Wiring the Bilge Pump

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wufibugs

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Aug 16, 2009
1,000
Hunter 1986 H31 California Yacht Marina, Chula Vista, CA
The rewiring/upgrade on my 86 31' is nearly complete, thanks to lots of help from the forum. I encountered a puzzle.

1. The DC panel has a single pole switch for the bilge pump, and an old style glass AGC fuse accessable in the front of the panel, with a single male blade connector on the rear. I believe the fuse is supposed to protect the bilge pump/float switch circuit, but cannot figure out how or what the wiring should be to accomplish this. I have a simple wiring diagram of a pump/switch circuit, but it uses an inline fuse in the main power source.

2. I replaced a dedicated bat charger with a Freedom 20. I would like to move the single pole switch for the charger from the AC side of the panel to the DC and use it as an on/off for the fridge. I think is presently controlled by an ugly toggle switch added by the PO. Can it be used for this purpose?

3. The ammeter I have came with 4 wires and a 100 amp shunt. I want to take the reading between the alternator and cranking bat. I assume 2 wires go to the shunt, but are the other 2 used for turning the display on and off? Will the 100 amp shunt be adequate?
 
Ed Schenck

Ed Schenck

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Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
About #2, is the refer already wired over to the panel? On my H37C there was not a spare breaker so I added a Blue Sea near the fridge(picture). Because the breaker is on the other side of the boat from the panel I wired it directly to the batteries saving lots of wire run.

About #3, a 100 amp shunt should be sufficient. Only the starter draws anything close to that. But four wires on the meter? What are their colors and do they connect to different points on the meter? I guess you did not get a schematic with the set. Does the shunt have four connecting points for meter wires? Maybe it is for a dual battery setup like my Link 2000. See the wiring diagram here, bottom of the PDF, "Link 2000 for two batteries": http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/83/docserve.aspx .
 

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W

wufibugs

.
Aug 16, 2009
1,000
Hunter 1986 H31 California Yacht Marina, Chula Vista, CA
It is a cheap little meter, Ed, and for some reasons did not come with an installation diagram. The shunt has screws for two of the leads. The wires have a plug at the end that goes into the meter. Still think it is for a switch that was not supplied so you can turn the display on and off, like the volt meter. It's the only thing that seems to make any sense to me.
I'm still trying to figure whether the fridge [does "ice box" only refer to something in which ice is the cooling agent?], which must the standard Hunter installation cut into the aft galley counter starboard of the sink, is completely OEM, or has been modified by the PO. The compressor is just aft of the galley wall. It is wired to the obviously added panel toggle switch through a spade fused line that takes power off one of the other DC breakers on the panel.
 
Dan Johnson

Dan Johnson

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Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Meter wiring...

Could one of the pair of wires on your meter be for internal backlighting?
 
W

wufibugs

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Aug 16, 2009
1,000
Hunter 1986 H31 California Yacht Marina, Chula Vista, CA
Just an apology to all. If I was anything but careless, I would have unscrewed the fuse holder at which point I would have been in a postion to see that it IS a 2 wire affair, which of course, resolves the whole problem. With power panel down and the wiring prohibiting pulling out very far, the second male space was completely obscured. I gave this a lot of thought, and a 1 wire fuse holder made no sense, but there, thought I, was one staring me in the face. Again, I apologize for wasting your time with such foolishness.
 
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