Process of pulling all new wires....

[kregars]

All,

After much frustration in tracing wires and finding 90% of them not meeting specs (factory nor other Marine standards) I have pulled new wires.  Now I am back to the start of this project with regards to their connections at the battery.

I have decided to use Bus Bars in the battery compartment and then run a clean 6 gauge wire to feed the bus bars and having a clean DOCUMENTED and LABELED connection at the bus bar feeding the helm as well as other locations of connection.

The question I have is this.  Since the bus bar is connected to the battery full time (no battery selector, and also no dedicated house battery) should I still feed the bilge pumps to the battery directly, or is it acceptable to feed it off the bus bars?

I have searched and have only found that the bilge pump should be fed directly from the battery IF you have a battery selector and it's connected BEYOND the battery.  Just want to make sure everything is connected as close to factory as it should be for both peace of mind as well as meeting standards.

Thanks in advance...

[a7ewizard]

Quite a project you're into!

Both of my PL's have main feed circuit breakers. 40A on the 251WA and 30A on the 24SS. They must be there for good reason.

They are transom mounted close to the batteries. With out looking to verify, I think they are prior to the battery switches and the bus bars.

Warren

[kregars]

Hrm...I think I made a mistake then.  I placed the Thermal breaker before the bus bars behind the helm console (accessed via the access panel).  moving it close now makes perfect sense and is an easy move.  I'll have to provide the before and after pics (at least of the battery side as I'm still not 100% happy with the helm side look, but I know the wire is good and up snuff).

[C-Lark III]

Hrm...I think I made a mistake then.  I placed the Thermal breaker before the bus bars behind the helm console (accessed via the access panel).  moving it close now makes perfect sense and is an easy move.  I'll have to provide the before and after pics (at least of the battery side as I'm still not 100% happy with the helm side look, but I know the wire is good and up snuff).

With regard to your question about the bilge pump circuits, I would highly recommend that the bilge pump circuits that have a float switch on them should be connected directly to the battery, or to a terminal that is always hot regardless of the battery switch positions.  Otherwise, a blown fuse or circuit breaker could result in disabling the bilge pump float switch, and a leak will eventually result in a sunken boat... 

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