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Author Topic: 3200 tripping main breaker  (Read 3379 times)

Handyman2012

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3200 tripping main breaker
« on: October 07, 2012, 11:25:19 AM »
 :bash:
My son and I installed a Central Boiler 320 last year. It heats his home92300sq ft), his shop (3000 sq ft) and his grandmothers house(2000 sq ft). Up until about a week ago , it had been working flawlessly. Regular cleanings about every 6 weeks because of the work load and wood it uses.
Suddenly the unit trips the main breaker. I have monitored the current at the main breaker and have observed that there is NO spike in current when the breaker pops. Checked all of the solenoids for basic resistance across the coils and they are fine. Sometimes the unit will get up operating temperature (water 185) but that has only happened once in the last 3 days. IT usually will only run for an hour at the most .
I did replace the main breaker but that didn't change anything. We re cleaned it and also checked the water levels and brought them right to the mark.
I am stumped. This is what I do for a living. I am the Maintenance Supervisor of a large food manufacturer and maintain all of the equipment so I know how to trouble shoot machinery but this one
really has me over a barrel. The only thing left is the snubber on the a/c input of the control board which is unmarked and I don't just want to throw anything at it. Any suggestions or has anyone run into the same problem.


Thanks :bash:
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snakedriver

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Re: 3200 tripping main breaker
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2012, 05:10:08 PM »
Hello Handyman,
Sorry to hear of the difficulties.
For those of us who are unfamiliar with the unit, is the main breaker to which you refer located on the unit or inside the house breaker panel? How are you monitoring for a current spike? What size is the breaker in amperes? How much current does the circuit nominally see? Is the circuit to the furnace inside a conduit where it is underground or is it rated for direct burial?
Sorry for all the questions but hopefully the answers will help us to help you.
Jerry
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boilerman

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Re: 3200 tripping main breaker
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2012, 10:24:55 PM »
This is your main breaker in your house or the trip breaker on the 3200 that is tripping?
Is the 3200 on it's own circuit/panel breaker from the house?
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Handyman2012

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Re: 3200 tripping main breaker
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2012, 11:08:05 AM »
Sorry I did not get back sooner on this one but....After careful troubleshooting I found that the direct burial 12?2 that fed the CB3200 had a dead short in it. The wire was buried along side of the thermopex so we are guessing that it somehow got pinched and it was only a matter of time before it shorted. We ran new wire in PVC buried about 18 inches to the CB. Now we have BIG PROBLEMS!!! Will explain in new post!  Thanks for the suggestions.
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