How Many Circuit Breakers in Your Panel?

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

I have 12 breakers on my 12VDC distribution panel and 10 breakers on my AC distribution panel. I don't feel any pressure or limitation with this number. As others have said, they can be clustered by type and further dsitributed among fused circuits.

oops! I forgot! I have another four circuits separate and on another AC panel in my cockpit. .....engine room blower, GPS, secondary bilge pump and a "stand-by" circuit that is not, at present. assigned to any function.

So that gives me 16 and one of the group that is not used. Does the person with 64 circuits instead of 16 have a greater potential of use for the dispersal of his 12V power supply? NO! This pretty much amounts to the question of wether you store your tools in one locker or seven lockers,- it really doesn't matter!

[Emmalina]

Do you guys consider a breaker a switch or are you referring to a magnetic or thermal circuit breaker ?
For any reduction of cable diameter there needs to be protection for that circuit, ie. a breaker, if "after that" you switch things on and off at your distribution board that’s another matter.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Microship

Just saw this thread while a-googlin' for something related... I'm in the process of re-doing my power distribution panel now. I went with Blue Sea traditional breakers, and made the substrate out of half-inch King Starboard...

I'm in the process of prewiring it, hoping to make the transfer into the boat in the next few days. There's a list of what's on the panel on my console devices page (section #2).

Cheers from Nomadness,
Steve

Steve, that's an extremely nice looking electrical panel -- kudos. I think one of the best I've seen.

Mine is not nearly as nice, because I was unwilling to demolish the existing sytem, which is well wired and labelled and which is only 12 years old. So I have a hodgepodge of panels -- the original ones, a Blue Seas 8-breaker expansion panel, a row of breakers in an enclosed box under the nav table, and still more breakers behind the instrument panel. My situation is further complicated by the fact that I have some 12 volt circuits besides the usual 24v ones. You need to know where everything is in order to use the system effectively; I realized how much it leaves to be desired when I tried to explain to a crewman how to power things up and down again in my absence.

[Sandero]

Shiva came equipped with a distribution panel with mini breakers and 13 switched circuits. I installed a Blue Seas main battery switch with 100 amp house breaker. The breakers are easy to replace and find. Push to reset.

It's 28yrs old this August!

All circuits are fuse protected.