Bad Day = - = MOD Update Broke DC System

MuttonChops

Today started with a simple Solar Panel Controller replacement.  The old one was water damaged and no longer controlled, it just charged & charged.

Once the replacement was mounted it was time to rewire; first step disconnect the Battery.  Well I grabbed the first wrench at hand, not the best wrench down at the toolbox bottom. And as you have guessed that first wrench, slipped out of my hand, and since that wrench was also too long shorted Battery Positive to chassis ground (Tub Support) and wedged itself in place. By the time I got the wrench out of there wire insulation was smoking everywhere.  So much so I got the fire extinguisher out and started searching for real fire . . . none found.

From the places I can inspect the wiring, about 8-feet of the 14-foot wire route, only the Ground White Wire was damaged.  Its melted insulation did blacken several other wires at some contract points but those wires don't appear to have been melted themselves.

Some Pictures:

Recovery Plan.

Auto Parts Store tested the battery and say it is OK.
Will cut out the wire I can access. Will leave it be in the raceway under the shower and down behind the toilet.
Will replace with 8-guage 'battery Wire' type for the full 14-feet.
Hope to snake leader string up from bottom to water pump access door,
Also Hope to snake leader string down raceway or near it if raceway is too difficult.

Then Route new wire from WFCO Power Center location to backside of toilet then to junction box

Any one who has replaced the Ground Wire please let me know if I'm missing something.

JustJohn

Now that sounds like a typical day for me when I work on my T@B. Looks like you have the repair nailed, could have been much worse considering the fire danger. 

Ratkity

"Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug"

There are times I think something is wrong when a mod goes right the first time and it took 15 min and no extra trips to the hardware store.

rfuss928

 ALWAYS undo the ground wire first!!!

If the tool bumps anything (except the POS post) there is no problem.   Once the ground is disconnected there is no risk while disconnecting the POS wire. 

Then, POS first during reassembly.

Auto mechanics 101

Be careful!!

Have fun!

Bob

MuttonChops

rfuss928 said:

 ALWAYS undo the ground wire first!!!

Yep, normally do . . . but not yesterday . . . was needlessly taking short cuts, lesson learned.

MuttonChops

Some Progress.  Now.  Break Time

Just finished pulling the new 8-Gauge wire.
Raceway was easy.
Last few inches at bottom of behind toilet space to the outside world, NOT one bit easy.

Someday some manufacturer will actually place stuff with future repair/access in mind.

Have also completed the Battery to Junction Box wire with connectors and somewhat melted hard plastic cover. Will start re-assembly after a nice break.

rfuss928

Maybe you should count this as one more adventure!?  

Nice job!

ScottG

MuttonChops said:

rfuss928 said:

 ALWAYS undo the ground wire first!!!

Yep, normally do . . . but not yesterday . . . was needlessly taking short cuts, lesson learned.

I just assumed you dropped the wrench while undoing the ground wire. No reason to admit too much.  ;-)

tybladesmith

Good job @Muttonchops, that is a heartbreaker. I followed your route with UTP cable for Victron  monitor cable this week. That is not an easy job! Were any other wires damaged?

BrianZ

What an [mis]adventure!  Sure hope I never have to experience that.  The wiring sounds like a pain, but the sparks & smoke part sounds pretty scary. Now that you've earned your purple heart, you should be ready for anything!
Thanks for teaching what you learned.

MuttonChops

tybladesmith said:

. . . Were any other wires damaged?

For the sections I can inspect damage is only to the Ground Wire.  Believe I got the wrench removed from its wedged/jammed location before heat got to total destruction levels.  Every place I could peel off the Ground Wire the other wire(s) in contact with it appear to have normal insulation.  Some do have brown/black spots from the exposed ground conductor starting to burn them.

Based on inspection of about 8-feet of the overall 14-feet think I'm OK.

Still need to do a 100% system check (and watchful listening/smelling) on DC and shore power to really confirm.

MuttonChops

Repair is Done pending full systems operation check on DC & Shore power.

Do know SeeLevel and Fan are working.

Also completed the Solar Controller swap out.

Will clean up my mess, 100% systems check, and prep for a Thursday adventure another day.

For now I just want to have a quiet Jack Daniels.

MuttonChops

tybladesmith said:

. . .  followed your route with UTP cable for Victron  monitor cable this week. That is not an easy job!

Yep, that access port to the Junction box would be much easier to handle if it was several inches outboard of its location.

While getting a bit off-original-topic:

Believe if, more likely when, I need to run additional wires I'll be installing my own access port.  On the Diamond Plate would be easiest to locate vs. toilet wall area stuff . . . if the cross bar frames can be located or estimated from our few 'factory build' pictures.

Coming up through the floor seems higher risk with so much stuff down at the bottom of that space.

NuCamp should be able to provide us with 'Drill Safe Zone' information based on standard factory placements/routing.  Maybe something like . . . Floor; 4-inches outboard, 1-inch aft of standard port.  Safe to drill a 3/4 inch hole. . . . or some such information/drawing for both the floor and lower diamond plate area.

jkjenn

Wow, glad things were not worse. It does sound like the type of thing that would happen to me. 

ScottG

Good work, @MuttonChops--probably better than it was to start with!

Just for my own future reference, how did you remove the wedged wrench? In such a scenario I would probably resist my initial urge to just grab onto it with a bare hand, but I'm not really sure what I would do otherwise...

MuttonChops

ScottG said:

. . . how did you remove the wedged wrench?

In such a scenario I would probably resist my initial urge to just grab onto it with a bare hand, but I'm not really sure what I would do otherwise...

First thing the old brain said was Stop Don't Touch It.
Everything handy was metal so got a glove out of my TV then struck not grabbed the wrench and it popped out.

After searching T@B for fire returned to get wrench, it was still too hot to touch.