just verifing to us you do not understand electrical circuits well, across the breaker when closed and no load there will be no voltage, if one lead is on the neg battery and other is on the load side of the breaker, switch closed there should be battery voltage<br>
Across the breaker you are checking voltage drop, closed will be zero with no load and should be close to zeroe with a load. open with load should be very close to battery voltge