switch panel/bus bar

trav44

Cadet
Joined
Jul 30, 2011
Messages
13
Hi, am in the process of wiring my boats electrics in, I have a twin battery system with a pirko switch, and have 2 electrical fused panels to connect my electricals to, I ran a 30 amp twin cable from the common post to these, and piggy backed them to connect them together, connecting the positive to positive, and neg(ground) to neg, now heres where I got confused,I can see where to attach my power cable from bilge pump, vhf, lights etcto the fused switch but there is no facility to do the same with the neg cable from each device, I think I may need to have a seperate bus bar??? and if so, can I piggy back the earth cable that is attached to the fused switch panel or do I have to run another one in independant of that one? any help very gratefully received.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: switch panel/bus bar

Ground (negative) is ground no matter where you find it. If the switch panel doesn't have a built-in ground buss you need to add one. All ground wires connect there. Since the bilge pump is at the back of the boat, why would you think about running a ground cable for it all the way to the helm because the battery(ies) are likely a couple feet from the pump. Add a ground buss at the stern is you have a bunch of grounds to connect back there (such as blowers).
 

NYBo

Admiral
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
Re: switch panel/bus bar

The only reason for a negative lead to a fuse block is for an integrated negative bus, so that's where you would connect the negative leads for the accessories. Can you post a picture of the fuse blocks?
 

trav44

Cadet
Joined
Jul 30, 2011
Messages
13
Re: switch panel/bus bar

View attachment 208338first time trying to upload a picture so may not have been successful, on the back the switch panel on the rhs is a row of 4 fuses all conected by a red positive cable piggy backing all the way down connecting all together to which i have connected a positive feed from the battery, on the lhs is the rear of the switches where there are 3 spade connecters, on the rhs are positive red cable connected from the fuse, again piggy backed all the way down, in the middle i assume you connect your accessory, and on the lhs is the negative connecter, piggy backed all the way down which i have connected to the battery, I can see no place to connect the negative earth to.
 

trav44

Cadet
Joined
Jul 30, 2011
Messages
13
Re: switch panel/bus bar

IMAG0391.jpgIMAG0393.jpghope these images help explain what i am on about.
 

NYBo

Admiral
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
Re: switch panel/bus bar

Okay, my bad, you don't have fuse blocks. The negative attached to the switches is for the internal switch lights only. You need a negative bus bar for the accessories.
 
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