Check your fuses!

[Buck Turgidson]

I monitor my boat via VRM and noticed something unusual so emergency flight to Valencia this weekend. Arrived to find the automatic bilge pump running continuously dry which explains the battery voltage.
However I did a quick inspection of everything and found this! The charger wasn’t on as I leave the boat with solar to top up the battery which is fine so long as the pump isn’t running continuously.
So that is the vctron ip67 own brand in line fuse holder with the remnants of a 20amp fuse. I have no idea when this happened except that it’s within the last year.
The scary bit is that the charger worked like this. The melted fuse didn’t break the circuit. !!!!
Anyone else with this charger might want to check.

 

[Seamonk]

Yikes!
I dislike this type of fuse because they are a pain to inspect, and are often in out of the way places. Now seeing this just confirms my bias.
I like to see all my fuses in one block, even if it means running longer wires.

 

[Boathook]

I remember reading on ybw somewhere that these weren't liked due to problems. Was it @PaulRainbow ? I think that I have a couple in use so will need to check when next down.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I remember reading on ybw somewhere that these weren't liked due to problems. Was it @PaulRainbow ? I think that I have a couple in use so will need to check when next down.

Wasn't me, but i do dislike the way manufacturers fit a random selection of fuses, so you end up will allsorts of different fuses in allsorts of places, often in difficult to reach places. I tend to cut them out and connect to a fuse/circuit breaker panel.

 

[[70521]]

Interesting!

I changed all my 'in line' fuses to blade ones, after all why would you have glass fuses on a boat?

While the fuses to the MPPT and shore power are in a four blade fuse block I always remove the fuse from the shore power charger when not on the boat.

By the looks of it, it is only the housing that has melted not a blown fuse, hence the charger working normally. Can you think of any reason why the housing got hot. I wonder what the melting temperature of that material is?

What was the problem with the automatic bilge pump?

 

[PaulRainbow]

View attachment 193582I monitor my boat via VRM and noticed something unusual so emergency flight to Valencia this weekend. Arrived to find the automatic bilge pump running continuously dry which explains the battery voltage.
However I did a quick inspection of everything and found this! The charger wasn’t on as I leave the boat with solar to top up the battery which is fine so long as the pump isn’t running continuously.
So that is the vctron ip67 own brand in line fuse holder with the remnants of a 20amp fuse. I have no idea when this happened except that it’s within the last year.
The scary bit is that the charger worked like this. The melted fuse didn’t break the circuit. !!!!
Anyone else with this charger might want to check.

I suspect the fuse got hot and melted the housing, rather than a fault. I'd cut it out and put something at the supply end of the cable, which is where it should be anyway.

 

[PCUK]

You’re right Paul, in my experience when a fuse is never cleaned, corrosion builds up on the connections causing high resistance and heat. The old plastic “Continental” fuses where a bugger for this as the plastic body would melt.

 

[Bouba]

If a fuse doesn’t blow...but melts the housing...suggest to me that it needs replacing by a lower amp fuse

 

[wonkywinch]

I suspect the fuse got hot and melted the housing, rather than a fault. I'd cut it out and put something at the supply end of the cable, which is where it should be anyway.

As Paul says, fuses are there mainly to protect the cable, not the device.

 

[wingcommander]

This is the main reason I like to exchange all my fuses for a good solid nail . Guaranteed not to be a weak point then.


Jesting of course

 

[wonkywinch]

 

[wingcommander]

View attachment 193592

I admit to using at least one of the above as a very temporary measure.

 

[wingcommander]

If a fuse doesn’t blow...but melts the housing...suggest to me that it needs replacing by a lower amp fuse

Surely you mean a higher amp fuse. It won't get as warm then.

 

[wonkywinch]

I admit to using at least one of the above as a very temporary measure.

I remember my Mum wrapping blown fuses in tin foil to get the kettle or bar heater to work again.

 

[Bouba]

Surely you mean a higher amp fuse. It won't get as warm then.

You mean a nail

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Interesting!

I changed all my 'in line' fuses to blade ones, after all why would you have glass fuses on a boat?

While the fuses to the MPPT and shore power are in a four blade fuse block I always remove the fuse from the shore power charger when not on the boat.

By the looks of it, it is only the housing that has melted not a blown fuse, hence the charger working normally. Can you think of any reason why the housing got hot. I wonder what the melting temperature of that material is?

What was the problem with the automatic bilge pump?

It was a blade fuse as fitted by OEM so I don’t know the brand. The plastic cap of the fuse was completely melted and had fused the holder closed. More pics when I get home.

 

[Daydream believer]

It is OK suggesting that one should go back to the fuse board, but my boat ( for instance) came with just enough space for the supplied items on the panel plus the VHF which I supplied myself. After that there were numerous items that I added & there just is not space for an additional panel, plus things such as autopilot wind instruments echo sounder etc have all been changed numerous times. Echomax, AIS 2 chart plotters, Yeoman, Navtex, transfer fuel pump, cool box, cigar lighter sockets. You name it it gets a fuse somewhere in the line
All this has been installed over the years & I now do not have a clue where any of it goes. The inside of my electric cupboard is a nightmare especially as I have removed gear & left old wiring in in case I remove the wrong ones. (4 lots of echo sounder/log, 3 lots of wind for an example)
So I use the in line fuses that have a light in them, to tell me if they have failed or not. Does give me a chance, albeit a slim one.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

It is OK suggesting that one should go back to the fuse board, but my boat ( for instance) came with just enough space for the supplied items on the panel plus the VHF which I supplied myself. After that there were numerous items that I added & there just is not space for an additional panel, plus things such as autopilot wind instruments echo sounder etc have all been changed numerous times. Echomax, AIS 2 chart plotters, Yeoman, Navtex, transfer fuel pump, cool box, cigar lighter sockets. You name it it gets a fuse somewhere in the line
All this has been installed over the years & I now do not have a clue where any of it goes. The inside of my electric cupboard is a nightmare especially as I have removed gear & left old wiring in in case I remove the wrong ones. (4 lots of echo sounder/log, 3 lots of wind for an example)
So I use the in line fuses that have a light in them, to tell me if they have failed or not. Does give me a chance, albeit a slim one.

Sounds like my boat when I got her. I ripped the lot out and did it all again properly. Well with the obvious exception of trusting victron to use quality fuses. And mt vhf which is hot wired but with its own inline fuse supplied by b&g. Everything else goes through bus bar fuse blocks from blue sea systems.

 

[Daydream believer]

Sounds like my boat when I got her. I ripped the lot out and did it all again properly. Well with the obvious exception of trusting victron to use quality fuses. And mt vhf which is hot wired but with its own inline fuse supplied by b&g. Everything else goes through bus bar fuse blocks from blue sea systems.

How many circuits or switch points in the fuse block

 

[Buck Turgidson]

How many circuits or switch points in the fuse block

https://www.bluesea.com/products/5046/ST_Blade_Compact_Fuse_Blocks_-_8_Circuits
Ive got two of these but I think I'm using 12 circuits with 4 spare.