I am going to have toggle switches hooked to radio, running lights, bilge pump, fish finder. It will all be tied to a separate battery from trolling motor. My question is, can I Daisy chain all positives to each positive? I will have 14ga wire coming from battery with online fuse going to first positive wire. Is this ok?
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onthewater102
Well-known member
the bilge pump might be the only issue in terms of draw from what you've listed there
I don't think you should. IMO, you should have a seperate fuse for each load. It'll help you troubleshoot in event of an electrical problem that blows a fuse, rather than try to figure it out on the water in order to keep the rest of the boat going.
You could daisy-chain the supply to the switches, but have a fuse on the load side of each switch, sized for the individual load.
Roger
You could daisy-chain the supply to the switches, but have a fuse on the load side of each switch, sized for the individual load.
Roger
onthewater102
Well-known member
No, load is the current draw of the device you're looking to power.
By putting your fuses between the switches and the load you can use a fuse appropriate for each device. For instance, you only need a 3amp fuse for a fish finder, but probably a 10amp to protect your bilge pump. If they were both on the same circuit with the same fuse you would need to use a 10amp fuse, or the extra power required by the bilge would keep blowing a 3amp fuse. However, as a result you would have no protection for your fishfinder as a 10amp current would be more than enough to fry it like an egg...
Having a larger fuse near the battery on the feed to all circuits then daisy-chaining the power supply side of your switches is a good first move, but then put individual fuses in line between the switches and the devices.
Or buy one of these terminal blocks and make it all nice and neat:
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Blade-Block/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449761355&sr=8-2&keywords=boat+terminal+block
By putting your fuses between the switches and the load you can use a fuse appropriate for each device. For instance, you only need a 3amp fuse for a fish finder, but probably a 10amp to protect your bilge pump. If they were both on the same circuit with the same fuse you would need to use a 10amp fuse, or the extra power required by the bilge would keep blowing a 3amp fuse. However, as a result you would have no protection for your fishfinder as a 10amp current would be more than enough to fry it like an egg...
Having a larger fuse near the battery on the feed to all circuits then daisy-chaining the power supply side of your switches is a good first move, but then put individual fuses in line between the switches and the devices.
Or buy one of these terminal blocks and make it all nice and neat:
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Blade-Block/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449761355&sr=8-2&keywords=boat+terminal+block
onthewater102
Well-known member
yup - only thing is you want a large fuse close to the battery on the link between the (+) terminal and the fuse block. That's a larger gauge wire run though a metal boat with lots of sharp edges everywhere to bite into the insulation. For the accessories you're talking about and the 14 ga wire I'd be thinking a 20amp fuse.
For reference - mind you the circuit length is the combined distance of the (+) side of the circuit and the (-) IE if you have 6' from your battery to your light, and you run a wire from the (+) to the light, and then another wire from the light back to the (-) battery terminal the circuit length as it applies to this chart would be 12'
For reference - mind you the circuit length is the combined distance of the (+) side of the circuit and the (-) IE if you have 6' from your battery to your light, and you run a wire from the (+) to the light, and then another wire from the light back to the (-) battery terminal the circuit length as it applies to this chart would be 12'
