Engine room blowers keep popping breakers


F

Flacht6

Member
My engine room blowers keep popping the breakers (the ones right above the generator). Obviously something's not right and I'll probably end up needing to replace the blowers but before I do that is there anything I should check?

2011 45 Yacht
 
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do the blowers run for an approximate time and then the breaker trips? Are they spinning freely with no restriction or do you hear a humming noise. I have heard that angry seas can get into the blower vent house and sit in the motor. We all know what salt water can do to electrics.

If they are spinning for a time then the trip the breaker try to borrow an amp probe and clamp the blowers wires and document the amp draw on them. Nameplate off the blower would also be good if you can get it to compare with amp draw.
 
Sorry, I should have given more details in my first post. The breakers pop as soon as I turn the blowers on. I'm guessing that they're seized, would it be unusual for all of them to seize? The boat's only 9 years old....
 
If you have an amprobe, place it around the wire coming off the breaker and measure the amperage. The current draw must be less than 80 percent of the breaker rating. Sometimes breakers will trip prematurely. Most likely it will be the blower motors seized up.
 
yes that is odd that they would suddenly lock up only after 8-9 years. Have you had any recent electrical work done on the boat before the breaker tripping that could indicate a grounded switched leg. Maybe some recent engine work and a wire got pinched and is grounded? If you can't spin the blade on one of the blower motors (I believe there are 2) then its junk.

Hope this helps
 
If the blowers run only when switch is flipped and nothing else, then one or more (if there is more then one) of the blowers is drawing to much current, OR......... the wire feeding the blower(s) has a short to ground
 
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