TinBoats.net
The original aluminum boat site!
How many itema can you put on a negative bus bar?
- Thread starter dc88
- Start date
Help Support TinBoats.net:
earl60446
Well-known member
You will overload the 10 gauge wire first. You can put 8 low amperage circuits on it. Add up the highest possible drain
on the circuits and make a decision. Things like a depthfinder, gps, radio, small bilge pump, led lights are low. Cigar lighter and
spotlight are high. Trolling motor is out of the question.
Tim
on the circuits and make a decision. Things like a depthfinder, gps, radio, small bilge pump, led lights are low. Cigar lighter and
spotlight are high. Trolling motor is out of the question.
Tim
It's total ampacity is the current loading maximum as based upon the wire gauge, for the length of the run and voltage drop.
A few amp tables have been posted and probably are a sticky. just BE SURE that when the chart says "Total length of the run" that you use 16' if the battery is 8' from the buss ...
Even though there are 2 wires comprising the circuit, the ampacity of the wire gauge is based upon the run back and forth from power to load.
A few amp tables have been posted and probably are a sticky. just BE SURE that when the chart says "Total length of the run" that you use 16' if the battery is 8' from the buss ...
Even though there are 2 wires comprising the circuit, the ampacity of the wire gauge is based upon the run back and forth from power to load.
My neg buss is 3ft from battery.
Items that will be on circuit are
led interior lights
Nav lights
Fish finder
Bilge pump
Livewell fill pump
Aeration pimp
Should i up my gauge? Total run is probably 11 foot from battery up to switch panel.
Items that will be on circuit are
led interior lights
Nav lights
Fish finder
Bilge pump
Livewell fill pump
Aeration pimp
Should i up my gauge? Total run is probably 11 foot from battery up to switch panel.
You don't necessarily have to increase your wire gauge. You could run two of your 10-gauge wires, and double that ampacity of the primary run between the battery and the bus. (It's called parallelling. Usually only done in industrial wiring with BIG gauge wires and high amp loads.)
Roger
Roger
If you're using just 10G wire, that would be wise. You could also triple it, if you need the ampacity. Just remember to fuse all three "hot" leads. The fuse rating(s) would be a percentage of the full electrical load, as the wires share the load equally.
Roger
Roger
Bob Landry
Well-known member
The practice of using a buss bar for anything other than a ground buss is poor at best. Every device receiving power should have it's own fuse or circuit breaker and you'll end up with a rats nest of wires and fuse holders.
Use #8 wire to feed ground to a neg buss bar. ABYC permits up to four connections per terminal screw but you will start getting crowded before that.
Use a switch/fuse panel to feed all of your devices. Feed that panel with #8 wire and protect it with a 30A fuse or circuit breaker. The fuse or circuit breaker should be installed as close to the battery as possible. Fuses and circuit breakers are intended to protect the wire, not the device. The fuse panel should hold fuses that are properly sized to protect the wire used to feed each device.The wire is sized for the load it's going to carry and the same size wire is used for both power feed and ground back to the buss bar. There are charts online that will help you choose the correct size wire for the device you want to power.
Finally, use a good grade of tinned AWG marine wire. Do not use SAE wire from Lowes or home Depot, and finally heat shrink your connections. It sounds like a lot, but you will end up with a reliable electricl system that you won't have to keep troubleshooting for badconnections and all of the other bad things that can happen when you go cheap on marine wiring.
Use #8 wire to feed ground to a neg buss bar. ABYC permits up to four connections per terminal screw but you will start getting crowded before that.
Use a switch/fuse panel to feed all of your devices. Feed that panel with #8 wire and protect it with a 30A fuse or circuit breaker. The fuse or circuit breaker should be installed as close to the battery as possible. Fuses and circuit breakers are intended to protect the wire, not the device. The fuse panel should hold fuses that are properly sized to protect the wire used to feed each device.The wire is sized for the load it's going to carry and the same size wire is used for both power feed and ground back to the buss bar. There are charts online that will help you choose the correct size wire for the device you want to power.
Finally, use a good grade of tinned AWG marine wire. Do not use SAE wire from Lowes or home Depot, and finally heat shrink your connections. It sounds like a lot, but you will end up with a reliable electricl system that you won't have to keep troubleshooting for badconnections and all of the other bad things that can happen when you go cheap on marine wiring.
