fused switch panel - trying to make a decision

[RivRunR]

Thanks RivRunR!!! Makes total sense.

Wow! Never been accused of THAT before! :LOL2:

 

[franner11]

OK guys, pretty simple question:
I have purchased a blue sea main switch (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00445KFZ2/ref=oh_o01_s00_i01_details) to turn off power to the fuse panel when I'm done using my boat. If I don't have one of these installed, the lights on my fuse panel will remain on at all times.
That said, considering I will have a circuit breaker installed on the positive main line from the battery at about 7-12 inches away from the battery, do I simply put the main switch after the circuit breaker, or do I need to install another circuit breaker after the main switch before the fuse panel? Just want to do this correctly....

 

[RivRunR]

OK guys, pretty simple question:
I have purchased a blue sea main switch (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00445KFZ2/ref=oh_o01_s00_i01_details) to turn off power to the fuse panel when I'm done using my boat. If I don't have one of these installed, the lights on my fuse panel will remain on at all times.
That said, considering I will have a circuit breaker installed on the positive main line from the battery at about 7-12 inches away from the battery, do I simply put the main switch after the circuit breaker, or do I need to install another circuit breaker after the main switch before the fuse panel? Just want to do this correctly....

Honestly I've never messed with a battery switch, but I would think you'd put it in line after the breaker so the breaker didn't see any spikes when you turn the switch on...so it would go battery -> breaker -> switch -> panel. Again, I've never installed a battery switch so maybe other ppl will chime in.

I think you could also get the same result you're looking for by installing a simple on/off toggle switch on the negative feed to your fuse/switch panel.

 

[Leelatt]

Franner, I'll post up pics this weekend when I work on installing the front deck on my tracker 1542 and show you what I did with adding in switches, I wish I saw this sooner to add in any advice for problems I encountered.

for switch panel I used: https://www.amazon.com/Seasense-Marine-Way-Switch-Panel/dp/B003E24MKA/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1332951117&sr=1-1
which is then connected to this: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Circuit-Ground/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=pd_cp_e_1

I have my bilge pump, bow fish finder, voltmeter, nav lights, and live well aerator hooked up to it and then a spare cell phone and Ipod transmitter in the boat for plugging in to charge my phone or play my ipod.

all wiring from the switch panel to the fuse bus is 16 gauge wire.
From the + and - terminals of the fuse bus I have 6 gauge wire running to the + and - terminals of a group 29 deep cycle battery.
the fuse bus and switch panel is on a console I fabricated that sits behind the middle bench on the starboard side, all wiring is running through a 1/2 inch pvc pipe in the starboard wall chine (groove) from bow to stern with a section missing where the wires run into the console. battery is also inside this console which I designed with a hatch.

for the trolling motor, I have a dedicated group 29 deep cycle battery in the stern compartment against the transom, which I have 6 gauge wire running from the + terminal to a 60 amp circuit breaker (MK brand) then from there and the - terminal of the battery I have 6 gauge wire running through a 1/2 inch pvc pipe that is in the port wall chine (groove) that runs from the stern to the bow bench, where I installed a trolling motor plug (saw this in baitcaster's livin large project) and have my endura c2 55# transom motor mounted on a fabricated bow mount.

I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out and how it rides, I'll try to get pictures up asap for you, plus I need to post up my mods soon anyway.

-Lee

 

[Jim]

I normally cant get to all the posts on the forum even though I try, but coming across this one and seeing the help from everyone is just awesome. So awesome! You all rule and make this forum the best! :USA1: :beer:

 

[franner11]

I agree, Jim - so helpful to have this group answer questions for me. Couldn't be doing my boat mod without this site and the insight form others.
Thank you all!!!
=D>

 

[franner11]

ok guys - really need your help!
i'm a bit confused now, but i might be on the right track...
i have 6wg going from the bat 1 positive to a 40 amp circuit breaker...and i was going to use 6awg to the fuse panel from that same circuit breaker, but the main positive line in on the fuse panel has 12 awg wire coming out of it.

does that mean i really need 12 awg running from the circuit breaker to the fuse panel? what about the 6 awg from the battery to the cb - should that be 12 awg instead of 6 awg?

also, my cig lighter has 20 awg wire on it...can i run that to the fuse panel using 20 awg, or can i use the 16 awg i already got? no in line fuse now since it'll be running to the fuse panel?
thanks in advance!
~franner

 

[RivRunR]

I'm not sure what you mean by "the main positive line on the fuse panel has 12AWG coming out of it"...do you mean the panel came equipped with 12AWG as the main feed...the #1 circled below?

