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House Battery Circuit Breaker

 
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kennharriet



Joined: 22 Jan 2009
Posts: 510
City/Region: Grangeville
State or Province: ID
C-Dory Year: 1999
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Lochsa
Photos: Lochsa
PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2022 9:34 pm    Post subject: House Battery Circuit Breaker Reply with quote

I recently added two AGM house batteries in addition to the start battery. The way I read the ABYC standards there should be a circuit breaker between the house batteries and the distribution system to protect that length of wire between the batteries and distribution system behind the helm. That is not the case from the factory. It says the capacity of the breaker should not exceed 150% of the maximum potential downstream load. Both the house and start batteries are connected with a Yardina combiner. My house distribution system is the factory fuse system behind the helm.

What type and size of circuit breaker should I use if one is required? It makes sense to me to use a switched breaker for quick disconnect in an emergency with manual reset.

I have the windless on the start battery on it’s on circuit breaker. Otherwise I have the typical house load of led lights, nav lights, anchor light, cell and iPad charging, vhf, chart plotter and the Wallas 1300 heater.

Thanks in advance. I admire all the experienced wisdom in the group.
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Robert H. Wilkinson



Joined: 26 Jan 2011
Posts: 1231
City/Region: Port Ryerse
State or Province: ON
Vessel Name: Romakeme IV
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 7:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some high amp house loads such as an invertor are also required to be fused within so many(?) inches of the battery. I forget the exact spec.
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20779
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The ABYC spec is within 7" of the battery, unless well supported such as in a wiring run or tray.

I use a 60 amp breaker for the 22 and 25 for the console wiring (and any other circuit except starting and windlass (use separate 40 to 60 amp breaker for this). While I am at it, I usually run a second line-at least 10 AGW wire--for the 25 8 AGW wire.

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Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
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kennharriet



Joined: 22 Jan 2009
Posts: 510
City/Region: Grangeville
State or Province: ID
C-Dory Year: 1999
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Lochsa
Photos: Lochsa
PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Bob. That’s what I needed. I have the factory 10 awg primary wire running from the battery to the helm fuse distribution panel. I have read some other conflicting info that a breaker should never be used but rather a fuse in this application. Any thoughts on that. Ken
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20779
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kennharriet wrote:
Thank you Bob. That’s what I needed. I have the factory 10 awg primary wire running from the battery to the helm fuse distribution panel. I have read some other conflicting info that a breaker should never be used but rather a fuse in this application. Any thoughts on that. Ken


I have always used a circuit breaker in this circuit, and the C Dory factory has also.
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Robert H. Wilkinson



Joined: 26 Jan 2011
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City/Region: Port Ryerse
State or Province: ON
Vessel Name: Romakeme IV
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ken, I would concur with Bob and personally I would use a breaker in your application as well. My invertor/charger(Trace SW2512mc) was installed with a class T fuse(Edison TJN250) which I believe is a fast blow fuse and perhaps as much to protect the invertor as the wiring. Lucky I have not blown it too often as they are $50.00 to replace - much cheaper to flip a breaker!

Regards,

Rob
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Karl Konecny



Joined: 09 May 2019
Posts: 90
City/Region: Glide
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Nowhere Fast
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It has been my experience that an inverter will often fail to save your fuse.
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kaelc



Joined: 19 Jul 2017
Posts: 411
City/Region: Saanich
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C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Island Magic
Photos: Stil-Afloat
PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mine has a 50amp breaker. With the size of batteries and planned loads you might want more with a large inverter especially. Go for a blue seas, mine had a sea dog that would disconnect but the physical indicator that it was tripped didn’t go, so I was scratching my head why I had no power.
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hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
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City/Region: Sequim
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C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2022 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I first took my boat down to Rodgers Marine Electronics in Portland, to add a radio and AIS, one of the things they identified was that the wire to the Windlass was too small and that it needed a larger fuse. They rewired it with the right size, and put in a 50 amp breaker. I don't know if the factory installed the windlass or if it was Outboard Service in N. Cal. but they said it was fortunate that I had not run the windlass with any kind of a load on it, up to that point.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon


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