skipjack27
Petty Officer 3rd Class
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2009
- Messages
- 79
I'm in the process of replacing my old fuse panel with a new circuit breaker panel. This panel controls 6 items of equipment (e.g., radio, bilge pump, wipers, sounder, etc). The original panel featured fuses varying from 5 to 15 amps, depending on the particular item. The new panel, however, has fixed-value 15 amp circuit breakers for all 6 items.
I understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) that such panels are principally intended to protect wiring, rather than equipment - and that equipment connected to these panels should be separately fused if a value lower than 15 amps is required. I have two questions that I would very much appreciate comment on:
1. Are 15 amp breakers likely to be appropriate for the protection of the boat wiring? My boat (Australian Riviera 27) is a highly regarded make and is known for the quality of its construction. I'm guessing, therefore, that all equipment wiring should be able to carry currents well in excess of 15 amps. Is this a reasonable assumption?
2. How necessary is it to separately fuse such items as, for example, bilge pumps or radios if they come with lower ratings than 15 amps (e.g., 5 or 10 amps)? I can appreciate that current flows above these lower ratings may very well damage said equipment - but how would such flows arise from a 12v battery? I can only imagine that such flows would arise from some kind of short-circuit in the equipment itself - in which case there wouldn't be much point in having a 5 amp fuse instead of a 15 amp fuse (or breaker). The particular item of equipment would already be pretty much u/s, and the only critical consideration would be to prevent the short-circuit from allowing current flows that could set the wiring on fire. And (assuming (1) above), the 15 amp circuit breakers should take care of that.
These are quite critical matters, as you can appreciate, and I'd very much appreciate any advice.
Jeff
I understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) that such panels are principally intended to protect wiring, rather than equipment - and that equipment connected to these panels should be separately fused if a value lower than 15 amps is required. I have two questions that I would very much appreciate comment on:
1. Are 15 amp breakers likely to be appropriate for the protection of the boat wiring? My boat (Australian Riviera 27) is a highly regarded make and is known for the quality of its construction. I'm guessing, therefore, that all equipment wiring should be able to carry currents well in excess of 15 amps. Is this a reasonable assumption?
2. How necessary is it to separately fuse such items as, for example, bilge pumps or radios if they come with lower ratings than 15 amps (e.g., 5 or 10 amps)? I can appreciate that current flows above these lower ratings may very well damage said equipment - but how would such flows arise from a 12v battery? I can only imagine that such flows would arise from some kind of short-circuit in the equipment itself - in which case there wouldn't be much point in having a 5 amp fuse instead of a 15 amp fuse (or breaker). The particular item of equipment would already be pretty much u/s, and the only critical consideration would be to prevent the short-circuit from allowing current flows that could set the wiring on fire. And (assuming (1) above), the 15 amp circuit breakers should take care of that.
These are quite critical matters, as you can appreciate, and I'd very much appreciate any advice.
Jeff