DIY CAMPER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FUSE PLACEMENT

[@MikeWardNet]

Those diagrams could double as art.👍

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Ha, Thanks! I had some of them printed off and was using them as my video background there for a while.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

*In summary:* *1: You need a fuse on the 'battery end' of every positive wire in the system.* EXCEPTION: 1: You don't need fuses on positive wires where there is a fuse upstream that is already protecting it. For example: A 3 way splice for puck lights where all wires are rated for at least the fuse rating upstream. ❗My Wiring Diagrams where I've already figured all of this stuff out for you: *www.explorist.life/solarwiringdiagrams* A special note for you marine/boat/yacht users: ABYC requires overcurrent protection on the wire coming from your shore power inlet. This is because the shore power pedestals at marinas are subject to salty (corrosive) sea air and faulty breakers in the shore power pedestals are common. This is something we rarely see in the 'Camping' world and is why pretty much no RV's on the road have a breaker on the shore power inlet wire. Here is the specific ABYC standard for that: 11.10.2.5.3 Shore power systems shall have a main shore power disconnect circuit breaker. If the location of the main shore power disconnect circuit breaker is in excess of 10 ft (three meters) from the shore power inlet or the electrical attachment point of a permanently installed shore power cord, additional fuses or circuit breakers shall be provided within 10 ft (three meters) of the inlet or attachment point to the electrical system of the boat. Measurement is made along the conductors.

[@wademchenry1560]

I have a VMax 125 solar AGM, the spec. says 8-30 amps charge Input. Will I damage it by using a 6amp charger? THANX

[@jerrym995]

wish i would have found your channel before i started buy my solar parts, you make it much more understandable

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Me too! 😂😁

[@GaryNichols50]

Very timely, Nate. I am just getting to the point of my van build where I need to plan for fuses and wire sizes. I had already made a note to go back and rewatch your wire size video and look for your worksheet. And I was going to see if you had a video on fuse sizes. So, at least for me, this was not at all a "filler video" as you referred to in this morning email newsletter update. Thanks again.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Perfect!

[@cowboyyoga]

Nate... a super helpful video! This video really helped me see details more clearly. Thanks for breaking everything down, and sharing all your knowledge!

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!

[@natecostello9201]

It's worth noting that current flowing from a self-limiting source like a solar charge converter into a short circuit is "safe" as long as the wire is sized with sufficient ampacity to carry that self-limited fault current (which it should be). Yes current will flow, but you will not overheat the wire and/or start a fire. That is one reason for the exception in ABYC that allows not installing overcurrent protection on the charger side of the wire.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

For sure! I talked about that at the 5:00 minute mark in this video.

[@natecostello9201]

@@EXPLORISTlife We totally agree on the the OCP placement. Perhaps the distinction I'm making vs the video is too subtle: "...but there's still going to be power flowing this direction and that's just how it works and there's really no way to protect against this. Let's say for example this is a 30 amp charge controller that's going to flow 30 amps along these two wires back to our lynx distributor back to our battery Bank. If there's a short circuit that happens here and this fuse blows, power is still going to be flowing this direction at a rate of 30 amps and is going to feed 30 amps to that spot in the wires. Well, that seems kind of dangerous, right? So you know, I mean, that short circuit could potentially heat up and yeah it's absolutely true but there's no way to protect against that..."

[@andyjholloway]

Great addition to your video collection Nate! This topic took me a long time to get my head around when I did my van last year. Everything else made sense quickly and easily thanks to all your other helpful videos.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Glad it was helpful!

[@volneymcdove3515]

@@EXPLORISTlife d0 you have to use. A. Distribuiter

[@volneymcdove3515]

@@EXPLORISTlife I. Am. Seaiñg. Some other metwork. Build. Thear. System. Without. A. Distributed. So. Tell. ,,me if. I. Mead. To. Wier. It into. Mine

[@volneymcdove3515]

What. Causes. The. Batry. Ter,inals. To. Coroad. How. Cam. I. Stop this. From. Hapening

[@HuangXingQing]

Another great video. I enjoy watching these because they remind me of details I've not thought of for a spell.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Glad you like them!

[@kristinf4900]

Flawless timing. This is exactly what I am tackling today. Thank you for another excellent video!

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Glad to help!

[@PeterBetancourt]

I'm curious Kristin, are you building your own van? If so, would love to share pics and ideas. What model do you have?

[@jimhanty8149]

i just went through this brain twister about fusing the victron 150/100 charger.. it can be tricky... thanks fora great vid....it confirmed alot for me..

[@JMX246]

Great info - really well explained - thanks for posting !

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Bwanar1]

Excellent description as usual!

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@billc183]

Fantastic Video - very well done

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@KJC63]

This was great, and exactly what I needed....thank you so much for making the video. I'll be moving my 200amp fuse.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!

[@marlaineshirley7741]

Great tutorial. We have three 120AH lithium 12.8 V LiFePO4 Batteries what size fuse should I put 7 inches from my battery. We are using 2AWG wire to the batteries. We had planned to use a 270 fuse right at the battery terminal. Any help would be wonderful.