If that's what you're looking at, I'd still go with 6AWG IF you can make a direct connection to the panel. Overkill on the wire gauge won't hurt anything, and assuming that your CB is correct at 40A, then 12AWG seems small. If you can't replace the installed 12AWG lead with the 6AWG, then you need to calculate your total amp draw coming thru the panel to make sure 12AWG will handle the load by checking one of the online charts. Don't try to splice/connect the 6 to the 12, that's just another potential fail point. And you can leave the battery-to-breaker at 6AWG regardless of what you end up with on the breaker-to-panel lead.

For the cig lighter it depends on the length of run, but again overkill on the gauge doesn't hurt, so you can run the 16AWG (both sides) if you can make direct connections at the plug.

 

[franner11]

Thanks RivRunR!
Yes, the fuse panel came equipped with 12 awg as the main feed like the #1 circled in your diagram.
I think the total amp draw of the entire panel would be around 13 amps max:
Fish Finder 1 = .5-1 Amp
Fish finder 2 = .5-1 Amp
Cigarette Lighter = 3-4 Amps
Bilge = 2-3 Amps
Nav Lights = 1-2 Amps
Courtesy Lights = 1-2 Amps

The length of the run one way from the Bat 1 circuit breaker would be around 8-10 feet max. Am I correct in saying 12 awg should be OK to use? The chart seems to say yes: 15-20 amps running 8-12 feet should be ok with 12 awg...but if I have to double that one way run, it'd be 16-20 feet, which looks like it requires 10 or 8 awg....
If I can't switch out the 12 awg on the panel (which I don't think I could do), what are my options?
Thanks again!
Fran

 

[RivRunR]

The length factor is for both sides, so your distance is 20' at 15Amps running thru the panel, which calcs out to be 8 - 10 AWG, depending on which chart.

Since your fish finders and cig plug don't need to be on a switch, one alternative (assuming you want to keep the switched fuse panel that you already have) could be:
1. Run your bilge (5A), navs (2A), and courtesy lights (2A) thru your existing switched fuse panel. That's 9A x 20' = 12AWG, so the switch panel's installed 12AWG will work, and
2. Run your finders (2A) and cig plug (4A) thru a separate fuse block, which would be 6A x 20' = 12-14AWG. This would mean you'd have to buy another fuse block and breaker to go with it. If that's not feasible, you could go with in-lines for the finders and cig plug...I really don't like them, but it's been done that way before.

or...you could somehow reduce the run from the breaker to the panel to a total of 10' to make the panel's 12AWG ok.

Oh, and you mentioned that your breaker was 40A...that seems to be too big for the load you're running thru the switch panel, even if you were running everything thru it.

 

[franner11]

Thanky!
Yeah not looking to buy any more stuff than I have to. The distances I guessed are just that: conservative and probably way too long of runs. That said, I need to do some measuring when I get home and find out what the situation is, concisely. I'll probably end up using 10 awg.
Looks like I need a smaller circuit breaker. 15 amp? 20amp? 30 amp?
Kinda pissed I bought all the wrong stuff But hey that's what happens when you make assumptions.

 

[RivRunR]

Yep, your distance is a critical factor, so you need to know what that is before you make any decisions.

Your max amp draw thru the panel looks like 15A, so using a rule-of-thumb 135%, you'd want a 20A breaker.

Don't worry about not getting the right stuff (I've got a whole box full of it !), you're going about it the right way by figuring it out beforehand, instead of after you have a problem.

 

[franner11]

Ah you rock, RivRunR!!! I really appreciate your help!

 

[franner11]

On another note, I'm gonna go pick up a pristine Merc 25hp motor tonight!!! Hopefully I can sell my 8hp quickly, which will give me 3x the horsepower for only about $250 more than the 8hp!
WOOT!!!

 

[RivRunR]

=D>

 

[SmokerChris]

Im at the point where Im plotting out my electrical in order to buy the parts. No matter how much I read, I find Im still completely confused. This thread was extremely helpful, but by the end I wasnt sure if the original parts list was going to be correct for me. Maybe Ill just post my diagram and hope one of these few gentlemen can tell me exactly what I need based on the diagram. Still, this thread gave me some place to start. Thanks.

 

[RivRunR]

A diagram is always good!

 

[franner11]

Here's my latest diagram based on the decisions I/we made in the last couple of days. Glad I could help you a little bit!

 

[SmokerChris]

Thanks, that helps a lot. Its all the finer details on one drawing that makes all the difference for a confuses newbie like me. This was an extremely helpful thread!