Detling Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 Does the inverter have it's own isolator? if so turn it off and see if you still have the current drain. An inverter uses power even when there is no 240 volt load so turning off the breakers will not result in zero amps to the inverter.. Some cheapies use 5 amps when doing nothing, many older ones of 10 years ago use about 2 amps even good brands, a recent one should be about 1 amp with no load. There is of course also the chance that the inverter has developed a fault. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 22 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: 200 would work too..... That's ok then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 Just now, rusty69 said: That's ok then! I'm not sure what one should do if one had, say 101 fuses though. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: I'm not sure what one should do if one had, say 101 fuses though. Any ideas? No idea, though if you had that many,you would need a special room! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
system 4-50 Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 (edited) Please keep an eye open for an extraneous 5A entering your boat. If 5A has disappeared into the ether then it could reappear anywhere in the cosmos. Constant vigilance! (Other serious opinions are also available.) Edited November 9, 2018 by system 4-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacka Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 Just a thought, but do you have a bow thruster? If so it will have it’s own battery at the front which might be directly charged by the battery bank at the back, if so, and if the thruster battery is defective it could be taking a ‘constant’ current. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileypete Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 Main options: 1) Clamp meter 2) Struggle? In the past, only option 2 was available. Seems some of 'the experts' still prefer this, dunno why... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, smileypete said: Main options: 1) Clamp meter 2) Struggle? In the past, only option 2 was available. Seems some of 'the experts' still prefer this, dunno why... You missed option 3: Disconnect everything then add back in the connections one at a time. The OP seems curiously resistant to doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted November 9, 2018 Report Share Posted November 9, 2018 13 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: You missed option 3: Disconnect everything then add back in the connections one at a time. The OP seems curiously resistant to doing this. Or there may be a simpler explanation ... 12 hours ago, jenevers said: Will try that next time I go to the boat, but that won’t be for about 10 days now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm6045 Posted November 10, 2018 Report Share Posted November 10, 2018 Have you got a car type radio when we recently had our new batteries and monitor installed there was a constant max 2 amp current with ‘everything’ turned off it turned out it was the radio drawing to keep its memory settings. Ok max of 2 amp isn’t 5 but if your readout isn’t particularly accurate it could be offset? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted November 10, 2018 Report Share Posted November 10, 2018 9 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said: The OP seems curiously resistant to doing this. Yes, and I wish he'd get on with it. I can't think of an easier type of electrical snag to track down than this - it's simple isolation. Either it can be done methodically or we can just keep shouting out random things to disconnect til he picks the right one! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted November 10, 2018 Report Share Posted November 10, 2018 3 minutes ago, Sea Dog said: Yes, and I wish he'd get on with it. I can't think of an easier type of electrical snag to track down than this - it's simple isolation. Either it can be done methodically or we can just keep shouting out random things to disconnect til he picks the right one! It will be solved on his return to the boat. I bet he doesn't have a 5 amp discharge in 10 days time. Problem solved (obviously) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Brooks Posted November 10, 2018 Report Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: It will be solved on his return to the boat. I bet he doesn't have a 5 amp discharge in 10 days time. Problem solved (obviously) Perfectly correct, as someone pointed out his batteries will be dead & flat. . . . . . . and if they are not he does not have a 5 amp discharge. Edited November 10, 2018 by Tony Brooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted November 10, 2018 Report Share Posted November 10, 2018 7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said: Perfectly correct, as someone pointed out his batteries will be dead & flat. Twas I - several posts ago. (Post #43) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenevers Posted December 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 On 10/11/2018 at 00:21, smileypete said: Main options: 1) Clamp meter 2) Struggle? In the past, only option 2 was available. Seems some of 'the experts' still prefer this, dunno why... Quite right. My clamp meter arrived and proved that the inverter was drawing 4.5A just on standby. So I’ve switched the master switch off. Even the MICC was drawing 1A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon57 Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 How are the batteries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 3 hours ago, jenevers said: Quite right. My clamp meter arrived and proved that the inverter was drawing 4.5A just on standby. ……………………….. They do that - so the 1st few replies had identified the problem. There is 'off' and there is 'OFF' An inverter is not switched off when it is not in use, it is only switched off when it is totally switched off / disconnected from the supply. It is called "Quiescent current" and is a power usage often dismissed, disregarded or never considered, but, as you have found, can be a considerable 'number'. Better quality inverters have a much lower figure and can be as low as 0.5a. You gets what you pays for. As suggested previously - replace your bilge pump with a 12v one and bin the 230v one then you won't need to leave the inverter on. Hopefully the response to this suggestion will not be the same as the last time it was proposed : "Fatuous and entirely irrelevant post of the day." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 On 07/11/2018 at 11:44, jenevers said: Where is this power going? I thought it might be the inverter but when I switch it off there’s still a drain of 5 Amps going somewhere. 3 hours ago, jenevers said: Quite right. My clamp meter arrived and proved that the inverter was drawing 4.5A just on standby. So I’ve switched the master switch off. I love the smell of a big red herring in the morning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, Sea Dog said: I love the smell of a big red herring in the morning! So many eelectrical fish puns now to come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said: So many eelectrical fish puns now to come! At last there is a Ray of hope that the problem is now 'sorted' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said: At last there is a Ray of hope that the problem is now 'sorted' With no fish puns, this plaice would have no sole....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said: At last there is a Ray of hope that the problem is now 'sorted' Let's hope so - it was pretty rubbish to Skate over the issue for so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1st ade Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: With no fish puns, this plaice would have no sole....! Oh do stop Carping on about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 1 minute ago, 1st ade said: Oh do stop Carping on about it... Oh for cod's hake, that was AWFUL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1st ade Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said: Oh for cod's hake, that was AWFUL! I think you're floundering to think of a reply... Presumably the 230v bilge pump was a whale? In which case the OP should source a batter one... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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