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Old 06-12-2021, 09:06 AM   #1
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ProMariner Prosafe1 Monitor ground wire red light

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This is a new problem for me. I connected to shore power like I always do at my home dock, using a 50 amp splitter to two 30 amp cords. At this marina I’m getting this ground fault light. I’ve switched my 30 amp cords back and forth. Installed a new 30 amp cord I had aboard. No help.

Everything on the boat is working fine AC wise. Both air conditioners working fine.

Could my 50 amp y splitter be bad? Edit: tried a splitter the marina had and still the same problem.

The Dick hand said these are newly updated GFCI pedestals and I think I read that that causes problems with these older ProMariner isolators?

I’m an idiot when it comes to AC current so don’t want to have a dangerous situation.
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Old 06-12-2021, 04:11 PM   #2
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It complains about the ground wire not being connected to the shore. Could be a ground wire problem on the boat, in the cords or at the shore connection. It expects the ground wire to be connected to neutral on shore (not on boat).

I'd try to use the 30A connection to the shore directly. That would eliminate your splitter.
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Old 06-12-2021, 04:54 PM   #3
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Try checking hot-gnd voltage for each phase with a meter at the pedestal, then at each end of the splitter, then at the far end of each cable, then at the back of each shore power inlet to see if you can find where the voltage drops off.

If that doesn't turn it up, disconnect the cables at the boat end and check neutral-gnd connectivity at each far end of the cable, and if it isn't very near 0-ohms, wqlk back step by step, connection by connection to the pedestal to see where neutral and ground show open or high resistance. Be careful not to short either to a hot prong while testing. Since the pedestal breaker likely opens neutral, you'll need to be hot while testing.

Alternatively, check hot to neutral and hot to ground voltages at the pedestal for each phase as well as neutral to ground. Then, take the pedestal end of the cable to the boat and bring it to each of the inlet side cables. Check for 0-to-very-low resistance for corresponding pins and open pin to pin for all other pairs.

Don't discount the possibility that the pedestal lost its ground.

If thatbdoesnt turn up the problem, connect back to shore and boat, turn on at the pedestal, turn off all breakers, and check for 0-to-low resistance neutral-bus to ground and line voltage for each phase to neutral and ground. If you have an inverter neutral bus and a regular one, test from the regular one.

The goal is basically to see where ground stops being a ground.

Happy hunting!
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Old 06-12-2021, 06:12 PM   #4
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Talked to a marine electrician and he said to measure across the neutral and ground at the outlets to make sure not lots of voltage, which would suggest there actually is a ground problem. The voltage was under 5 volts which he said was Ok.

He said he has had some other boats complain about this marina with similar problems.
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Old 06-12-2021, 07:14 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cardude01 View Post
Talked to a marine electrician and he said to measure across the neutral and ground at the outlets to make sure not lots of voltage, which would suggest there actually is a ground problem. The voltage was under 5 volts which he said was Ok.

He said he has had some other boats complain about this marina with similar problems.
I am certainly no marine electrician, but that doesn't ring true to me. If the problem is the marina's problem, I'd want to find it at the pedestal, not after dozens of feet of my wire, and a bunch of my devices. A random outlet is far from the pedestal to be able to blame the pedestal or upstream wiring without further testing, at least in my thinking.
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Old 06-12-2021, 07:34 PM   #6
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Ok thanks. Will investigate further.
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Old 06-19-2021, 08:53 AM   #7
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Well I got back to my home dock, plugged in, and the lights are all green again. Still have not figured out why the pedestals at Fernandina Harbor freaked it out so bad.
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