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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Wiring
Posted By: bruce In Response To: Re: Battery Chargers *LINK* (Chiles)
Date: Friday, 22 October 2004, at 5:29 p.m.
Wiring in general is easy.
On new wiring a diagram is not needed.1. Sit down and make a list of the DC and AC devises you will have. Check it three times and then again. If you think you will need something later plan for it now.
2. Write down next to each item what the current draw will be.
3. You now have the size panel you need and the size breakers you need.
4. Other than cabin lites and outlets, don't piggy back circuits to save MONEY.
5. Use tinned wire, heat shrink and sealed lugs.
6. Determine where the panel and devises are to be mounted.
7. Run cables from point A to point B.
8. Bundle cables securly and watch for possible chaffing.
9. As UV said run a #2 red and black(is this politicaly correct now a days?)from the feed battery thru a battery switch(red only)to the panel for the DC.
10. Determine where your shore power inlet is and run a three wire #10 cable from it to the panel. #10 will handle 30 amps. If you have a gen set run the appropriate size cable from the gen set location to the panel. Again securing.
11. If you are going to use a zinc saver between the ac ground and bonding system, figure out where it will go and install as wiring directions tell you.
12. At each device that may need replacing over the years, leave at least a foot of wire curled up. Running it tight then cutting to replace a pump can leave the wire short and then you will have to splice a section in.
13. At the panel leave enough to open and close panel if needed.
14. Wire size and amperage:
#16/ 10 amps
#14/ 15 amps
#12/ 20 amps
#10/ 30 amps
#8/ 40 amps
#6/ 50 amps15. For those with a seperate house battery to charge under way it can be done two ways.
a. Use an isolator from one engine to the house battery.
b. Use a two bank isolator, one feed from each engine to the isolator.Use the appropriate size isolator and wire size for your altenator output.
If you do not use an isolator, the engine can pull starting current from the house battery thru the smaller charging wire and burn it up.
The connections should not be made battery to battery because if the house battery goes down, it will pull voltage from the engine batteries and they could discharge also.
Isolators use diodes which allow current to flow in only one direction.
16. If you have a device that pulls 16 amps, don't use #14. Always go to the next size up.
The same goes for a breaker.
What ever the breaker is rated for, use that size wire.17. If you have a devise that pulls 15 amps, don't use a 15 amp breaker. Use a 20 and the appropriate size wire.
18. If you don't want to use a seperate breaker for each electronic on the bridge, measure all loads and run the appropriate size wire and breaker to a buss bar on the bridge along with a ground the same size. Mark the breaker bridge electronics.
Tie each device to the buss bar with its own fuse that comes with each devise.19. A breaker is there to protect wire from getting hot and burning up in an overload along with the devise.
20. Always use a battery switch between engine and battery.
21. Tie bilge pump auto circuits to battery feed side on house switch and use a fuse for each pump.
This way if you turn your house battery switch off, you still have the auto circuit hot.22. Tie battery charger wires to feed side of battery switches not to batteries. Only thing on battery posts should be the main feed cables.
Don't cut corners and be cheap. Doing it right costs money but will last a life time.
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