Help! Liveaboard boater Victron Multiplus Phoenix crisis

[nb Innisfree]

 

See the bit in bold.

 

N&E are only bonded when there is no incoming mains.

 

Tony

Unless it's an earlier build Victron which didn't have any N/E bonding (before build 17 I seem to recall, I had to install a manual bonding switch on ours)

[WotEver]

Unless it's an earlier build Victron which didn't have any N/E bonding (before build 17 I seem to recall, I had to install a manual bonding switch on ours)

Victron also used to show the incorrrct way to wire an IT too but they appear to have since updated their advice. They're not perfect.

[nb Innisfree]

Victron also used to show the i5ncorrrct way to wire an IT too but they appear to have since updated their advice. They're not perfect.

To be fair we were offered a free auto bonding update with ours, we didn't take up the offer as it would have been too inconvenient and preferred a manual setup anyway.

[WotEver]

To be fair we were offered a free auto bonding update with ours, we didn't take up the offer as it would have been too inconvenient and preferred a manual setup anyway.

You've intruiged me - why do you prefer a manual link?

[Robbo]

So there you have it OP....just follow these clear unambiguous instructions and your life will return to one of pure joy.

 

On a serious note it does (perhaps) indicate why proper face to face professional assistance is a better option.

A simple check would be too use someone else's shore cable, if the green pol light lights up then we know the OP's shore cable is incorrectly wired.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Robbo

[nb Innisfree]

You've intruiged me - why do you prefer a manual link?

I thought it would be more reliable, one less thing to go wrong. Also later on we had a RCD fail and it kept the connection, 115v shock seemed a better option than 240v. Never had any problems with the replacement RCD though I used to use a tester on different sockets on a regular basis.

[svetlovska]

Problem (apparently) solved! - Thanks all for the replies and that, err, illuminating discussion about polarity, which I must confess was above my head. Very fortunately for me a logically minded ex-engineer man friend of mine decided to visit today, and took me through that isolate-one-thing-at-a-time-thing. We didn't get very far before he pointed at my in-line galvanic isolator cable which has sat happily connecting between the dockside power post and my mains cable for the past three months, and asked: "Have you tried it without that?" I harrumphed and spluttered a bit, and then admitted I'd overlooked it in all my other frantic day and a half of wild stabs in the dark. So he unplugged it, connected the mains cable directly to the power post, switched both the 'power in' and 'power out' breakers in the mains box to 'on' (no red 'reverse polarity' light, so I guess I was wrong about that too) and, hey presto, everything was back to normal, live 240v sockets from shore power as usual, and the batteries now (at 10.30 pm, 5 hours on) on 'float' trickle charge after a brief bout of 'absorption'. I've taken pictures of the switch positions for my own future reference in case of future difficulty. So: I'm out £20 for a booked support phone call to Victron dealers onboardenergydirect.co.uk which I haven't had yet and now apparently don't need, but, hey, some learning has occurred anyway. I dunno what witchcraft affected the galvanic isolator lead, but for now I'm happy to let it be. At least it means I can put the stove on again! Hopefully anyone else with this weirdness in their life might find this post and try swapping out the mains cable or any extensions to it before trying anything else. I am *very* relieved. Thanks again all for your contributions.

[WotEver]

I'm guessing it was one of those GIs with two flying leads with a plug on one lead and a socket on the other?

 

Now it's not connected to anything try dismantling the plugs on the ends of the cables and see if it's damp inside. If it is then dry it out and reconnect it.

 

If it doesn't appear damp and you don't know anyone who can look at it for you then you'll need to buy another. Or an isolation transformer. What you don't want to do is to run shore power with no GI or IT for any length of time.

 

Tony

 

Oh, and you might not have been wrong about the reverse polarity light - the GI could have been wired with reversed connections.

[RufusR]

FYI when on shoreline you should have the inverter on charge only mode not on , The Victron will then only act as a charger and pass the 240v straight through to your sockets , In on mode it does the same but the inverter is exposed to surges in the shore line current this is maybe what has happened and some thing has blown side ( we have same inverter BTW )

 

regards

[GUMPY]

Can you explain how in on mode the inverter is exposed to mains when the tranfer relay passes the mains straight through?

[nicknorman]

Can you explain how in on mode the inverter is exposed to mains when the tranfer relay passes the mains straight through?

 

Although I disagree with the point, there is a slight difference between on and charger when on shore power. With the former, the inverter is "tracking" the incoming frequency, voltage and phase in case it needs to supplement it by means of the "power assist" function, whereas in charger mode the inverter bit is asleep.

[GUMPY]

 

Although I disagree with the point, there is a slight difference between on and charger when on shore power. With the former, the inverter is "tracking" the incoming frequency, voltage and phase in case it needs to supplement it by means of the "power assist" function, whereas in charger mode the inverter bit is asleep.

Fair point my victron didnt have power assist so didn't think of that.