Wiring Question

[EarlyRiser]

Hi,

 

I need to replace the batteries in my boat and I am hoping to clean up the connections a little bit. I currently have a positive copper bar in the one battery compartment and I believe that bar is wired directly into the 4 position battery switch (positions for battery 1, battery 2, both, and off). A few positive connections for accessories are wired to that bar, but the negative connections for those items and other things are connected directly to the negative on the battery, so I have like five things connected to the negative terminal of the battery. Could I just add a copper bar connected to the negative terminal of the battery and wire the negatives for those accessories to the bar instead of having so many connections right at the battery?

 

Thanks for any help you can offer. I think this is possible, but want to confirm my thoughts before I screw something up...

[TileMan Dan]

That will work just make sure the wire is heavy enough from battery to the negative bus bar

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[lost a lure]

Check here

http://www.bluesea.com/

[jigstick]

Take the time and do it right. I just cleaned up my electrical system this spring and it is so much nicer. Nothing is uglier and more unsafe than having a bunch of wiring hanging off the batteries. Install yourself a nice big new fuse panel made by Bluesea Systems. Run a 4gauge positive wire from the common on your Perko to the fuse panel. Then run a 4gauge negative from the fuse panel to the main grounding point or negative terminal on a battery. Wire EVERY electrical device on the boat to the fuse panel...except your automatic bilges. This way everything is nice and neat and protected by fuses

[TileMan Dan]

Take jigsticks advice. Did the same myself this spring on my new to me boat. All my electronics and other systems work much better and less connections to go bad

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Adk1]

I need to do this as well.

[EarlyRiser]

Thanks everybody. I ordered the items and will get it all set up this week.

[smallboat]

One caution I would like to add is that if you have an aluminum boat, make sure the buss bars are isolated from any contact with the hull. A few years ago, I saw someone mount the backing plate on the positive buss bar with a screw that also touched one of the connections. He couldn't understand why everything was shorting out.

As everyone has correctly advised, neat wiring to buss bars is the best way to route your wiring.

[IRISH56]

Take the time and do it right. I just cleaned up my electrical system this spring and it is so much nicer. Nothing is uglier and more unsafe than having a bunch of wiring hanging off the batteries. Install yourself a nice big new fuse panel made by Bluesea Systems. Run a 4gauge positive wire from the common on your Perko to the fuse panel. Then run a 4gauge negative from the fuse panel to the main grounding point or negative terminal on a battery. Wire EVERY electrical device on the boat to the fuse panel...except your automatic bilges. This way everything is nice and neat and protected by fuses

Does the positive run from the switch to the fuse block need to be fused?  Looking at the BlueSeas information it says that there should be a 125a or less fuse ahead of the fuse block.  I am looking at wiring in 2 electric downriggers, sonar/gps and maybe Depth Raider to a fuse block.

 

Thanks.

[jigstick]

Yeah i saw that on the Blue Sea fuse block install instructions.  I did not install one, mainly because I couldnt find one at my local shops.  I mean all the electronics getting wired to the fuse panel are protected by fuses way way smaller than 150amps.  They will pop if a surge would happen.  Im happy with my install.