outlet offline

[paulga]

the engine room has two electrical outlets, one GCFI outlet on the forward bulkhead near the entrance from the galley, the other one non GCFI near the hot water heater. The second one has one power and no AC breaker can make it live. is there any device or method to trace the outlet along the line to do some diagnosis?

 

[tiltrider1]

A non GCFI outlet in an engine room is not good. I suspect that it was decommissioned.

First check to see if the wires are actually connected. If they are then follow the wires back to the electrical panel. I suspect you will eventually find some disconnected wires.

I do not recommend making the outlet active until you convert it to GCFI.

 

[Comodave]

It may be daisy chained off the GFI outlet. Trace the wires and see where they go. Could be a loose wire coming off the GFI. I would assume that it is powered off the GFI because it would save the cost of a second GFI.

 

[paulga]

A non GCFI outlet in an engine room is not good. I suspect that it was decommissioned.

First check to see if the wires are actually connected. If they are then follow the wires back to the electrical panel. I suspect you will eventually find some disconnected wires.

I do not recommend making the outlet active until you convert it to GCFI.

electrical wires are bundled together and routed behind panels. I saw some threads mentioned there is a tracer that injects a current to the outlet and allow you to pick up the same signal from a different, accessible location so as to identify the wire

 

[Comodave]

Some tracers inject too powerful a signal and it bleeds over into other wires that are nearby. I use an extension cord with the female end cut off and the wires stripped. Then plug it into an UNPOWERED circuit and use an ohm meter to find the wires. When I do this I have the shore power unplugged and any inverter offline. I take the extension cord to wherever I think the wires may go and start ohming wires. Of course I try to use some logic in where I am trying it. I have traced many wires out this way.

 

[tiltrider1]

I have found only one way to trace a wire and be sure there is no break or disconnect. That way is to cut the zip ties and separate the bundle and actually follow the wire. It’s not always easy to follow them behind a panel but some one managed to snake it behind the panel so it can be traced.

I understand if the outlet isn’t important enough to do the work. If it is important physically following the wire is the only way to know for sure what’s going on.

 

[paulga]

Near the water heater is a better location for the bilge heater. But it's not critical, I can use a 6 ft power strip rated at 1500w to place the heater there. The heater is set at anti freeze setting.

I have found only one way to trace a wire and be sure there is no break or disconnect. That way is to cut the zip ties and separate the bundle and actually follow the wire. It’s not always easy to follow them behind a panel but some one managed to snake it behind the panel so it can be traced.

I understand if the outlet isn’t important enough to do the work. If it is important physically following the wire is the only way to know for sure what’s going on.