Anchor Windlass Power Supply Feed

xeitosaphil

xeitosaphil

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Rather than drift a thread I thought I would start another.

While moving the Anchor Winch supply feed to the Domestic bank of batteries see Post

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?410698-Small-Engine-Start-Battery-and-1000w-Lofrans-winch see Vyv’ s thread #3

I have come to ask yet another question “ sorry “. :encouragement: :wink-new:

At the moment the power feed to the Anchor winch is on a permanent live feed with a Lofrans On /Off /Trip switch fitted.
Is this normal practice or would it be better to put the whole circuit go through an isolator first, so when leaving the boat everything is off?

I’ve looked through the Lofrans installation manual and there doesn’t seem to be a reference to it, other than wiring it to a suitable sized battery with large enough CSA.

It occurred to me that I could use if needed, the redundant Common terminal on the 1-2- Both switch. At present the 1 -2 - B switch is only used as a combiner when set to both, in an emergency situation to link starter circuits to the house bank should the engine battery go down, see Fig attached

Thanks again in advance

Philip
 
Would be better to have it through the isolator - that's what I would do (and have done). Otherwise you need to flip the little breaker on and off to isolate it - and if not, anyone could accidentally or maliciously activate your windlass on deck.

Pete
 
If you simply wire it to the "2" terminal of the 1-2-Both switch, it'd only be live when the domestic isolator is on, and it'd already be a fused supply.
 
pvb said:
If you simply wire it to the "2" terminal of the 1-2-Both switch, it'd only be live when the domestic isolator is on, and it'd already be a fused supply.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I was thinking - only making the circuit live once the 1 or 2 switch is turned on with a choice of power from either the House or Engine bank. Otherwise at other times it would be isolated.

Or would it be better to have it on a permanent supply like it is now?

Prv - Crew should not be encouraged to play about with the isolators anyway! Skippers responsibility ;)
 
xeitosaphil said:
That's exactly what I was thinking - only making the circuit live once the 1 or 2 switch is turned on with a choice of power from either the House or Engine bank. Otherwise at other times it would be isolated.

Or would it be better to have it on a permanent supply like it is now?
Click to expand...

Surely it's unnecessary complication to have to use the 1-2-Both switch every time you want to use the windlass? It ought not to be permanently live though. If you wire it as I suggested, it'll always be ready for use whenever the domestics are turned on, and isolated at other times.
 
xeitosaphil said:
Prv - Crew should not be encouraged to play about with the isolators anyway! Skippers responsibility ;)
Click to expand...

That's the point - if it's not going through an isolator ("on a permanent live feed with a Lofrans On /Off /Trip switch fitted") then someone could activate it regardless of what the responsible skipper does with the isolator.

Pete
 
pvb said:
Surely it's unnecessary complication to have to use the 1-2-Both switch every time you want to use the windlass? It ought not to be permanently live though. If you wire it as I suggested, it'll always be ready for use whenever the domestics are turned on, and isolated at other times.
Click to expand...

Yes point taken, it's only duplicating the isolation.

I just thought it may be an additional safeguard as its only used maybe twice a day and the circuit to the On Off Trip switch at the Nav Desk would be live all the time the House battery isolator was turned on.
 
1. Originally Posted by pvb

Surely it's unnecessary complication to have to use the 1-2-Both switch every time you want to use the windlass? It ought not to be permanently live though. If you wire it as I suggested, it'll always be ready for use whenever the domestics are turned on, and isolated at other times.

Xeitosaphil - Yes point taken, it's only duplicating the isolation.

I just thought it may be an additional safeguard as its only used maybe twice a day and the circuit to the On Off Trip switch at the Nav Desk would be live all the time the House battery isolator was turned on.


Xeitosaphil - Crew should not be encouraged to play about with the isolators anyway! Skippers responsibility


Prv- That's the point - if it's not going through an isolator ("on a permanent live feed with a Lofrans On /Off /Trip switch fitted") then someone could activate it regardless of what the responsible skipper does with the isolator.

Pete

Xeitosaphil - I can see both points of view here and it could be down to personal choice, but the saving grace for me is, I’m the skipper, also the Crew and Chief Cook and Bottle washer so it probably doesn’t matter which option I choose as long as it isn’t a permanent supply like it is now, and I can isolate it when leaving the boat.

Thanks chaps for your input, now got to go and implement an option :D

Philip
 
xeitosaphil said:
Xeitosaphil - I can see both points of view here and it could be down to personal choice, but the saving grace for me is, I’m the skipper, also the Crew and Chief Cook and Bottle washer so it probably doesn’t matter which option I choose as long as it isn’t a permanent supply like it is now, and I can isolate it when leaving the boat.
Click to expand...

I think one or both of us is probably confused, but I'm glad you're happy :)

Pete
 
prv said:
I think one or both of us is probably confused, but I'm glad you're happy :)

Pete
Click to expand...

Are we Pete? Your suggesting the supply goes through an isolator, pvb is suggesting its wired to terminal 2 of the now unused 1-2-both switch. In this situation when the house battery bank is turned on, it makes with the terminal 2 contact energising the house battery circuit thus beforehand it is isolated, but once turned on it is down to the Lofrans on-off- trip switch to energise the winch circuit at the bow.
I suggested to connect supply cable to the unused common terminal on the 1-2-Both switch, which would mean it is isolated all the time unless connected to the 1 or 2 terminal connecting to either the House or engine battery. Again the winch circuit would be isolated until activated then only live up to the Lofrans On- Off- Trip switch. Either way the circuit would be isolated until either the house isolator was turned on, or the 1-2 switch was activated.

So how is one of us confused? Or are you suggesting something different?

Philip
 
Everything domestic, bar the auto bilge pump, goes through the domestic isolator on our yacht, so that we know when leaving the yacht everything is off. The anchor windlass feed then goes to the Nav table electrical panel where it is connected to a 100A circuit breaker and on/off switch, and thence to the windlass relay. We only make the windlass live immediately prior to lifting/lowering the anchor, to avoid accidents. I like to keep things simple.......

Neil
 
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