Simple Wiring Diagrams

[Dame.n.Jess]

If an Electrician comes onboard and needs to follow my diagram and he is struggling because I have used pictures and not symbols and he is not able to work it out, this is a very good sign he might also struggle with a can opener and is possibly not the person you want wiring up your boat....

Just a thought.

Damien

[goboatingnow]

SO damien, you should have enough to update your drawing now to include circuit breakers and a battery switch etc. close enough to get going

Dave

[Dame.n.Jess]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

SO damien, you should have enough to update your drawing now to include circuit breakers and a battery switch etc. close enough to get going

Dave

Dave I have found your comments really helpful, Ex-Calif, Ike and other I also have found your advice very well worth it. I realise many different opinions will exist and I think its great that this place allows thoughts from both camps to chime in (how else do better solutions arise than through this type of discussion).

I feel very confident now that I can create the required diagram that will be electrically correct. I am also looking forward to the fact that I will know EVERY area of my boats wiring plus because I am doing the install I can be as fussy as I like and take as long as I need to in order to make it a very tidy, functional and ascetically pleasing install.

Someone raised the fact the wind genny wont provide enough power to fully charge 100% of the time. I have taken this on-board and will introduce some solar into the mix. My long term view is to double the battery bank capacity and I will size my solar with this in mind.

Thanks for all of the contributions, its been a real pleasure seeing so much knowledge and generosity on display.

Happy travels...

[Sandero]

First step in the design of anything, and in this case an electrical system is to asses the needs.

Once you have calculated and tabulated all the electrical use per day under various conditions, you then deal with generating the power from sources available: diesel engine, generator, wind gen, solar panels, shore power etc.

Power needs change depending on where you sail and how much energy you use for your life/boat style.

[Dame.n.Jess]

Ok, So I have changed the diagram to include a charge controller, dump load, circuit breaker, switch panel, battery fuse, main power switch & individual fuses to suit each device

Once the basic layout is sorted I am going to go thru each device and match its specs to the wiring according to the ABYC standards. At this stage I am thinking of going one size up in wiring for each device and set the fuse to protect the device (which should draw less than what the wire is rated to - please correct me if im wrong here).

Here it is (version 3)

[Sandero]

Usually the fuse protects the wire, not the device.

[GordMay]

Your version 3 diagram didn’t load.

You’re right, in that you can install over-sized wire (to reduce voltage drop), and a smaller fuse sized to the device load.

See the Wire Size chart ➥ Wire Size Chart.1 - Read /w "Ohm's Law & You" Cruisers & Sailing Photo Gallery

And ➥ Wire Size Chart.2 - Read /w Wire Size Chart.1 & "Ohm's Law & You" Cruisers & Sailing Photo Gallery

[Dame.n.Jess]

Try this

[Dame.n.Jess]

I will look into wire sizing next

[Ike]

Looking good so far. See New Boatbuilders Home Page - Electrical - Wire Sizes for how to size the wire.

[mikereed100]

Here are a couple of usefull online wire size calculators:

Genuinedealz - Technical - Calculators
Blue Sea Systems