Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-10-2022, 09:41 AM   #1
Guru
 
Seevee's Avatar
 
City: st pete
Vessel Model: 430 Mainship
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 3,502
Identify the amperage of a breaker

Is there a way to identify the amperage of a circuit breaker using a meter or something?

I've got an AIRPAX with no part number and no lable for amp rating. Came off the flybridge of my Mainship 430.
Attached Thumbnails
Breaker.jpg  
__________________
Seevee
Seevee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 10:00 AM   #2
Guru
 
City: Winthrop
Vessel Model: Pacific Trawler 40
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 878
It looks more like a toggle switch than a breaker. If you know what it's powering, I would take that and add 20% or what they would suggest.

If its off your flybridge, I would look all the wiring over. This year I need to go though the wiring on mine. You can see its aging looking at the switches and connectors.
__________________
Iggy
Iggy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 10:24 AM   #3
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,786
Look at the wiring. If it the same gauge in and out, then it almost certainly is a switch which I agree with Iggy, is what it looks like.

David
DavidM is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 10:31 AM   #4
Guru
 
High Wire's Avatar
 
City: Cape May, NJ
Vessel Name: Irish Lady
Vessel Model: Monk 36
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,966
No way to tell unless labeled. Google Airpax and you will see images of similar breakers. Is it AC? What is the wire size on the load side?
__________________
Archie
Irish Lady
1984 Monk 36 Hull #46
Currently in Cape May, NJ
High Wire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 06:06 PM   #5
Guru
 
kchace's Avatar
 
City: Brookline, NH
Vessel Name: Shalloway
Vessel Model: Defever 44, twin Perkins
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,260
According to patent #3251232 (embossed on the side) it is indeed a breaker. It looks like there used to be a label on the side. I don’t know of any way to measure anything on a breaker to determine it’s rating.

Ken
kchace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 06:17 PM   #6
Guru
 
Flatswing's Avatar
 
City: Windmill Harbour, Hilton Head Island, SC
Vessel Name: River Girl
Vessel Model: 2004 DeFever 49 RPH
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 573
Uh, isn't the breaker size based on the supply wire size? of course, if this is the second breaker in series, it's size might be smaller than the primary breaker and sized to protect the load it switches.
__________________
Jeremy
Flatswing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 06:40 PM   #7
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,786
You often see a switch downstream of a breaker. You rarely if ever see a breaker downstream of another breaker unless it is part of a power distribution panel.

I still think that this is a switch, not a breaker. It doesn't look like a breaker.

David
DavidM is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 07:19 PM   #8
TF Site Team
 
Bacchus's Avatar
 
City: Seneca Lake NY
Vessel Name: Bacchus
Vessel Model: MS 34 HT Trawler
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,828
I know of no way to determine breaker rating but I will guess it is some sort of switch & breaker. My reasoning us what appears to be a button on the front side. Is it marked " reset" ! It might be a combo with a push button reset?
https://www.amazon.com/Sensata-AIRPA.../dp/B07KWGMZMF
__________________
Don
2008 MS 34 HT Trawler
"Bacchus"
Bacchus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 07:23 PM   #9
Guru
 
HopCar's Avatar
 
City: Miami Florida
Vessel Name: Possum
Vessel Model: Ellis 28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,308
It is what is called a bat handled circuit breaker. I don’t think there is any easy way to test it’s rating. Just buy a new one.
__________________
Parks Masterson
Retired from Hopkins-Carter Marine Supply
HopCar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 07:25 PM   #10
Guru
 
HTurner's Avatar
 
City: Corpus Christi
Vessel Model: Willard Vega Horizon
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 500
https://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/p...ug-series/4278
HTurner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 10:02 PM   #11
Guru
 
Bob Cofer's Avatar
 
City: Bayview
Vessel Name: Puffin
Vessel Model: Willard Vega 30
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,444
Breaker testing is done all of the time and requires specialized equipment to do it. Contact a breaker testing company or base the replacement on wire size and connected load. Use a clamp on amp meter to determine the actual load and size accordingly.
__________________
What kind of boat is that?
Bob Cofer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 05:24 AM   #12
Guru
 
twistedtree's Avatar
 
City: Vermont
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 10,094
I too thought it was a switch. Never seen a breaker like this, but there it is.


