Electric bill ???

Sort of a tangent, but... If the meter is older and actually has the wheel that spins, then it is probably reading a little low. As they age, the mechanical parts inside tend to generate more drag.
 
The meters read watts or volt-amps. That is, it is reading both current and volts to create a reading in watts. If the wheel seems to spin more slowly due to low volts, it will compensate by spinning faster due to higher current. The net of slowing and fasting is the same watts.
 
I agree low voltage is a killer for AC components and it makes the meter spin, back to my discusion about marina infastructure.
I would dump the 2X30amp cords and adapter see if you can get an electrician to wire your slip correctly for 220VAC at 50 amps or 100 amps if the boat is equipped for it. I think the 30 amp cords are the problem with the adapter do they feel warm to touch?
Bill
 
Regarding the original post: "Out of control" was what we had when it was unmetered. Now everyone is finding out how much power they had been using. Now they are turning stuff off. Now they don't aircondition all week when they are at work. Now ther're not gonna keep their boats toasty all winter. How about that.
 
I don't use nearly as much as you do for the boat itself, but my bills don't come to $600 for the year and LIPA insists on billing me at the commercial rate because there is no house on the property.
I have two flood lights that go on at dusk and off at dawn 365 days a year. My boat isn't always plugged in when I'm not there, but if it is I run the fridge, charger, and a couple of small fans to keep the air moving in the cabin.
If I am there then the AC is running in the warm months and the heat is running in the cooler months.
I generally leave the boat plugged in when it is blocked up in the winter and leave two 100 watt air/heater/dryer things that stay running all winter to keep the cabin dry. If I spend the day down there puttering around in the winter I run a ceramic heater the whole time I'm there.
I also let my dock neighbor use my electric during the season because there is none on his dock. Not sure what he runs, I think just his charger and fridge.
They installed a new meter in April, but it is pretty consistent with the old one.
My July bill was $38.00 even, and my August bill was $33.71.
 
A 50A boat expects 230-250v. Check me on that.

If you are getting the 208v crap on L.I. that they are pushing, you are being cabled up to an (IMHO) incompatible service.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll

I agree low voltage is a killer for AC components and it makes the meter spin, back to my discusion about marina infastructure.
I would dump the 2X30amp cords and adapter see if you can get an electrician to wire your slip correctly for 220VAC at 50 amps or 100 amps if the boat is equipped for it. I think the 30 amp cords are the problem with the adapter do they feel warm to touch?
Bill

Click to expand...


That's what we did when we moved to our current marina/slip. Easy change at the pedestal.

I don't think twin 30s would have been a big problem for us (even though we're a 50-amp 240v boat, all appliances are 110), but I didn't particularly want to leave our $450 "Smart Y" adapter out there on the dock all the time for all to steal.

Sorry I can't contribute to the actual question, since The Admiral pays that bill. :)

And in any case, we usually only leave a few things turned on when not at the boat: charger, two fridges, 4 small fans, forward AC in fan-mode-only... so our load probably wouldn't replicate Walter's anyway. During the heat wave I did leave the saloon AC on with thermostat at 82° to reduce the stress on the fridges...

-Chris
 
We have a 60 ft live abord at our yacht club. For the 3 mos of April, May & June it use aprox 8000 kwh at $.17 per khw it came to $1,400. In Ma. it is legal to charge metered slips at the actual cost of the electricity. The only ones allowed to profit on regulated utilities are the utility company themselves. Howver it is legal for the marina to charge a "service fee" to offset the cost of reading the meters and sending out bills. You bill rb2@gr5t600 for 3 months may be accurate or even a little low. You can't believe how much power a boat can consume.
 
Hi,

If you have a 1/10 reading on your pedestal meter you can plug a 1000w appliance like a heat gun or a portable heater and let it run for 10 minutes. Your meter should klick 1/10.
You need to be there and start your timer at the first klick of the meter then 10 minutes later it shold klick to the next 10th. This is not exact but it will give you an idea if the meter is working properly. They are usually pretty accurate anif they are wrong, they are REALLY wrong, like 5/10ths to 1/10th.

A Y adapter uses so little power that it is not an issue. There are two little coils that hold relays in to allow power to pass through the "Y" to your boat. This is in place to ensure the Neutral and Hot wiring is correct. If the Neutral & Hot are not correct the relays will not allow the power to pass.

There are also " Dumb Y"s that do not have this feature and are much slimmer than the smart one.

208 volts will run the same equipment that 240 will run but it will be a little less efficient. This will play into the lower voltage higher amperage theory but it is such a small amount that it is really not an issue.

Marina infrastructure is possible but if you test your voltage in the boat with "no load" and then under a reasonably normal or heavy load,the voltage should be about the same.

Do the same test at the pedistal.

If the voltage drops at the boat but not at the pedestal then you may have a cord problem like corrosion or the cord is too light for the actual load.

If the voltage stays the same, load or no load, then it's not a wiring problem.

If the voltage drops at the pedestal and the boat THEN you MAY have an infrastructure problem.

Remember that a 30 amp cord is not really meant to carry 30 amps 24/7. If your really drawing that much then you will get warm plugs and outlets even if the terminations are greased and tight.

Reversing the meter is an dumb thing to do and a way to make enemies. I do not know any marina owners that deliberately try to rip off their customers. especeially in this economical climate.

It may be a funky meter. It may be wiring or infrastructure but it is probably the fact that your using alot of power based on all the points others have made above.

good luck.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ches46

If you have a 1/10 reading on your pedestal meter you can plug a 1000w appliance like a heat gun or a portable heater and let it run for 10 minutes. Your meter should klick 1/10.
Click to expand...

That would only work if an hour had 100 minutes. Here in the US and most, if not all parts of the world, an hour has 60 minutes.
While the principle idea is correct, you would have to check the meter every 6 minutes. A 1000 watt load will draw .1 Kw every six minutes.
 
Interesting.
I wonder why they break the meter into 10ths and not 6ths...
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ches46

Interesting.
I wonder why they break the meter into 10ths and not 6ths...

Click to expand...

Because 6 minites is a 1/10th of an hour. Either you understand how a clock works or you don't. 1/10 of an hour is 6 minutes.
 
Walter, it's not the boat. I have the same boat (2008), same appliances and don't spend nearly that much money. But if you run your AC units all the time (while away from the boat) in the heat, that's gonna cost you. When away from the boat, I leave two units in dehumidifier mode and leave the other two off. First season i left all three refrigerators on, now if practical, I shutoff the cockpit and bridge fridges and leave the main one running. other than that i make sure hot water is off, everything else has normal power. My marina charges an overage at the end of the summer, last year i paid ~125.00 overage.

The boat, by the way, rocks!
 
"The boat, by the way, rocks!" That's not good maybe it needs a wider beam:)
 
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