Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

[Goliardi]

Purchased a Seasense 6 gang Breaker Switch to install in redo of 57 Texas Maid. The wire to the panel appears to be a 16 gauge - thin. So, if the panel is going to have six switches with a max of 10 amps each (40 amp max for the panel), and the panel is going to be abt 12 feet from the battery, then isn't 16 gauge a little thin? Shouldn't it be at least a 10 gauge? I purchased this with the idea of limitation of wires going back and forth and the elimination of fuses. Thoughts?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

I would use 10 or 8 if you really think you are going to draw 40A total, which sounds awfully high.

Was the 16ga wire an existing wire?

 

[Goliardi]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

Yes the little wire came with the breaker box as the intake for a positive from the battery. it would seem that this would choke the draw from the battery?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

There should be a red wire that jumps from one breaker to the next. What size is that wire. If it is the same size as the feed then the max load for the entire panel will be about 10 amps. You could change those two wires to 10 gauge or even 12 gauge if you wish.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

Are the breaker daisy-chained or does each breaker have a separate feed? I would use a separate feed wiring scheme, using a positive buss bar connected to the battery with a 10 or 8 gauge wire. The feeds from the buss to the breakers could then be 16 gauge.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

Can you post a picture of the back of the new breaker box?

 

[Goliardi]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

Sorry cant figure out how to place pic from iphone. All wires on back are same size.

 

[Goliardi]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

i will contact seasense but it does not make much sense.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

On the back of the panel one side of the breaker goes to the switch the other side goes to

A= a terminal strip where all 6 breakers are joined. The wire is 16g to the strip/terminal.
B= there is no wire on the other side of the breakers.

 

[Goliardi]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

Wow! My opinion is that you throw it away and get a real panel. That's ridiculous.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

40 amps max sounds hopeful I would have thought 25. If you really need 40amp max then you will have to get a positive buss and rewire the positive leads one at a time to the buss. Most people don't use anywhere near 25 amps on a small boat so the panel may be fine for what you need. I suggest 10g wire from the battery to the panel for both the positive and negative buss as its easier to use than 12g and will reduce voltage drop. The black ground on the panel can be real small back to the ground buss as that's just for the Led lights

 

[NYBo]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

Ditch that positive side daisy-chain assembly, get a bus bar with 6 outputs, and run 8 or 10 gauge from the battery to the input side and 16 gauge to each breaker, as I said above.

Don't worry about the size of the negative; that's only to complete the circuit for the LEDs in the switches, which draw very little juice.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

Ditch that positive side daisy-chain assembly, get a bus bar with 6 outputs, and run 8 or 10 gauge from the battery to the input side and 16 gauge to each breaker, as I said above.

Yes, that's all you really need to do to keep what you have.

 

[Goliardi]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

thank you all. i think the options are 1. rewire the fuse box

2. take a chance it will work and not burn up or blow circuits if inhave more than three things running

or 3. return it to iboats and buy more 12 gauge wire and fuses and switches for stuff.

i really liked the idea of a small breaker box - anybody know if a box that has a good input sixe wire out their?

 

[2 Eagles]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

Here try these.
Search: fuse panels | Fuse and Accessories | AutoZone.com

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Seasense 6 Gang Breaker Switch Question

I would go for something from Blue Sea

DC Panels - Blue Sea Systems