Overcurrent Protection

[Mac G]

For devices directly hard-wired to your batteries (e.g. bilge pumps) do you guys typically use in-line fuses or a separate dedicated circuit breaker?
Have done both before but curious what others do,
Thanks

 

[psneeld]

Had a Blue Seas fuse block that couldn't be turned off and it had bilge pumps, alarms, and other similar devices wired to it.

 

[Bacchus]

Agree... my bilge pumps actually go thru 2 fuse panels... one for auto and a separate set for manual.

 

[rslifkin]

The original pumps on my boat feed through breakers on the main 12V DC panel. Like a few others above, I've added a dedicated fuse block for always-powered 12V DC devices like some additional bilge pumps I've added. Connecting a bunch of devices directly to the batteries just gets messy and is a bad idea in my book.

 

[Nick F]

The original pumps on my boat feed through breakers on the main 12V DC panel. Like a few others above, I've added a dedicated fuse block for always-powered 12V DC devices like some additional bilge pumps I've added. Connecting a bunch of devices directly to the batteries just gets messy and is a bad idea in my book.

Ditto for me. This way, when I leave the boat I completely switch off the DC panel - don't have to wonder which breakers to leave on.