Hi all, I am rewiring my O'day with Honda outboard (with alternator) - (picture attached of wiring when I purchased it) - I'm replacing everything...so, a couple of questions: 1) Fuse panel or circuit breaker? 2) Should I use a battery switch? 3) Should I use Busbar? Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks, Karen
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Wiring
All your negative wires should be ran to a common point so a bus bar is very handy for this. (also if you are wiring AC into the boat the ground wire from your first GFI plug should go to the common ground) Defenetly go with a master switch for you batteries at the very least its handy for mucking with the rest of your wiring pannel without getting zapped.
All your negative wires should be ran to a common point so a bus bar is very handy for this. (also if you are wiring AC into the boat the ground wire from your first GFI plug should go to the common ground) Defenetly go with a master switch for you batteries at the very least its handy for mucking with the rest of your wiring pannel without getting zapped.
fuse vs breaker
This is more a matter of personal preference, If you think your going to pop a lot of fuses.... rewire so you wont pop them so often and get a breaker. Mostly get a pannel that you like and make sure that you have a seperate switch for each system. (You may not want to get the lighted switches if you are putting the electrical pannel anywhere you can see it from the bunk)
This is more a matter of personal preference, If you think your going to pop a lot of fuses.... rewire so you wont pop them so often and get a breaker. Mostly get a pannel that you like and make sure that you have a seperate switch for each system. (You may not want to get the lighted switches if you are putting the electrical pannel anywhere you can see it from the bunk)
Some answers
1. Circuit Breakers. 2. Yes. 3. Yes. Breakers are preferred because of their ease to isolate circuits - just flip. A battery switch would be recommended if you have 2 batteries. You cant use breakers there because of the high currents to start the motor. The buss bar is good for a common point for all negative wires. If you use a buss bar, make sure that the grounding point from the negative buss bar to keel ground is large enough. You want to have a dc main breaker, and then run all your other breakers off of that. Except the bilge - that should be a direct connection.
1. Circuit Breakers. 2. Yes. 3. Yes. Breakers are preferred because of their ease to isolate circuits - just flip. A battery switch would be recommended if you have 2 batteries. You cant use breakers there because of the high currents to start the motor. The buss bar is good for a common point for all negative wires. If you use a buss bar, make sure that the grounding point from the negative buss bar to keel ground is large enough. You want to have a dc main breaker, and then run all your other breakers off of that. Except the bilge - that should be a direct connection.
I wouldn't bother
Karen, with only one battery you don't need a switch. I would think about the addition of the second battery, it sure gives you peace of mind. Get a good crimper for your lugs, make sure you use the right color lugs for the wire. You should be able to pull the lug really hard from the wire and it should stay connected. Good luck !
Karen, with only one battery you don't need a switch. I would think about the addition of the second battery, it sure gives you peace of mind. Get a good crimper for your lugs, make sure you use the right color lugs for the wire. You should be able to pull the lug really hard from the wire and it should stay connected. Good luck !
I would recommend a switch
in the positive cable as close to the battery as you can put it and still access it reasonably easy. If something shorts out before the breakers or in the wiring to the outboard you need to be able to kill the power in the electrical system. You might consider installing a large fuse at the battery for protection also. I installed a 225 amp "mega fuse" from west marine in my system for protection.
in the positive cable as close to the battery as you can put it and still access it reasonably easy. If something shorts out before the breakers or in the wiring to the outboard you need to be able to kill the power in the electrical system. You might consider installing a large fuse at the battery for protection also. I installed a 225 amp "mega fuse" from west marine in my system for protection.
Fuse protection
Reudi, a few things about your fuse and the protection you think it is providing you. Short circuit current available from the battery goes down as the batteries state of charge goes down. Short circuit current also goes down when you add wire length from the battery and/or every time that you put something else in the current path(i.e. selector switch). Your 250 amp "mega fuse" has a time delay associated with it - At 140 percent rated current it takes 200 seconds. Now if you put 350 amps (250A*1.4) through your boats wirring for 200 seconds, I dont think you would like the results. Yet, this scenario is very possible (actually more probable) considering battery state of charge, wire length and what is causing the short. You could melt the insulation right off the wires and your fuse would still not open - I have seen it personally. Putting in the "mega fuse" will protect under some conditions but for the short circuit to occur in the first place on a fiberglass boat and the other electrical reasons I just mentioned, I think it is a waste of money and another possible problem source. IMHO. BTW, I do advocate fuses if used correctly and for service-ability reasons. This "mega fuse" is just not either.
Reudi, a few things about your fuse and the protection you think it is providing you. Short circuit current available from the battery goes down as the batteries state of charge goes down. Short circuit current also goes down when you add wire length from the battery and/or every time that you put something else in the current path(i.e. selector switch). Your 250 amp "mega fuse" has a time delay associated with it - At 140 percent rated current it takes 200 seconds. Now if you put 350 amps (250A*1.4) through your boats wirring for 200 seconds, I dont think you would like the results. Yet, this scenario is very possible (actually more probable) considering battery state of charge, wire length and what is causing the short. You could melt the insulation right off the wires and your fuse would still not open - I have seen it personally. Putting in the "mega fuse" will protect under some conditions but for the short circuit to occur in the first place on a fiberglass boat and the other electrical reasons I just mentioned, I think it is a waste of money and another possible problem source. IMHO. BTW, I do advocate fuses if used correctly and for service-ability reasons. This "mega fuse" is just not either.
What we did
When I dragged our 25 Oday home three years ago the only glaring defect was the wiring.The wiring from the battery under the cockpit out to the outboard was melted into the hull! Some good the fuse did. The previous owner used the negative from one function to be the new positive to the next system. My point is that you might want to check everything first. In my opinion dedicated circuits are the only was to go. One circuit for the inside lights ,one circuit for the gauges and so forth. A common bus bar is also highly recommended. this makes trouble shooting and night 20 miles away from port so much easier. I highly recommend drawing out the whole thing first. This would be a great time to install some type of volt meter . This way you will never be caught offguard. I installed both a volt meter and an amp meter.An amp meter shows how much currant the circuits are drawing. The knotmeter ,depthmeter and gps barely get the needle moving. Now try turning on some lights. I would also second the previos poster who suggested a second battery. When you are choosing a fusepanel of circuit breaker panel,take Nautiducks advice and make sure you purchase a unit that has more breakers than you are currently using.We started with the four that came and added a second six panel unit.That unit is now also full. It's ironic that the more we make our boat safer and comfortable the more we use it.
When I dragged our 25 Oday home three years ago the only glaring defect was the wiring.The wiring from the battery under the cockpit out to the outboard was melted into the hull! Some good the fuse did. The previous owner used the negative from one function to be the new positive to the next system. My point is that you might want to check everything first. In my opinion dedicated circuits are the only was to go. One circuit for the inside lights ,one circuit for the gauges and so forth. A common bus bar is also highly recommended. this makes trouble shooting and night 20 miles away from port so much easier. I highly recommend drawing out the whole thing first. This would be a great time to install some type of volt meter . This way you will never be caught offguard. I installed both a volt meter and an amp meter.An amp meter shows how much currant the circuits are drawing. The knotmeter ,depthmeter and gps barely get the needle moving. Now try turning on some lights. I would also second the previos poster who suggested a second battery. When you are choosing a fusepanel of circuit breaker panel,take Nautiducks advice and make sure you purchase a unit that has more breakers than you are currently using.We started with the four that came and added a second six panel unit.That unit is now also full. It's ironic that the more we make our boat safer and comfortable the more we use it.
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