[@GadgetMan777]

Great videos on solar! To simplify, I'd just go with an all-in-one charger/inverter. All these modules is way more complicated.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

All of our systems including everything shown in this video use Inverter/Chargers like the Victron Multiplus. 👍🙂 If you want flexible solar charging options, DC DC Charging options, fuse block options, etc; all of 'these modules' are necessary. Modules = Flexibility

[@gavinfisher8049]

I have wired my lynx distributor with all 12V DC loads, inverter, solar controller, DCDC charger through the lynx as per your diagram. Being just A buss bar in effect you can have the main camper battery isolated but if your running a DCDC charger while car is running all the other hot being in a loop are live if fused being a buss bar. What are your thoughts on the idea to run the dcdc charger hot wire direct to the camper battery and bypassing the lynx distributor as the dcdc makes my 12v DC circuits live while driving so there is no isolation(unless I add a main switch after the lynx distributor ) Same goes for solar charger controller to run straight to battery as it has its own disconnect anyway and can charge batteries whilst all other loads are disconnected. We could still run both negatives from dcdc and solar controller to the neg buss bar for the cerbo to monitor values. Is this a viable option and see any issues doing it this way?

[@DJ-jx9mg]

In your DIY Sprinter Camper Van Electrical Install - Full Tutorial, your fuse is close to the discount switch. Not close to the batteries. I wired mine this way as well (following the video example). Seems fine. You share here standard is to be close to the source of power. Thoughts on having the fuse closer to the shutoff switch instead of the battery. I might be able to move mine, but right now it is in a good location for mounting. Positive/negative lines are equal distance. Thanks.

[@pavelmarchenko1348]

Hi Nate! The video is awesome (as always) but... Looks like the capacity of Lynx 1000 system and mega fuses are exceeding for campers needs. Al least for 48V systems. Ok, we can connect big battery bank to 3000VA inverter and protect it with megafuse. However if I would like to connect MPPT controller, let's say SmartSolar 150/35 we'll find that it has maximum wire gage 16 мм² / AWG6. It's something 80A or so. The problem is that the minimum rate of MEGA fuse I found is 125A/58V, which requires AWG4 cable. The same problem with step-down Orion-Tr's.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

This is a good example of why a 48V system doesn't make sense for a lot of applications. At shop.explorist.life, we'd rather get you a system that actually works for your needs instead of pigeon holing you into a specific battery bank voltage with no reason. Reach out if you need some personalized guidance if you're going to be buying your parts/kits/components from us: shop.explorist.life/support

[@randyschultz6594]

Great presentation. You covered everything very well. I guess for the 30a charge controller I better ensure I have wiring that can handle the 30 amps. In the case of a short neither the wire nor charge controller will care that there is 30amps of current, during a short.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Exactly. In all of our wiring kits w/ 30a chargers, we are using closer to 60A fuses w/ 6ga wire.

[@gonefilming2020]

Great video and explanation, Nate! 😊

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Thanks! 😃

[@gonefilming2020]

@@EXPLORISTlife I have two follow-up question though: 1. I use 3 separate 100Ah batteries with matching internal 100A (150A burst) rated BMSs. I can calculate proper wire sizes for length and load (450A max), but do I need to use a (300A) fuse with a slower reaction time to compensate for peak current flows? 2. If one of these batteries experiences a dead short (e.g. an accidental solid connection by a wrench between the positive and negative terminals), will the BMS shut down in time to prevent a violent reaction? Thanks in advance for your input and best regards from Germany!

[@PeterBetancourt]

As always, great content Nate. FYI, I had previously emailed you regarding my battery controller that was not working after getting a new phone and updating it with the Victron app… long story short I was able to reset the battery monitor after fully charging the batteries and resetting the controller. I purchased almost all of the electrical system through your site and now that my van is almost complete I would love to have you look at my system and get your thoughts. Thanks for all you do to help us DIY’s.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Sure! Send the pics of your system you want us to check to the email listed on the bottom of your receipts or start an order support ticket at shop.explorist.life/support

[@PeterBetancourt]

@@EXPLORISTlife Sounds great Nate! Been super busy with work and weather here has limited my time to finish up the van. I will work on sending the photos in the next several weeks. Thanks again for your videos and the support you give to us DIY's. You're the best!

[@christosmaninos1570]

Fantastic video explanation. Thanks for sharing.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Glad it was helpful!

[@guppie595]

Hello witch fuse should i uese for a 100 AMP lition battery. Greetings form the Nederlands

[@qquizz]

For the batteries, is the fuse for redundancy, since most quality batteries have built-in short circuit protection?

[@olivierhecht8022]

I think the first part of the video could be confusing to some people because you describe power flowing “through both wires”. DC circuits (almost all) flow power from the positive side of the power source, through the load, and then back through the ground. Yes there is power going through both wires, but the direction matters and you can’t really short circuit the ground side of the circuit. Clarifying that might help people who are confused about where to put the fuse to remember to always put it on the positive side of the circuit…

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Sure! That's a good way of thinking of it as well.