To test it you would need a power supply with current limiting. Run 10A through it and see if it pops. Then try 15A, 20A, etc. But who has that lying around?


I agree that your best bet is to sort out what you need by other means. First, figure out what wire gauge is on the load side. That will tell you the max rating. Then also look at what it powers to decide if it should be lower than the max.
__________________
MVTanglewood.com
twistedtree is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 06:14 AM   #13
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,786
So, we have decided it is a switch, well ok. The simplest way to deal with it and be safe is to check the wire gauge out, assuming it is the same or smaller than the wire gauge in. If otherwise, then I give up

Then replace this "breaker" with one appropriate for the wire size, ie 20A for 12 gauge, 15A for 14 gauge, etc. Make sure the device it powers at the other end doesn't need a smaller breaker to protect the device. That would be unusual.

David
DavidM is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 06:43 AM   #14
Guru
 
jleonard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,037
I just looked online and Airpax does make circuit breakers that look like that.
__________________
Jay Leonard
Ex boats: 1983 40 Albin trunk cabin, 1978 Mainship 34 Model 1
New Port Richey, Fl
jleonard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 06:53 AM   #15
Guru
 
City: Winthrop
Vessel Model: Pacific Trawler 40
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 878
Quote:
Originally Posted by jleonard View Post
I just looked online and Airpax does make circuit breakers that look like that.
I would not think so. But I googled it too, and they do. Strange looking thing...
__________________
Iggy
Iggy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 07:04 AM   #16
TF Site Team
 
Bacchus's Avatar
 
City: Seneca Lake NY
Vessel Name: Bacchus
Vessel Model: MS 34 HT Trawler
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,828
Here's a link to the Airpax documentation. It looks like the unusual 3rd screw on the face is associated with their "panel seal" line meant for high moisture locations. That makes sense for a flybridge location. See figure 23 and the associated description.

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/re...airpax-sensata
__________________
Don
2008 MS 34 HT Trawler
"Bacchus"
Bacchus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 07:35 AM   #17
Guru
 
twistedtree's Avatar
 
City: Vermont
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 10,094
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidM View Post
So, we have decided it is a switch, well ok. The simplest way to deal with it and be safe is to check the wire gauge out, assuming it is the same or smaller than the wire gauge in. If otherwise, then I give up

Then replace this "breaker" with one appropriate for the wire size, ie 20A for 12 gauge, 15A for 14 gauge, etc. Make sure the device it powers at the other end doesn't need a smaller breaker to protect the device. That would be unusual.

David



No, I think we concluded that it's actually a breaker. Checkout the DigiKey link. I've never seen anything like it before, but there it is.
__________________
MVTanglewood.com
twistedtree is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 07:47 AM   #18
Guru
 
City: Olympia
Vessel Name: Rendezvous
Vessel Model: Blue water 40
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 1,815
I just sold a boat that had very similar breakers. Mine had an amp rating stamped into the slightly flattened and of the toggle.
Bmarler is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 07:59 AM   #19
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,786
Quote:
Originally Posted by twistedtree View Post
No, I think we concluded that it's actually a breaker. Checkout the DigiKey link. I've never seen anything like it before, but there it is.
Sorry, I misspoke. I meant breaker not switch. I need to reread my posts more carefully in my dottering years

David
DavidM is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2022, 11:05 AM   #20
Guru
 
fgarriso's Avatar
 
City: .
Vessel Name: GOTCHA
Vessel Model: Hatteras 58 LRC
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 1,103
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seevee View Post
Is there a way to identify the amperage of a circuit breaker using a meter or something?

I've got an AIRPAX with no part number and no lable for amp rating. Came off the flybridge of my Mainship 430.
When looking up the number this is what I found.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353151207063
https://www.amazon.com/AIRPAX-T11-4-.../dp/B00DKYMRRM
__________________
Captain F. Lee - R.P.E.
USCG 200 GT Master
fgarriso is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:00 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012