Welcome to Carver Yachts Owners Forum

We are a boating forum for owners of Carver Yachts to enthusiastically discuss all aspects of Carver Boat ownership. Whether you are looking for your first Carver or currently own one, you are sure to feel at home on CarverYachtOwners.com

You are currently viewing our board as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions, articles and access our other FREE features. By joining our free community you will have access to searching the forum topics, post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload your own photos and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

Microwave electrical and generator

Discussion of batteries, chargers, wiring, generators, distribution panels, battery switches, etc.
User avatar

Topic author United States of America
Helmsman
Commander
Commander
Posts: 323
Joined: May 9th, 2016, 9:16 am
Vessel Info: Temporarily Boatless
Has thanked: 71 times
Been thanked: 42 times

Re: Microwave electrical and generator

Postby Helmsman » July 7th, 2019, 3:14 pm

Ok. Today I ran the generator. Starting up, the amperage on the side which has the battery chargers and inverters surged up to 18 amps then dropped back quickly as it figured out the batteries were fully charged. After that, I started the two AC’s (one of the 30 amp feeds) and then I turned on the hot water feed. Then I added one stove top. Both together along with the fridge and the chargers drew 25 amps. I ran it this way for about fifteen minutes.

Then, I turned off the hot water and the stove. With the AC running, I put a bowl of water in the microwave, and the microwave ran just fine. First for three minutes, and then four minutes. Generator just purred along. Then I added the hot water heater and tried the microwave for 3 minutes. Again, everything worked fine. Amperage was fine and so was the generator.

I want to check the wire to the microwave as suggested by KM, and I also want to check the coolant in the generator. The problem occurred on the 4th in 95 degree weather after running the generator for about two hours. The oil is fine, the impeller is good, the strainer is fine.

It could be that we tried to put too much on the system at once in a too rapid time frame. Will keep tinkering to see if I can get it to run away again.

User avatar

United States of America
AaHubb
Commander
Commander
Posts: 313
Joined: February 16th, 2013, 5:46 pm
Vessel Info: '99 404 CPMY
my twin diesel pusher
Location: Kennewick, Wa
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 60 times

Re: Microwave electrical and generator

Postby AaHubb » July 8th, 2019, 10:58 am

Ever watch the tv show Green Acres? :-P
'99 404 CPMY
SeaDragon
User avatar

Topic author United States of America
Helmsman
Commander
Commander
Posts: 323
Joined: May 9th, 2016, 9:16 am
Vessel Info: Temporarily Boatless
Has thanked: 71 times
Been thanked: 42 times

Re: Microwave electrical and generator

Postby Helmsman » July 8th, 2019, 10:47 pm

AaHubb wrote:Source of the post Ever watch the tv show Green Acres? :-P


Sure, but not since I was a kid. Where are you going with it?

United States of America
tomschauer
CYO Supporter
CYO Supporter
Posts: 2290
Joined: March 28th, 2016, 10:52 pm
Vessel Info: 1998 Carver 355
Suspicious Fishes !
2022 Kawasaki 310X
Location: upper chesapeake bay
Has thanked: 313 times
Been thanked: 581 times

Re: Microwave electrical and generator

Postby tomschauer » July 8th, 2019, 11:25 pm

When using the genny, or shore power for that matter, its all about power management. If you have a 7kw genny at 120 v you have about 58 amps available at full load. If you have twin 30amp shore power cords, you have about the same. Sometimes actually less, with old cords, old receptacles and old breakers with long wire runs to your pedestal.
Your water heater alone will draw 12.5 amps when its heating. Just turning the breaker on doesn't mean it is heating. You may have had it on long enough that it was satisfied and not heating, which enabled you to run the microwave.
Anyway, with shore power or the genny, you cant run everything at the same time and not trip a main. You want to be especially cautious when switching on the genny. Bring it on with little or no load and then turn on an a/c, then the second a/c if you have it. If not the inrush will at best lower the voltage and trip the breaker, at worst, overheat the compressor start windings and toast your a/c units. I always turn off the water heater breaker when using the stove or the microwave.
Keep an eye on your voltage meter, if it is constantly dipping down near 100v, it will damage your compressor containing devices (a/c, fridge, ice maker), so back off on load to keep the volage up.
User avatar

