Fused battery connector Up to the task?

[sharpey]

Hi Folks,

I came across this in a auto parts shop. Am I right in thinking that this cube style fuse will be suitable for putting on my engine battery +ve to protect the cabling?






Your thoughts appreciated.

Cheers,

James

[fallingeggs]

It looks a lot like the BlueSea fuse, that is for sure.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/519...k_-_30_to_300A

That said, why not just order ones you know are made for boats for $25? It is important that the fuse not create sparks if it is blown. Is your off brand auto parts store ignition protected like this? Unless the packaging give you this information (and it matches a well know brand like BlueSea) I wouldn't trust it.


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[skipmac]

Originally Posted by fallingeggs

It looks a lot like the BlueSea fuse, that is for sure.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/519...k_-_30_to_300A

That said, why not just order ones you know are made for boats for $25? It is important that the fuse not create sparks if it is blown. Is your off brand auto parts store ignition protected like this? Unless the packaging give you this information (and it matches a well know brand like BlueSea) I wouldn't trust it.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Agree with all the above. I have the Blue Sea systems fuses and they work perfectly. Large fuse on the staring battery (forget exactly but around 250 amp) and a 50 amp on the house batteries. Quick and easy to change.

[sharpey]

The issue I have is a height one... I don't think i'll be able to fit a bluesea one on...

Forgive me for being silly, but the spark issue when the fuse blows... how nasty can it be? considering battery is not near engine, engine is diesel etc...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by sharpey

The issue I have is a height one... I don't think i'll be able to fit a bluesea one on...

Forgive me for being silly, but the spark issue when the fuse blows... how nasty can it be? considering battery is not near engine, engine is diesel etc...

Considering it's diesel, if you have no other risk factors (dinghy gas or propane which of course would have to be below and you probably would never do such an insane thing) then I wouldn't be overly concerned about sparking.

If I recall, Blue Seas also makes an inline or remote fuse for this application. However I see you're in Singapore which might make the one you've found more attractive if it's available locally.

As I think about it, the Blue Seas fuse holder doesn't really project much if any at all higher than the battery post but I'm not certain about that. Will look at it when I'm on the boat next, probably tomorrow, and report back.

[fallingeggs]

Take a look at this entire article by Maine Sail. For the fuse blowing up problem, see the April 3, 2013 post.

Battery Bank Fusing Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com

As GordMay has said: Risk = Frequency (probability) x Severity (consequence). Take how much risk you want, but the standard is for ignition protected fuses for a reason. Maybe a hyper-conservative reason, but a reason nevertheless.

Does the auto part fuse allow you to confirm the trip delay and in rush current that Maine Sail discusses?

If height is a problem, maybe use an ANL fuse? But then you might not have the fuse within 7 inches of the post. Catch-22.

Another point on the auto store fuse... how easy is it to get replacements? Maybe if you can buy a few to hold on to, it won't matter.

[Cadence]

On a house battery Ok. Have the cables as short as possible on the engine battery. No way in hell would I want it fused.

[jeepbluetj]

The Blue Sea holders do add some height to the terminals. I put a pair in a Skipjack I rewired and had to cut down the post a bit to make em fit.

If I would have seen that post adapter in a car parts store I would have bought it and used Blue Sea fuses in it.

I use ANLs on my boat because of the height problem with the square Blue Sea ones.

I would never want an unfused battery anywhere on a boat. Start OR house. Just use appropriate sized fuses.

[Colin A]

Looks to be a knockoff of the Bussmann fuse (now Eaton) used by Blue sea. I don't see Buss on the markings so likely not a real one. It really depends some of those knock off fuses are OK and others have issues when they fail. Kind of hard to tell unless you can figure out who made it.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Cadence

On a house battery Ok. Have the cables as short as possible on the engine battery. No way in hell would I want it fused.

Why not? The fuses don't blow under normal use and if one does I can swap it out in about 30 seconds. This type of fuse is slow blow so a short inrush current to the starter won't blow them. In fact they will handle a significant overload for several seconds before blowing but still protect the boat from fire.

I've had my starter battery fused for a few years and never had a problem. Would a lot rather have a fuse pop than the starter battery cable short and start a fire although I do go through an On/Off switch as well.

In my experience, I have had a lot more trouble with battery switches than fuses. For additional opinions

"The net result is that nowadays, electrical shorts are probably the number-one cause of fires on boats. There is simply no excuse for not protecting all high-current circuits, including the cranking circuit." (From the Nigel Calder Cruising Handbook)

Or read the full write-up by Maine Sail (who if I recall, is a member of the ABYC, tests and helps write the standards for marine electrical) here Battery Bank Fusing Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by jeepbluetj

I would never want an unfused battery anywhere on a boat. Start OR house. Just use appropriate sized fuses.

[Dave22q]

Looks to me that it will probably work, at least for a while. Given the minimal dollars saved and the potentially high cost of problems, I see this as a penny wise move and will cheerfully pay for something designed for the marine environment. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[geoffr]

I would hesitate to use the automotive post terminal as it isn't as secure as a directly bolted solution. If you can bolt on then the blue sea ( aka Cooper Busman: See Pg67 of http://www.cooperindustries.com/cont...talog-2013.pdf ) solution is actually more elegant and less prone to becoming loose.

Geoff.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Why not? The fuses don't blow under normal use and if one does I can swap it out in about 30 seconds. This type of fuse is slow blow so a short inrush current to the starter won't blow them. In fact they will handle a significant overload for several seconds before blowing but still protect the boat from fire.

I've had my starter battery fused for a few years and never had a problem. Would a lot rather have a fuse pop than the starter battery cable short and start a fire although I do go through an On/Off switch as well.

In my experience, I have had a lot more trouble with battery switches than fuses. For additional opinions

"The net result is that nowadays, electrical shorts are probably the number-one cause of fires on boats. There is simply no excuse for not protecting all high-current circuits, including the cranking circuit." (From the Nigel Calder Cruising Handbook)

Or read the full write-up by Maine Sail (who if I recall, is a member of the ABYC, tests and helps write the standards for marine electrical) here Battery Bank Fusing Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com

Why not? Maybe I am paranoid. I just wouldn't want to have to look for a fuse if I needed to start in a pinch. A short + lead if dressed well is not likely to chafe and ground. It may not be the fuse but corrosion at the added contact points. Again, JMHO

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Why not? Maybe I am paranoid. I just wouldn't want to have to look for a fuse if I needed to start in a pinch. A short + lead if dressed well is not likely to chafe and ground. It may not be the fuse but corrosion at the added contact points. Again, JMHO

Do you run the starter battery cable to a switch before the starter? Over the years I've had way more trouble with switches but I wouldn't connect a battery to a starter without a switch because I have had starter solenoids stick more than once. I know exactly where the spare fuse is kept and again, it's an easy 30 second swap to put in a new one, but several years and never needed one.

Regarding corrosion, the Blue Seas fuses are pretty well put together and so far they have stayed a lot cleaner than the battery cable ends.

Sometimes I feel pretty paranoid myself. I wired my switches so with one throw I can crank the engine from the house batteries in a emergency, just in case. I just feel a lot safer with a fuse on anything straight to the battery and all available information indicates the downside in this case is about as low as it can get. Yes my run is very short, far from any chafe points or moving parts but you know, sometimes shirt happens and a fuse is cheap insurance.