replacing an old ice maker

[cpoint]

Thanks viper. I will investigate more next time out there. I was happy last time it was working on AC power, so I can shut of the DC power for refrigerator while not on boat. which seemed to work that way last week. But yesterday I was not able to power it up even when I switched the DC refrigerator switch (behind mirror) ON. I turned both receptacles on and no luck on AC power either. But I was in a rush and forgot to test to see if I had power on ports side receptacles . I will check maybe it is GFI.

[Viper]

Qr Bbpost Thanks viper. I will investigate more next time out there. I was happy last time it was working on AC power, so I can shut of the DC power for refrigerator while not on boat. which seemed to work that way last week. But yesterday I was not able to power it up even when I switched the DC refrigerator switch (behind mirror) ON. I turned both receptacles on and no luck on AC power either. But I was in a rush and forgot to test to see if I had power on ports side receptacles . I will check maybe it is GFI.

It'll only be a GFI issue as a probably cause IF the refrigerator operates on the same circuit as other outlets. If it's a dedicated circuit and has its own breaker labeled as such, then this does not apply. Also unlikely the refrigerator outlet itself is GFI but you never know what's been done in the past.

[cpoint]

I do not recall seeing AC dedicated circuit for it. Nothing under the stairs, behind mirror or up top behind console (under front seat). So I am hoping it is hooked up to GFI that's in the forward head. I am kind of tired of constantly taking things apart

[Viper]

So when you turn on the breaker on the panel to operate the refrigerator on AC, how is the breaker labeled, "Refrigerator" or something else?

[cpoint]

panel (behind mirror) is actually DC, not AC, labeled Refrigerator. I have not seen Refrigerator under AC, so I assumed in may be hooked up to some receptacle behind the Refrigerator (port side, which I would have to remove to see back of).

AC panel has range, microwave, 2 receptacles, water heater, battery charger.

[Viper]

Looks like the refrigerator is probably wired to one of the receptacle breakers. If you have all of your AC breakers on and get power form all those things, then could very well be a GFI. Look for a GFI breaker and see if it's tripped. Again, this only applies to the AC side of the refrigerator's operation. This would not prevent it from operating on DC if it's DC breaker is turned on.

[cpoint]

I think its fried. The GFI's are all on. Also under sink (next to refrigerator) found the plug where it is plugged into. There is power in the plug, so refrigerator is not getting power from AC and it is not getting from DC either.

[mjk1040]

Our 1998 355 is on its second fridge. The trouble is that the new one's don't completely take up the exact same space as the old one did. The fridge is the same cubic size, it's the outer cabinet trim that's shy of covering up the same area. Hopefully u'll find a fall deal on a new fridge.

[Viper]

Qr Bbpost I think its fried. The GFI's are all on. Also under sink (next to refrigerator) found the plug where it is plugged into. There is power in the plug, so refrigerator is not getting power from AC and it is not getting from DC either.

While it likely is fried, don't assume anything. Just because there is power at the outlet doesn't mean it's getting to the board on the refrigerator. Same goes for the DC side. You must check for voltage at the board end to be sure. And if there is power there, see if you can open it up and look for a fuse. You might get lucky. It's an awful lot of money to spend without checking out all the possibilities first.

I go to bat for old refrigerators and the extra mile in diagnosis simply because like many things, they don't build them like they used to. I'm finding the newer units fail much sooner than their older counterparts. Mine and a lot of the 80s vintage and earlier units are still out there working after 40 years. The new ones on average won't come close by the failure rates I'm seeing. Having said that, if you spend a lot of time on the hook, you can't beat the efficiency of the newer builds and their lower power consumption which is very important when you're trying to conserve as much power as possible. They're also much quieter. Unfortunately mine is a power hog so it is on my bucket list to replace but I have no expectations that the new one will last as long.

Given the amount of sensitive AC electronics we're carrying like newer refrigerators, chargers, TVs, AC units, etc., I'm considering a shore power surge protection unit. Way too many spikes from marina supply and it's just a matter of time before these take out your equipment. It's probably the number one cause of board failures. Here is an example the units I'm talking about though I'm just starting the research. Something built into the shore power cord or the AC panel would be cool:
http://www.trci.net/products/surge-guard-marine
http://www.charlesindustries.com/main/ma_surge.html

[cpoint]

thanks viper, on my way to boat show, I will read this more carefully later, but is the fuse on the refrigerator? how would I go about finding its location? I am assuming I need to unscrew to take it out