I've looked at several posts and wiring diagrams, but want to be sure. My house bank has a fuse in the the positive cable to the positive distribution bloc. Do I need a separate fuse for the wire from the alternator to the house bank or can that go to the alternator wire go to the same fuse?
Battery Fuse
- Thread starter wufibugs
- Start date
If the alternator wire can share the same fuse then yes if not then it needs its own. Alt fuses should be a minimum 150% of the alternators rating but not more than can safely protect the wire.
For instance if you had an 75A alt then a 150A fuse would be the minimum used. If the wire was sized the same as the house bank, and a 200A fuse was used there, the you could safely use the house bank fuse.
Any fuse is better than no fuse, unless it is too small and nuisance trips...
MS is right. Richard, since you've "followed" our wiring diagrams, I must admit we didn't cover fusing too well, if at all!!!
It all depends on how it's wired.
Ever heard that from me before? :neutral:
Follow MS's advice. If the alternator feeds your positive bus, then it should be fused, assuming your positive bus is close to your house bank. I think what MS is saying is that if the output wire to your distribution panel is the same size as your input alternator output to the bus, you can use one fuse. But we don't know how you wired it and I forgot our discussion years ago.
Been a while, nice to see you again.
It all depends on how it's wired.
Ever heard that from me before? :neutral:
Follow MS's advice. If the alternator feeds your positive bus, then it should be fused, assuming your positive bus is close to your house bank. I think what MS is saying is that if the output wire to your distribution panel is the same size as your input alternator output to the bus, you can use one fuse. But we don't know how you wired it and I forgot our discussion years ago.
Been a while, nice to see you again.
Presently have the stock 35 amp alternator. The output wire for alt, and house battery bank are all 2 gauge. The alt wire currently goes to the house bank, not the distribution block. I have a 250 amp fuse on the battery box in the wire that feeds the distribution block. Thought I would take the alt wire off the battery and put it on the fuse [does it make a difference which side?]. Using a 250 a fuse because I anticipate going over to the 80 amp alternator at some point.
Withe the A4 a bluesea 200 amp fuse was plenty on each battery and i was able to keep the alternator wire 18" long by connecting it at the bluesea switch
The short jumpers connecting the ACR contain 80 amp mega fuses and have never had and issue in 4 years of use