What about fuses with the switches at point of use?

[Chotu]

Since I got the new lithium batteries, I have to do some electrical work. I have a temporary construction electrical system installed currently. It has actually been installed for many years now and has worked fine. Oddly enough. Although talk about tinned copper wire, I just used Home Depot crap for a temporary installation during the construction phase and it didn’t corrode. Go figure. I’ll take some pictures of pulling it apart when I do this new wiring.

Looking at things in general, with an open mind and not from a Boat perspective, I am thinking of a solution that might be more elegant. I’m wondering what people think.

What about switches at the point of use?

It’s kind of annoying to always have to go over to the electrical panel. Especially on my boat now because it’s a pretty long walk.

But I can think of all the boats that I have ever owned and having to always go to that electrical panel to turn things on and off. Be it the anchor light, a refrigerator, a wash down pump or whatever.

Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to have the switch at the point of use?

So if I want to turn on my anchor light, I don’t go back to the electrical panel and flip a breaker. At the helm I just turn the anchor light on.

What about just having a set of fuses and then having the switching function at the point of use?

This means the wiring would always be live to the switch. But it’s also properly fused so if they were a problem the fuse would blow.

I’m not the type of person who would just keep resetting a breaker and trying to use the circuit. I don’t think that’s a good idea ever. It needs a rewiring or some kind of fix if it’s blowing breakers. So once a fuse blows, I would fix anything that’s wrong and then put in the new fuse.

But I’m wondering why boats aren’t set up like this typically.

From an ease-of-use perspective it makes more sense.

You could use something like this.




And have nice looking engraved switches around in different places where they are used.