MS400 Trawler Battery Charger

[merch]

In preparation for replacing the factory installed battery charger with a charger/inverter in our new to us 2005, I've found factory wiring that doesn't make sense.


The battery charger breaker is on the 240V side of the panel and consists of two breakers, each wired to one of the two 120V legs as you would expect.


At the existing factory installed battery charger, its clear that its a 120V unit and is only wired with one leg, a neutral and ground.


Anyone have an idea of what the heck is going on? It concerns me that there is a 'missing leg' between the panel and the charger.


Dave

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. If it is a 120 volt charger it would only be wired to one leg of the input power. If it was wired to both it would be getting 220 volts.

 

[Bacchus]

Welcome aboard TF
Agree with Dave that might have just been an available breaker a PO decided to use.
I dont know much about the MS 400 but I'd look up "Stella Blue" a website by Steve Cyr that has lots of MS 400 info and I believe some reasonable elec schematics.
If a search doesn't turn it up I have a link on my Bacchus website in "useful links" section.
You may get some responses from other 400 owners here on TF.

 

[merch]

Welcome aboard TF
Agree with Dave that might have just been an available breaker a PO decided to use.
I dont know much about the MS 400 but I'd look up "Stella Blue" a website by Steve Cyr that has lots of MS 400 info and I believe some reasonable elec schematics.

This certainly looks like a factory install. The panel silkscreen is original and the materials and workmanship at the breakers matches all the other factory work.


I've pulled schematics from Steve's site and it shows the battery charger being fed by one leg (120v).


When shopping for MS400s, I made it a point to photograph the panels and have seen them done both ways.

 

[Comodave]

One thing I would be careful about if you add 120 volt items is not to put all of them on one leg but rather try to average them out between the two legs.