Another what is this thread?

Oct 26, 2010
1,881
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Doing some checking and cleanup of the wiring and took off the house bank ON-OFF switch. I'm installing a positive buss bar to route power more effectively without stacking too many connections.

I found this "relay" installed but there is nothing coming off of the aux connection so it appears it is not hooked up to anything but the switched power (only energized when the switch is in on)

Does anyone know what it is supposed to go to? I know its not the installed solar panel and its not the bilge pump, that one goes from the powered side of the switch to a fuse for the bilge pump and a fuse for the solar panel. I have no idea what it might have been used for. (1994 Hunter Legend 40.5)
IMG_20170226_141436750[1].jpg
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
to me it looks like a circuit breaker that someone has added... for whatever reason they may have wanted another circuit.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
It's not a relay.

Assuming the two mounting screws ground it, it may be 12v noise choke. The two screw terminal jacks are labeled AUX and BAT.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,881
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
It's not a relay.

Assuming the two mounting screws ground it, it may be 12v noise choke. The two screw terminal jacks are labeled AUX and BAT.
Only one mounting screw attaches to it and that just goes to the screw that holds the whole ON-OFF switch to the panel, and that is not grounded? So - no it is not grounded. It might still be some sort of "noise choke" but if its supposed to be grounded, it is not.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,881
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
to me it looks like a circuit breaker that someone has added... for whatever reason they may have wanted another circuit.
It doesn't appear to be a breaker as there is no "breaker" involved, ie there is no reset, on/off, etc anywhere on it. It is just mounted to the switch (not grounded anywhere) and has the lead from the power (when the switch is in on) and the empty "aux" terminal. That is what is so confusing to me. It might be another circuit and maybe the little "box" is some sort of thermal overload device. I'll check on it for some identifying info and maybe can figure it out from there.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
My 2-cents (and worth less)

On every boat I've ever owned (except my current boat), I have completely gutted the electric and started over. It was just way to confusing to run down the spaghetti. And then you have to worry about the integrity of the wires, crimps etc.

Unless you can see a good reason to keep this thing... I'd take it out. If something starts to act strangely, you will then know what it is for. If not, you have one less armature connection to worry about in your electric system.
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
It doesn't appear to be a breaker as there is no "breaker" involved, ie there is no reset, on/off, etc anywhere on it. It is just mounted to the switch (not grounded anywhere) and has the lead from the power (when the switch is in on) and the empty "aux" terminal. That is what is so confusing to me. It might be another circuit and maybe the little "box" is some sort of thermal overload device. I'll check on it for some identifying info and maybe can figure it out from there.
the automatic resetting circuit breakers (as opposed to a switchable or manual circuit breaker) look just like what you show... there is no reset button because after overheating and snapping open, they cool down and automatically reset themselves.. they take the place of a fuse.
there is a battery terminal and the load or "aux" terminal which takes the wire going to the device that uses the power....
 
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Jun 11, 2011
1,243
Hunter 41 Lewes
:plus: Centerline
I believe it is an automatically resetting circuit breaker, I'd make bank on it. It should have a rating some where on it. Perhaps it could be useful but it was not built for a salt water environment.
 
Feb 6, 1998
11,665
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
That is an auto-resetting breaker. It looks like a Cooper-Bussmann or a C-B knock off. There should be an amperage rating on the sides. The battery stud is usually copper and the load stud zinc plated..

That said breakers used on boats, for over-current protection, should be manual reset only, not of the auto-resetting type.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,881
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
That is an auto-resetting breaker. It looks like a Cooper-Bussmann or a C-B knock off. There should be an amperage rating on the sides. The battery stud is usually copper and the load stud zinc plated..

That said breakers used on boats, for over-current protection, should be manual reset only, not of the auto-resetting type.
Thanks all - I think I'll just remove it. The "aux" isn't connected to anything anyway and there are no "loose unconnected wires" in the vicinity so I assume it was just put in by the PO or he disconnected the aux side at some point in the past. It is the only auto resetting breaker that I can find so out it goes. It also removes one stacked terminal from the switched side, which I always think is a good idea. The large orange (but probably undersized) wire goes to the main panel through a 30 Amp manual reset breaker nearby.

The line (Power side) is the one that has me worried. There are more things stacked on the power stud than pancakes at a Waffle House and the terminals look like plain copper lugs. The large red 2/0 wire from the house battery is new, properly crimped with FTZ battery lug using an FTZ crimper. The brown wire is the power to the bilge pump (through a manual reset breaker nearby), the black wire behind it is now disconnected It is disconnected since I now have a larger solar panel with an MPPT controller directly connected to the battery positive at the battery (with a temperature wire to the negative). The two red with white striped wires I will have to ring out tomorrow but I think one goes to the battery charger and I'll have to figure out where the other goes. I think I will try to get a single tinned lug with a "double out" crimp to get that down to only three lugs (from 5) at the power stud. (What say you Maine?)
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Put in a power stud and move the wires to that. Brown wire could come right off the battery, if it has a fuse in it.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Also, the plastic shrouds on those red wires, the orange wire, and the brown wire aren't providing any corrosion protection. And the shrink tube on the white wire never got heated, so it is not protected either.
Oh well.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,881
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Also, the plastic shrouds on those red wires, the orange wire, and the brown wire aren't providing any corrosion protection. And the shrink tube on the white wire never got heated, so it is not protected either.
Oh well.
Exactly - that is what I'm trying to "clean up" Some of those wires appear to be factory installed but I don't like the way they are insulated. The new white wire is my recent install but I going to do all the heat shrink when I get the new terminals/insulation installed.