Fuses

May 2, 2012
276
Catalina 310 Toronto, Ontario
I had a mishap a few days ago with a fuse. There is a little fuse inside of the Panel that is connect to the Bilge Pump switch. Anyone happen to what AMP it is.
One other thing. Anyone happen to have a list of the fuses used on the Catalina 310. There seems to be a number of them.

Cheers
2 Old Pirates.
 

KZW

.
May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
And where in the boat they are located?
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
I had a mishap a few days ago with a fuse. There is a little fuse inside of the Panel that is connect to the Bilge Pump switch. Anyone happen to what AMP it is.
One other thing. Anyone happen to have a list of the fuses used on the Catalina 310. There seems to be a number of them.

Cheers
2 Old Pirates.
I'm pretty sure that any fusing installed by Catalina changed a lot over the years, and may also have been modified by a previous owner. So I doubt that your boat will look like any other one. For example, I don't have any fuse at the wiring panel connected to the bilge pump switch. Still, you probably wouldn't go wrong installing something more than what the pump draws, and less than what the wire wants (since the purpose of a fuse is really to protect the wire from overheating). It's also possible that your pump manufacturer will tell you a recommended fuse for the pump.
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
I had a mishap a few days ago with a fuse. There is a little fuse inside of the Panel that is connect to the Bilge Pump switch. Anyone happen to what AMP it is.
One other thing. Anyone happen to have a list of the fuses used on the Catalina 310. There seems to be a number of them.

Cheers
2 Old Pirates.
This seems like a previous owner or boat commissioning add that is probably unneeded. Is there a switch on the panel that says "Bilge Pump" and then below it is another switch that is for automatic (float) or manual?

What did the fuse and the panel look like? Any photos?
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
The switch labeled Bilge Pump, next to the red light. That is actually a 15 amp circuit breaker. The breaker ties directly to the post #1 on the battery selector switch making always powered even with the battery selector switch is on off. So there is no need for a fuse in that line.
 

Attachments

Feb 6, 1998
11,665
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
I had a mishap a few days ago with a fuse. There is a little fuse inside of the Panel that is connect to the Bilge Pump switch. Anyone happen to what AMP it is.
One other thing. Anyone happen to have a list of the fuses used on the Catalina 310. There seems to be a number of them.

Cheers
2 Old Pirates.
If that is the only fuse in the bilge pump circuit then it needs to be sized to the bilge pump manufacturers recommended fuse size. Installing too large a fuse in a bilge pump can lead to a fire in a stalled rotor situation, this is why the bilge pump maker will list the fuse size.

If it is the primary fuse in the circuit, not the secondary fuse, a primary fuse is usually located closer to the battery, it can be sized based on wire gauge ampacity but there must also be a second fuse sized for the pump.

I have posted this before but here is some in-shop testing I did on fuse sizing and bilge pumps..

Guys,

I had a Rule 500 kicking around my shop so I attached it to a battery... Rule recommended a 2.5A (AGC Type) fuse for this pump. If you use an ATC fuse, much more reliable in the marine environment, with the proper fuse holder, then you'd need to bump to a 3A fuse. The pump is rated at 12V for a 1.9A draw when pumping water and a 2.5A draw at 13.6V when pumping water.

This test was done at battery resting voltage, at charging voltages currents would obviously be slightly higher:

Battery = Group 31 AGM Resting Voltage 12.77V

Test Meter = Fluke 376 Clamp w/Inrush & min/max & Fluke 289

Pyrometer = Fluke Infrared

Test:
12.75V Ran pump dry for 10 minutes and saw 1F rise in case temp (Fluke infrared thermometer)

12.72V - No Load (spinning in air) = 0.7A (inrush/starting current 2.7A)

12.72V - Locked Rotor with 3A Fuse = Blew Instantly

12.71V - Locked Rotor with 5A Fuse = Blew nearly instantly (about 6 seconds)

12.71V - Locked Rotor with a 15A Fuse = No blow 10.9A continuous, pump getting rather warm to the touch after 90 seconds of stall. Discontinued at 2 minutes and 10.7A (heat build up likely caused current to drop a bit)

12.70V - Locked rotor measuring inrush with 5A ATC fuse - Inrush = 10.9A - Fuse blew (separated/burned) but failed unsafely leaving a bit of metal across tabs. This is my first live example of where the AIC (Amperage Interrupt Current) matters when directly connected to a battery. Scary stuff! I ran the load for approx four additional minutes and the "failed unsafely" fuse still failed to blow even at 10.7-10.8A pump was very warm when I discontinued. The pumps exterior was approaching 200F at the measurement location and it was starting to give off a burned electrical smell..

Bottom Line: This is why you want a fuse that will blow with your pump in locked rotor mode otherwise it can continue to heat and then melt and then potentially start a fire.

One of the biggest blunders I see on boats are pumps with grossly oversized fuses for bilge pumps. It is not uncommon for me to see 500GPH pumps with 15A fuses that will never trip even with a stalled rotor.... Not good.. D'oh....
 
May 2, 2012
276
Catalina 310 Toronto, Ontario
JK ........ your photo looks just like my panel. (auto and manual). Now right behind that beaker switch inside there is a red wire (#14 or #16) running from it with a fuse holder. So I take it not everyone has that. I have a manual but it only shows the wiring loom, no fuses mentioned. I'm in the process of putting together a Kit of items in case of a failure of some sort .... fuses are something that gets missed. The piss off is the fuse fell down in-behind where I can't get at it.
Cheers
2 Old Pirates
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
JK ........ your photo looks just like my panel. (auto and manual). Now right behind that beaker switch inside there is a red wire (#14 or #16) running from it with a fuse holder. So I take it not everyone has that. I have a manual but it only shows the wiring loom, no fuses mentioned. I'm in the process of putting together a Kit of items in case of a failure of some sort .... fuses are something that gets missed. The piss off is the fuse fell down in-behind where I can't get at it.
Cheers
2 Old Pirates
Since it sounds like that fuse is only for the bilge pump, and is in addition to the breaker at the panel (can't tell from your description if it's before or after the breaker, but that doesn't really matter), you should see what your bilge pump manufacturer recommends for fusing and use that size.
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
I agree with Marchem. And based on Mainesail's comment I would guess it should be around a 3 amp but depends on what pump you have. Now on my upgrade list.
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Bottom Line:
The LINES just above the "bottom line":)

1) Check the bilge pump level switch each time you get on your boat. Pour a small bucket of "smell good" water in bilge.
2) Pick up debris when it falls to the cabin deck
3) Keep your grandkid's candy wrappers out of your bilge:yikes:

Jim...

PS: Pumps are rated on fresh water at 20°C. Sea water pumping will take ≈2.5% greater Amp load.