+ Bus Bar question

[er9]

Do you guys run a smaller + bus bar off of your main + bus bar for attaching smaller wired items such as bilge pump, stereo memory, VHF etc or do you connect them to the main +bus and just use larger ring terminals?

any disadvantage to branching a smaller +bus bar of of the main +bus for this purpose?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by er9

Do you guys run a smaller + bus bar off of your main + bus bar for attaching smaller wired items such as bilge pump, stereo memory, VHF etc or do you connect them to the main +bus and just use larger ring terminals?

any disadvantage to branching a smaller +bus bar of of the main +bus for this purpose?

Bilge pumps should connect to the “always-on” busbar but other items you list should be connected to fuse- or breaker boxes, and those have 1 bigger diameter wire to the busbar.

[Nicholson58]

Bus bar feeds the breaker panel. Each end user has its own breaker. Use only ABYC marine rated wires. These are high flex and pre-tinned copper. I Silver solder every crimped connector and terminal. Use heat shrink tubing to insulate and strain relieve at the connector.

[SVHarmonie]

Originally Posted by er9

Do you guys run a smaller + bus bar off of your main + bus bar for attaching smaller wired items such as bilge pump, stereo memory, VHF etc or do you connect them to the main +bus and just use larger ring terminals?

any disadvantage to branching a smaller +bus bar of of the main +bus for this purpose?

Assuming everything else is correct, and you follow normal recommendations for fusing, there is no disadvantage to doing what you suggest. There is also no disadvantage to using larger ring terminals. Whatever gives the neater installation.

There are a lot of considerations... where is your main battery switch? How many other connections to your “+ bus bar”? Where is your circuit protection? Etc, etc.

Normally a + bus bar has very few connections, since all need to be fused within 48” (if I remember correctly!) of the battery.

[Frankly]

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ture24349.html


Normally the bilge pumps are connected ahead of the battery switching and the main distribution bus bar after/ downstream of the battery switching. I used a small BS fuse block tapped from the main bus bar to power emeter, alt regulator, ect.


Frankly

[Stu Jackson]

They do make bus bars with different size studs.

[NorthernMac]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Bilge pumps should connect to the “always-on” busbar but other items you list should be connected to fuse- or breaker boxes, and those have 1 bigger diameter wire to the busbar.

Yup, battery hot fuse block

Bilge, fire systems, security, etc.

[barnakiel]

Our boat does not have one ;-( It is a small boat though.



But I think there is a good reason to have them.


I had bars on all big boats I worked for.


b.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

They do make bus bars with different size studs.

Sure ...infinite combinations

Normally you purchase bus bar stock and customize to your application

You can search catalogues for premade bars that suit your application


https://www.mcmaster.com/bus-bars/copper/

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by er9

Do you guys run a smaller + bus bar off of your main + bus bar for attaching smaller wired items such as bilge pump, stereo memory, VHF etc or do you connect them to the main +bus and just use larger ring terminals?

any disadvantage to branching a smaller +bus bar of of the main +bus for this purpose?

All circuit breaker panels I have ever seen have a buss bar running down each column of circuit breakers. If all of your circuits are controlled by one circuit breaker panel this is the way to go. A master breaker on the panel feeds the buss bars. The one exception is the bilge pump breaker that bypasses the master breaker so that turning off the main breaker does not turn off the bilge pump circuit.

[smac999]

since all of those need fuses. use one of these. then just run a 8 or 6awg or whatever from fuse block to main unswitched bus.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/502..._Bus_and_Cover

[thunderhoof]

There is a family of power distribution devices called "DIN rail power distribution". This is used in my Beneteau and makes for a neat, easily marked installation. You might Google it.

[sailah]

I have a large + bus bar near batteries for distribution of "cable" sized loads. From my parallel battery switch that turns on the loads, I run a small cable to a Blue Seas bus bar with #10 screws. This feeds my always on loads like bilge pumps, stereo memory, USB charger. Since these aren't protect by a breaker I run inline fuses for all of them

[s/v Jedi]

Here you go: https://www.bluesea.com/products/502..._Bus_and_Cover

[er9]

Originally Posted by SVHarmonie

Assuming everything else is correct, and you follow normal recommendations for fusing, there is no disadvantage to doing what you suggest. There is also no disadvantage to using larger ring terminals. Whatever gives the neater installation.

There are a lot of considerations... where is your main battery switch? How many other connections to your “+ bus bar”? Where is your circuit protection? Etc, etc.

Normally a + bus bar has very few connections, since all need to be fused within 48” (if I remember correctly!) of the battery.

havnt installed anything yet as im still in the planning stages and right now i think the battery switch will be about 4 feet from the house batteries. bus bar i have no idea yet. worse case im looking at 12 feet from batteries close to the charger. so charger would connect to bus a couple of feet away. cable would run from + bus to the batteries 12ish ft away (one way) and then to the switch another 3-4 ft away. not sure if this is acceptable but room for batteries is an issue and trying to get the charger, batteries and Switch close together is probably not doable until i move diesel fuel tank in the future. then i can get everything close together.

for now i figure two charge sources to the + bus but in the future can see adding a couple more for solar and possibly wind or hydro power.