United States of America
AaHubb
Commander
Commander
Posts: 313
Joined: February 16th, 2013, 5:46 pm
Vessel Info: '99 404 CPMY
my twin diesel pusher
Location: Kennewick, Wa
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 60 times

Re: Microwave electrical and generator

Postby AaHubb » July 9th, 2019, 10:30 am

What Tomschauer said. :down:
'99 404 CPMY
SeaDragon
User avatar

Topic author United States of America
Helmsman
Commander
Commander
Posts: 323
Joined: May 9th, 2016, 9:16 am
Vessel Info: Temporarily Boatless
Has thanked: 71 times
Been thanked: 42 times

Re: Microwave electrical and generator

Postby Helmsman » July 9th, 2019, 10:59 pm

tomschauer wrote:Source of the post When using the genny, or shore power for that matter, its all about power management. If you have a 7kw genny at 120 v you have about 58 amps available at full load. If you have twin 30amp shore power cords, you have about the same. Sometimes actually less, with old cords, old receptacles and old breakers with long wire runs to your pedestal.
Your water heater alone will draw 12.5 amps when its heating. Just turning the breaker on doesn't mean it is heating. You may have had it on long enough that it was satisfied and not heating, which enabled you to run the microwave.
Anyway, with shore power or the genny, you cant run everything at the same time and not trip a main. You want to be especially cautious when switching on the genny. Bring it on with little or no load and then turn on an a/c, then the second a/c if you have it. If not the inrush will at best lower the voltage and trip the breaker, at worst, overheat the compressor start windings and toast your a/c units. I always turn off the water heater breaker when using the stove or the microwave.
Keep an eye on your voltage meter, if it is constantly dipping down near 100v, it will damage your compressor containing devices (a/c, fridge, ice maker), so back off on load to keep the volage up.


Thanks Tom! Part of the description above was testing. The water heater was on and in the heating phase during the above test to get the amps up to see if I could get the gennie to surge as part of what Viper suggested for testing. The stove was cutting on and off as the eye would heat up and switch off and on. The amperage never got too high while we ran the microwave under various loads.

I have been phasing in the AC’s and waiting for the compressors to start one at a time as a start up habit. Typically, we will have the AC on when days are hot. The fridge also, using the pass through with the inverter, so with the 110 powering the gennie. Then we will use the microwave for heating up stuff.

I have never seen the voltage go below 115 or so. When I measured the outlet the microwave is plugged into with a multimeter it showed 117 volts steady.

I am beginning to think that the new inverter (the new variable) which pulls high amps for about 3 to 4 minutes when shore power or the gennie is supplying power is the variable that sends things into a tail spin. By waiting a few minutes and adding things gradually I think we may get back to “normal” which to your point, is power management.

I did buy a Kill-a-Watt meter as someone above suggested. I will hook the microwave through it and watch the wattage to see if it goes crazy. Since I made it through a 4 minute test without an amp increase, I think I may try a little longer and see if we get an increase. I may pull the microwave and test it elsewhere, but not sure how to get it loose yet.
User avatar

Topic author United States of America
Helmsman
Commander
Commander
Posts: 323
Joined: May 9th, 2016, 9:16 am
Vessel Info: Temporarily Boatless
Has thanked: 71 times
Been thanked: 42 times

Re: Microwave electrical and generator

Postby Helmsman » July 14th, 2019, 10:17 pm

I took the boat out for the day today. We ran the gennie for AC most of the day due to the heat.

We also microwaved. This time, I just had one AC on, the fridge was getting power through the 12 volt connection, and the water heater and the stove breakers were off. We had no power issues at all. So, I think it was a power management issue.

Return to “Electrical”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests