e/r 24V fuse box Qs

[vas]

hello,

having managed to kill COMPLETELY! my 4X180Ah service batteries and recently installing a Victron BMV-700, I'm trying to organise the area down there slightly better than it currently is (ie a bleeding mess of temp cables around the batteries/charger/MPPT/inverter/windlass & bow thruster fuse, etc!)

So,

I'd like to organise things with a set of fuses/relays in the e/r just above the battery tray. What I want to get there are:

• Windlass 100odd Amp fuse
• Passerelle power supply (haven't bothered checking with my amp clamp yet, just a thickish cable currently straight to Service bank +, no fuse!)
• 1000W Inverter (again straight to Service bank +, but always disconnected...)
• Victron 100/30 MPPT solar charger, shouldn't it go through a fuse as well? I can disable it using the bluetooth dongle, but wont happen in a hurry or in an emergency of some sort (that I cannot yet imagine tbh)
• Victron Centaur 24/60 charger. To be phased out and only to be used for an hour or so some mornings after a night on the hook. Not particularly happy with it, feel it's overstressing my (buggered) batteries atm, although the starter bank is perfectly okay. Not sure it's really needed, as I can isolate the Centaur from the 220V with a 20A fuse on the factory el.panel in the lower helm
• 24-12V Victron dropper 20A
• pretty sure I'm forgetting something...

I feel that getting these loads 6m up to the lower helm el. panel (wont fit on the stock one, would be OK on my secondary I fit there) and another 6-8m back is silly, right?
So want to serve them "locally".
Was thinking of a el. box, with the typical 40-80-100 type of fuses for windlass:

and normal breakers for the rest.
Thing is, I can imagine a bus bar at the top (or bottom) that goes to the service bank +, but we are talking THICK cables here. How the heck is the bus bar to battery and the windlass to and fro can fit in a flimsy plastic el.panel box?

Am I missing something, are there dedicated boxes for this type of work?
Am I missing the whole point and should I do it in a different way altogether?

opinions as always welcomed!

cheers

V.

 

[elton]

What are you concerned about?

 

[vas]

What are you concerned about?

creating something good looking, robust and safe where 10mm dia cables will be routed in and out, plus a cover, etc.
I cannot easily find a photo of the mess it currently looks like, maybe tomorrow.

cheers

V.

 

[BartW]

there might be more modern solutions,
but this is the brass ground buss bar (x2) that I installed a few years ago,
(on the left side you can see the shunt for the battery monitor)

I have in mind to make something similar for the 2x +24V buss bars (they look also messy right now)
its easy to make / add a plexi protection cover .

 

[vas]

Bart,

it's OK with GND (anyway, - loads)
+24V should be different,

but don't you add breakers to things like:

Passerelle
inverters OK I know you don't have them as such but as charger/inverter combo, BTW, when you decide to upgrade, write me down for the second 5K one (P, gets the first one, right?)
Victron 100/30 MPPT solar charger,
24-12V droppers

cheers

V.

 

[Keith-i]

Something like this any good? https://www.bluesea.com/products/7748/SafetyHub_150_Fuse_Block

 

[BartW]

but don't you add breakers to things like:

Passerelle
inverters OK I know you don't have them as such but as charger/inverter combo, BTW, when you decide to upgrade, write me down for the second 5K one (P, gets the first one, right?)
Victron 100/30 MPPT solar charger,
24-12V droppers
.

In BA, most of these breakers are in the electric switchboard inside the boat,
for the Hi lo platform, we have added one (near the battery bank) similar to your pic above,
and on the Victrons we have added this fuse holder (a slightly bigger model, with 400amp fuse iirc),
sits also on the side of the battery shelve



don't know whats normal practice for the MPPT, I decided to NOT place SP's,
but for you I can imagine there is a usage.
all good for the old Quattro 5Kw, I'll let you know...

 

[vas]

Something like this any good? https://www.bluesea.com/products/7748/SafetyHub_150_Fuse_Block

thanks Keith, it's too small and I've covered on this respect so to speak from the factory fitted (back in 74) el. panel, just replacing the fuses there soon.
I really need a biggish box to fit all the bits and have 12+mm dia cables going back and forth in there!

In BA, most of these breakers are in the electric switchboard inside the boat,
for the Hi lo platform, we have added one (near the battery bank) similar to your pic above,
and on the Victrons we have added this fuse holder (a slightly bigger model, with 400amp fuse iirc),
sits also on the side of the battery shelve



don't know whats normal practice for the MPPT, I decided to NOT place SP's,
but for you I can imagine there is a usage.
all good for the old Quattro 5Kw, I'll let you know...

OK, yes, I tried to reuse as much as I could of the original panel, but tbh only the immersion heater was of use and it's now the power supply for the watermaker.
24V cables for heavish loads I'm not so keen to get 10m of them if I can do it in 2m!

Anyway, just bought a nice GRP 21X30X15deep Schneider NSYPLM32G surface mounted el. box with a bolted on backface I can get a rail fitted and normal household droppers, etc plus a fistful of through box things with rubber and a plastic nut to squeeze and seal (damned if I knew how you call them!) of various sizes to get the cables through. I think I do have a bus bar somewhere, so some insulation and ready to start (when its raining though, today is brilliant sunshine so time to do other exterior jobs...)
I'll organise it and see how it goes!

cheers

V.

 

[petem]

Was thinking of a el. box, with the typical 40-80-100 type of fuses for windlass:

and normal breakers for the rest.
Thing is, I can imagine a bus bar at the top (or bottom) that goes to the service bank +, but we are talking THICK cables here. How the heck is the bus bar to battery and the windlass to and fro can fit in a flimsy plastic el.panel box?

Am I missing something, are there dedicated boxes for this type of work?
Am I missing the whole point and should I do it in a different way altogether?

Vas, I don't know if this answers your question but my boat has all this stuff in chunky enclosures mounted in the engine bay. As you'll see, they seem to have survived the past 14 years intact: