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AC Breaker Replacement

chtaylor

Member II
Hi All,

My 77 E-32-2 has house type AC circuit breakers located under the galley sink and I'm thinking of replacing them with a Blue Sea panel to be located on the bulkhead near the DC panel. The current breakers are difficult to see and access, not labled and get in the way when trying to access the starboard side of the engine.

Any thoughts on whether or not I should do this?

Thanks,

Charles
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Moving that darned domestic breaker box.

Charles, I did the very thing in our E31 some years ago. The original box in question was rusty and difficult to access under the galley sink and the decision was finally made to ditch it. Both my larger Blue Sea DC and smaller AC panels are now relocated side by side at the Navigation station. Since installing them, I see that Blue sea offers a single DC/AC panel, something if they didn't offer at the time. Although mine are just fine, I like the look of a single panel or would at least have liked to have had the option. Go for it, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA
 

chtaylor

Member II
Thanks, guys. My wife and daughter are leaving for 2 weeks and this sounds like a good weekend project to do when I won't be getting interrupted by phone calls wondering where I am and what I'm doing (and with whom I'm doing it). :egrin:

Charles
 

Keiffer

Member II
AC/DC Single panel

I am planning a re-wire as well and also like the look of the AC/DC combined panel. In reading various books on the subject (about half of which I understand) more than one author is against combining AC/DC in a single panel. They just say don't do it - no explanation.

Any thoughts on why?
 

Lawrence B. Lee

Member III
Electricity

I am not sure why the experts don't like combined panels but DC gone awry (unless it's at the battery) can just help you remember some words you used in the forth grade. AC on the other hand can make the Admiral a wealthy woman if you have been doing what you should have estate wise. Otherwise, she will soon understand the meaning of the word penury.

I have a combined box and the AC is too close to the DC when I am messing around in there. I just pull the AC power cord off and don't worry about it.
icon7.gif


Larry Lee
Annabel Lee E 32-200
Savannah, GA
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Safe, and also legal...

The AC and DC panels can be beside each other or on the same face plate but with an obvious visual design separation.
The back side of the AC breakers has to be covered to keep you from resting tools or your digits on it.
This is in the ABYC stuff. My surveyor made me cover the AC panel on the back.
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=2182

Loren
 
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chtaylor

Member II
I did some searching here on the subject prior to asking the above question and I came across a reason for seperating the two panels that said that, if the two are too close, there is a possibility of the AC arcing across to the DC wires with potentially catastrophic results. :scared:

Charles
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Just 'kuz, that's why!

Keiffer and all, Aside from being two separate metal panels, my two are close enough to each other to be considered as one. Sure enough as I was playing with the DC panel after finishing the while project, I got the AC shock of a lifetime by touching something I shouldn't have on the back of the later panel. The simple fix was to buy the Blue Sea optional black plastic cover for the AC panel and after that all was well with nature, my bare arms and the DC panel too. Cheers, Glyn
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
(I'm guilty too)

Would you each explain to the group why we (all men, right?) open up these panels with the power still on? :nonono:

When I was replacing outlets in the house - why was it too much trouble to find the correct (unmarked) breaker, or shut the main off? YOU know why, don't you? The dadgum VCR was set to the right time and date, that's why.
 

Emerald

Moderator
Would you each explain to the group why we (all men, right?) open up these panels with the power still on? :nonono:

When I was replacing outlets in the house - why was it too much trouble to find the correct (unmarked) breaker, or shut the main off? YOU know why, don't you? The dadgum VCR was set to the right time and date, that's why.

It must have something to do with never being bitten by the stuff. I got bit pretty bad working on what I thought was a dead circuit back in the frat house many years ago. Ever since, breakers get thrown, the panel is turned off, shore power disconnected etc. I won't even crawl down the side locker to get under the cockpit sole without disconnecting shore power since that is where the A/C based charger for the batteries is located. But I think it's because I've been lit up that makes me think this way. Somehow, aspiring to be Uncle Fester with a light bulb in my mouth has lost it's appeal :cool:
 

Randy Rutledge

Sustaining Member
Is it allowable to turn off a breaker to change out a fixture, I thought it had to be done hot. Last light switch I changed there are two small burn marks on the wall from bits of hot copper flying. I will try this novel idea of turning off the breaker.
Of course I am joking except for the burn marks. I do work on hot circuits too often.
 

Emerald

Moderator
I have to admit that I've been very tempted (recently) to just put that new light switch in without killing all the clocks that seem to be tied somehow to the same breaker no matter where in the house they are located :rolleyes:

As we make fun of playing with A/C, DC should not be overlooked. The quantity of AMPs in our batteries can make life interesting to say the least. Back in the high school days I made (first and last time) the mistake of attempting to disconnect the positive lead on a car battery before the negative (negative ground system). The wrench swung over, made contact with the inner fender, and ZAP, burned the piss out of my hand, took a chunk out of the fender and spot welded it onto the wrench. Pretty cool experiment with DC arc welding....
 

Dan Morehouse

Member III
David,
Being bit by electrical current doesn't seem to have worked the same caution for me as it did for you. Maybe I lost more brain cells in those events. In any case, I almost never shut off power to work on circuits unless the access to the parts is just too restricted to keep the dangerous bits apart. That probably means I have more pride than sense, and so it's probably a good thing that my AC & DC panels are seperate. My DC panel is above the AC, and blocks access to the AC when open. I kind of like that arrangement, even though I have to remove screws to open either one.

Dan Morehouse
1981 E-38 "Next Exit
 
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