Battery wiring

[mniact]

I am installing a battery switch, on one of the small red power wires there is a capacitor/resistor-type thing at the end of it and a rectangle brass plate screwed to the capacitor and the other end of the plate directly to the battery post.

The problem is that when I tried to connect this brass plate to the back of the battery switch the brass plate is too short and the capacitor is situated behind the battery switch and I cannot mount the switch to the side wall.

My main question is ? is the brass plate anything ?special? or just a way to connect the capacitor to the battery. Could I just run a wire in place of the brass plate?

Also, the case of the capacitor/resistor thing is metal, if I have this hanging off the battery switch, which is mounted to the side wall of a pontoon boat, can it touch the metal wall of the pontoon boat?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Battery wiring

A picture would be worth a thousand words.

 

[mniact]

Re: Battery wiring

As I was typing I knew a picture would help, but I didn't have a camera with me when I discovered the problem and the boat is still in storage about 30 min away.

I found out that it is an automatic reset circuit breaker that goes to the anchor wench. I attached a picture of a similar one.

I also figured that I could just leave it hooked directly to a battery rather than have it be connected to the battery switch.

But, any thoughts on replacing the metal strip with a wire?

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Battery wiring

You can replace that strip with 6 gauge wire but you need to be absolutely sure it will not be able to touch metal anywhere.

 

[Splat]

Re: Battery wiring

Agreed you can replace it with wire, but I would ditch that thing all together. Here's why

One I don't feel those things are reliable. Sometimes they trip and won't reset, sometimes they won't trip at all. secondly once they trip when they cool down they automatically reset whether you fixed the short of not. They will need a heavy load or a short for them to trip again. This is a repeating cycle that can and has caused fires.

I would rather see it replaced with a fuse of the proper gauge wire and amperage, or even better a manual resettable circuit breaker that you can screw right onto the wood to keep it out of the way.

One like this
http://www.iboats.com/Blue_Sea_185_...9350932--**********.155414261--view_id.238144

You would need to determine the max current draw of the windlass and get an appropriate breaker for it, if you went this route.

I just don't like those auto resetting ones.
BIll

 

[jlinder]

Re: Battery wiring

........

I found out that it is an automatic reset circuit breaker that goes to the anchor wench. I attached a picture of a similar one.

...........

I would love to have seen the picture of the anchor wench! (wink, wink)

Sorry, could not resist.