Upstairs Fridge has no 12V Power Cable to it

[Rocketman]

Recently purchased 2009 44 Sojourn and the upstairs fridge was not running on 12V power. Runs fine on 120V AC w/ shore power and/or generator.
I verified all the breakers were on and finally decided the little inverter on the back of the fridge had probably gone out (I have had this happen before on other boats). I pulled the fridge and found that the 12V wires coming off the inverter were not connected to anything. Just tied up on the back of the fridge like they were from the factory. I looked all around inside the compartment and cannot find the wires coming from the DC power panel. I opened the DC power panel and verified the breaker has a large orange wire labeled Z1 connected to it and the wire goes thru the bulkhead at he back of the power panel area. At that point I have no idea where the wire is going or how to find it. It is under the stairs going to the fly bridge and there is no access anywhere that I can see to run wires up.

Any ideas or anyone had a similar problem with Carver.

There is also no other 12V power behind the fridge so I am not sure how to even get the wire up to it at this point if I have to just run a new wire.

[tomschauer]

is it possible an icemaker was originally in the spot where the fridge is? If so there would not have been a 12vdc feed to it.

[g36]

You may at least look where the throttle cables go up to the flybridge from the engine room to give some idea of the area to look for a cable path up. In my 405 I have panels screwed inside cabinets that are removable to reveal areas where my cables are run up to the flybridge from below. Might help if you want to run a 12v line

[Sgodfrey]

On my boat both the fridge in the galley and the flybridge are wired on 120 outlets that are connected to the invertor. Is it possible that is the design approach on your boat as well?

[Rocketman]

My boat does not have an inverter.
It might have originally had an icemaker. It is at least plumbed with a water line and shutoff right beside the fridge. The DC breaker and wire are there at the DC power panel labeled exterior refrigerator/ice maker. Wire labeled Z1 obviously goes somewhere. Just no idea where.
I will have to start looking inside cabinets and stuff to see if there is a path. It may be that there is a path straight up from the AC panel as it is directly under the fridge and grill and sink that are all there together.

[Rocketman]

Still no luck figuring this one out.
Called Carver and looking at the original info - the boat came with an icemaker. But it is weird that the breaker and wire are there for the DC panel as well.
No way for the wire to get from the steering helm to the fridge based on the design. There is no channel for wiring to go from one area to the other as there is a walkway between.
I did cut out a hole behind the fridge and found the AC wires coming up along with the water line for the sink but no fridge DC power line.
I will have to run a new wire down to the engine room and then across to the DC panel.

[Rocketman]

Got it wired.
Snaked a new wire down the back side of the fridge to beside the A/C panel (directly below the fridge).
Drilled a 5" hole behind the table seat back and was able to pull the wire down and into the engine compartment (there is an access hole in the corner for wires and water lines going into the engine compartment).
Then over to the Port side of the boat.
Then back up to the DC panel and connect to the breaker. Still no idea where that original Z1 DC fridge wire goes since it is not labeled along the way. I did leave it connected to the breaker so in the future if it is ever found and or being used for something else it will continue to work.

[Phrancus]

Good work!

Personally I do not connect 'loose' wires to the breaker. Better to cut their function at the breaker than at the other end were it may cause problemes, or along the way.

Label it for future reference and enjoy the top fridge

[km1125]

On a boat that big, is it possible there was a second location for a fridge, even a smaller one? I've seen some boats (not that model) with a small fridge within reach of the helm, or at the front of the bridge.

[Rocketman]

Not on this model - this is the only upstairs fridge.
It is just so weird that they did not run that wire to the fridge for later use. My guess is it is under the dash somewhere but was never run back along the gunnel to the fridge area. There are about 100 wires under the dash and where all the wires come up from the access to the dash. Plus the original owner redid all the stereo and added amps so there are a ton of more wires for all that.