Fuse panel upgrade opinion?

[SkiDeep2001]

Ok, I fixed my lighting/fuse panel problem, wire broke from green corrosion. (Help! MR (electrical) WIZARD) but in the process I broke the side tab plastic retainer case so now my cabin lighting fuse pops out/won't stay in on the original SeaDog 4 fuse panel. I will have to shim it to keep it in until I can fix. I now need to replace so I might as well upgrade. I can go with original panel SeaDog brand or use Weatherdeck 6 or 8 fuse from Defender or Blue Sea 8 fuse from West Marine. I'm sure there are probably other brands and I don't know what kind of future mods I will be adding so might as well add extra circuits. Hit me with your opinions preferences on a new panel please. Thanks - And yes, I have done search for fuse panel/fuse panel upgrade a couple of different ways and not getting much return so I must not be doing it right because I have seen discussions in past couple months about upgrades but they are not coming up on search.

[c130king]

I have the Weatherdeck 8-position Fuse Panel sitting at my Dad's house in Florida. I won't be installing it until September when I fly back for 10 days of mods/installs and hopefully some sailing.

Nothing wrong with my 4-switch Sea Dog other than I think I need more than 4 switches since I am adding VHF, Stereo, and Autopilot (also in September).

Good Luck,
Jim

[Divecoz]

6 circuit breaker panel with switches......Now Way ........$46 http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... 9&id=51111
at that price I may order one just to have it around.
I have two glass fuse panels with switches and a Automotive fuse distribution panel as with no switches, for things that have their own switch.

[waternwaves]

Richard,

Somehow I just figured you would have a panel that would make BLUE SEA jealous. (didnt imagine glass fuses....)

|>

[SkiDeep2001]

Divecoz,Waternwaves,or others, Before I buy my new panel, are the glass fuses preferable over blade type on the or if you just have basic accessories,lighting, not quite like Duane Dunn

[Divecoz]

Breakers are best IMHO ........ But I dont have any $$$$$$ on my boat. I have 2 panels ( sad to say glass fuses) and and fused buss bar with the Automotive type fuses.
Darren I screwed up and when I was getting the 50 to 60 % discounts at West Marine I should have bought all new ( everything) .... all new breaker panels... but I didn't...
I.......... be da dummy on this board.

[James V]

With the breakes you cut off every device by turning off the breakers. The best solution I think. No current leaking. It is best to turn on and off every few months.

[waternwaves]

not as dumb as me.....
I bought 30 of the 5, 10, 15 Amp small DIN vehicle sealed circuit breakers, and never got around to buying the either the combined switch version or the switches to isolate these. So I haven't even drilled the new panel yet. But I have been productive this month. All of the old PO AC wiring has been removed. BOat is already looking better. But I do need to find a smaller waste tank to install. Kind of put the wiring on hold to see if anyone else was going to come up with an arch that would fit over my BWY enclosure. If I have to go in their to remove and relocate equipment and circuits, I might as well put the backing blocks for the new arch

I would go with either combo switch/breakers or sealed plastic case breakers isolated by individual switches.

But my panel has space for 30 circuits.....

[KayakDan]

Here's how I solved the problem,and it fits nicely in the space where the original panel was. I have used 7 out of 8,saving one for the fridge. Looks like I will run out of mods at the same time I run out of panel.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... &id=838811

[Divecoz]

That's sweet panel Dan , I like the looks of it. I now wish I had done things differently when I was doing a lot of my electrics........ sad to say I went a bit cheap at times, and I am sorry now .... For me it was too many projects on too many toys and every so often I would feel A tinge of guilt for all the money I was spending... primarily on me.

[Kelly Hanson East]

You definitely want to go CB if a macerator is in your plans - these pull 12 Amps + and you wont get a fuse box above a 10A rating

I ended up with one 12VDC breaker mounted next to my PERKO switch for this circuit.

[Matt19020]

I use a main panel with circuit breakers

and then I run two sub panels to distribute to rest of electronics and lighting (no pic of lighting panel)

Sub Panel 1(electronics)
By doing it this way I find it easier to selectively swiitch on and off various components

[SkiDeep2001]

Looks good Matt, are you running a mini nuclear reactor in there?

[Divecoz]

You definitely want to go CB if a macerator is in your plans - these pull 12 Amps + and you wont get a fuse box above a 10A rating

I ended up with one 12VDC breaker mounted next to my PERKO switch for this circuit.

My Macerator , raw water pump, C/D stereo , one bilge pump spreader lights and anchor light go through a fused buss bar panel. As I recall the buss bar panel is good for 50 amps... all those have independent switches and I didn't want redundancy in there........ to confuse the issue.

[Kelly Hanson East]

There might be two ratings on your panels - a total rating (reflecting the grounding circuit and feed rating) and then the rating of the individual switches on the fuses (for the panels with both switch and fuse). You have to stay under both ratings of course.

I prefer glass fuses over blades as they are much easier to see if they are blown (eyes 50 yrs old)

Wire essential things (bilge pumps, VHF, etc) on independent circuits so that if the stereo overloads, you can still pump out when holed.....

I went a step further and have essential things wired with male/female quick connects close to the electrical load, and keep a heavy gauge wire with battery clips in the toolbox with the right gender quick connects already crimped on.

If I go to use my bilge pump, macerator, etc and find I have a wiring problem, I can run the load direct from the battery in about 15 seconds - the connectors prevent me from wiring in reverse of course. This was motivated by waking up at 3am with 18 inches of water in the cabin, hitting the bilge pump switch, and having no pump...