F36 Electrical question

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 8:29 pm

ok so i own a 1974 Trojan f36 tri cabin the boat is equipped with a stock distribution panel however upon reviewing the wiring diagrams i noticed that virtually everything on the boat runs only on one side of the house offa single 30 amp connection, even thou the boat has two hookups

my question is, is it worth rewiring the panel to make everything run evenly from the two cables? and how hard can it be? just wanted some opinion before tackling this project and potentially having a very expensive repair.

it just pisses me off that when the AC is running i cant run the microwave and the stove at the same time without tripping the breaker since its limited to 30 amps and 4400 watts.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:12 pm

That would be 3600 watts @ 120 volts . yes you change the wiring and its not hard . But , if you have to ask your better off using a pro . nothing to fool around with unless you really know what your doing .

Are you sure the system is not Balanced ? one a/c on each side appliances on one side and hot water heater/ stove on the other ,

mitch · Post by **mitch** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:27 pm

Yes, easy JOB.
Piece of Cake. I took it a step further. With, dual hook up, got 220 volt !
seperate 110 Volt across both 220 volt, great for my new cook top in the pilot house. Mitch

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:54 am

prowlersfish wrote:That would be 3600 watts @ 120 volts . yes you change the wiring and its not hard . But , if you have to ask your better off using a pro . nothing to fool around with unless you really know what your doing .

Are you sure the system is not Balanced ? one a/c on each side appliances on one side and hot water heater/ stove on the other ,

looking through the wiring diagrams everything on the STBD side caries the load, the only thing thats attached to the port side is an emergency receptacle thats located behind the fridge.... just kinda seems pointless for the port side to go to waste on "OPTIONAL" items that manual states...which i dont even know what they would consider optional, that and i know for sure that the water heater and the stowe are on the same look (STBD side) since when the break is fliped for that side nothing including the recepticles work... o yea the bat charger is on that side to, so i have no clue who had the bright idea to wire the boat that way...and include a bridge

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:05 am

My diagrams are different ,but a few years newer . any one else have a 74 tri ?

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:19 am

Not hard to do right and safely if you know what you're doing. If you're handy and plan on tackling this yourself but have limited electrical savvy, I recommend at least bringing in an electrician prior to doing anything and getting his recommendations, then calling him back after the work is finished so he can confirm it's done right/safely. Prefferably it'll be an electrician that is familiar with marine applications. You may also want to reffer to the appropriate section of ABYC for AC standards or get a good marine AC wiring book. Don't forget to disconnect your genny battery and/or inverter if applicable before proceeding.

mitch · Post by **mitch** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 12:28 pm

Good point, safety, all power off, shore and inverter.

aaronbocknek · Post by **aaronbocknek** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:25 pm

if memory serves me.... (i'm going from my youth growing up on a '72 tri cabin) this is a fairly simple panel. is it the standard 'house hold' type breaker system and gray in color? if so, then i might have a suggestion if it has not been tried yet. on this panel, like all trojans, there is a 'cross over' switch that needs to be flipped from 1 to 2 (or something like that). trojan always had a way to balance the power load. if the cross over is flipped to use both power cords, then it is possible that the actual cross over switch is faulty. when i was inspecting my current tri cabin (a 1982 model), the previous owners said they could never run more than one a/c at a time without blowing a breaker. i took one look at the panel, and, sure enough, it was flipped in the wrong direction and only using one of the power cords. i flipped the crossover to '2', and that solved the problem. they had no idea that there was a way to 'balance' the power coming into the boat.

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:31 pm

Does the panel have labeling saying SHORE 1, SHORE 2? Is there a CROSSOVER switch? A picture would really help current F36 owners to pitch in.

mitch · Post by **mitch** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:41 pm

Big D wrote:Does the panel have labeling saying SHORE 1, SHORE 2? Is there a CROSSOVER switch? A picture would really help current F36 owners to pitch in.

Position 1. Shore 1- all breakers power by shore line 1
Position 2. Shore 2- all breakers power by shore line 2
Position 3. Shore 1&2- 1/2 breakers power by shore line 1, others by 2
Position 4. Gen- all breakers power by gen, if single 120v out

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:01 pm

Ok I'm confused; has something changed or are we dealing with two different vessels/threads/posters etc? Are Mitch and Vitality one and the same? Just want to make sure I'm dealing with the original thread here and his panel to minimize confusion.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:14 pm

Not sure what mitch is saying but thats not how the F36 pannels works . Big D your on the right track ( cross over switch )

mitch · Post by **mitch** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:14 pm

Mr. Big D,
Sorry for the confussion.
The original point was,

"my question is, is it worth rewiring the panel to make everything run evenly from the two cables?"

Thought was giving good points. Maybe not, Mitch

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:28 pm

No prob mitch, I'm just trying to find out what the original poster has for a panel. I know there were at least a couple of different configurations. The point is he may already have the ability to do what he wants and not know it. I remember the labeling not being exactly the best in some of those.

mitch · Post by **mitch** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:46 pm

Big D wrote:No prob mitch, I'm just trying to find out what the original poster has for a panel. I know there were at least a couple of different configurations. The point is he may already have the ability to do what he wants and not know it. I remember the labeling not being exactly the best in some of those.

Big D,
FYI, I going to boat, F44 MY 1979, in AM
The point is he may already have the ability to do what he wants and not know it. ME TOO !
At my age and experience, there is nothing can't fix,
and I know everything ! (HA-HA)
Mitch