[@RealSenseChannel]

wouldn't a BMS protect the battery against overcharging, so would I need a fuse? I'm asking cause I made solar system for my Office, and I'm wondering if I need to add fuses, Based on your videos I will add to the inverter connections. I made a video about my set up, and I'm just wondering how I can improve it. Great Explanations by the way!

[@CBikeLondon]

Super clear, excellent video. Thank you

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mr.J345]

I currently have a blue sea main disconnect switch between Lynx power in and lynx distributer and the switch is getting hot. Should I replace it with a class t fuse or a blue sea 600amp switch? No loose connections just running 170a continuous I’ve read heats the switches up

[@wjhann4836]

Nate, as far as I can remember from boats: There is always a fuse right at the input (receptacle) at the stearn. I assume the thought is not to trust some unknown power outlet from outside. As another explanation: There are often bigger outlets in the shore box than my ship needs. So people have that (not legal) adapters from 50A plug to our 16A line into the boat. That box at start shall protect all the internal wiring - or is responsible for the internal wiring, not pretending on proper fusing outside.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

For sure! Marine shore power pedestals are subject to REALLY harsh salt-water environments that we don't see in campers. ABYC has a specific standard for that one: 11.10.2.5.3 Shore power systems shall have a main shore power disconnect circuit breaker. I f the location of the main shore power disconnect circuit breaker is in excess of 10 ft (three meters) from the shore power inlet or the electrical attachment point of a permanently installed shore power cord, additional fuses or circuit breakers shall be provided within 10 ft (three meters) of the inlet or attachment point to the electrical system of the boat. Measurement is made along the conductors.

[@wjhann4836]

@@EXPLORISTlife Thanks for this info - also valid here in Europe. I'm only wondering why there will be different rules for RV - for me technical the same.

[@gonefilming2020]

@@EXPLORISTlife Here in Germany (or Europe for that matter) it is MANDATORY BY LAW to add a fuse panel with a GFI 30mA circuit just beyond your external (land line) power feed into a van / motorhome. One should not trust any shoreline install to be properly wired or protected.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Great! Thanks for the insight. Add it for sure in that case.

[@redwood1957]

Nice video. your right solar gets confusing. So you do not need to fuse your solar panels on the out put of the solar panel? Now on the input side of the mppt you show an isolation switch. If I have two 200 watt panels feeding back to the 40 amp mppt controller. Each pael runing a pair of wires back, individually meaning 2 positives and 2 negatives one set per solar panel. Could I put them into a y solar connector fitting and then feed the mppt from the y fitting? As well i do not have to fuse the out put of the MPPT controller. Thank you

[@EXPLORISTlife]

If this video doesn't clear it up, perhaps just sticking with the plans/diagrams we've already pre-designed at shop.exploirst.life will be the safest route.

[@PeteLeuenberger]

What about including a fuse for each battery, in the event of a battery failure ?

[@craigj6277]

Excellent job, I like how reference the Reg’s.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Thanks!

[@leandrosphotostudio]

Niiice!! Greetings from copan ruinas, Honduras.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

👋👋

[@FMTFXE22]

Hi, great information videos. Thanks for all you share. Might you have a video on replacing the standard coach lead acid batteries with the new lithium ion batteries like battle born or another brand. I understand that it’s probably also important to change the standard issue converter / inverter in order to properly charge The lithium ion batteries. And also something called a shunt should be installed so that the battery condition can be monitored. Might you have a video showing how to do that? Thanks again.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

We have wiring diagrams for electrical upgrades in both 30a and 50a OEM RV's at www.explorist.life/solarwiringdiagrams We will have videos covering those by the end of 2023, so stay tuned!

[@mr.goldenrod291]

Informational video, but consider including source references (ABYC for example) in the video description. No mention of UL Standard 458. In any system that interconnects DC (which has the potential of “unlimited” amperage) to AC requires circuit protection because most AC wiring can’t handle DC amperage, thus creating a fire hazard. Many installers and DYIers disregard/don’t understand why the protection is required. Circuit protection is more than just fuse/breaker size. It’s also maximum amperage, and the ability to prevent and extinguish an arc.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

UL 458 doesn't pertain to "Where to place fuses" (the topic of this video). If you feel it does, though, that would be a great topic for you to make your own video on! 👍

[@charliejohnson5762]

Mr. G: UL 458 deals with power conversion devices. UL 489 and UL 1077 are the proper documents for OCPD.

[@anonymousrigdon879]

What do I need to set up for shore power? I’m not ready to set up solar

[@williambell8282]

I have seen a Victron video which instructed you to feed shorepower through a domestic AC breaker before being connected to a MultiPlus. Then the AC power out from the MultiPlus goes back through a domestic breaker before being distributed to AC sockets. This a new one on me. Up to then I had assumed that that the shore power cable went directly to the MultiPlus and then to the domestic breaker box. What do you think?

[@CJ30123]

The shore power connection is already on a breaker at the pedestal.

[@charliejohnson5762]

Experienced marine electricians consider the pedestal breaker as suspect and basically an on/off switch. This is the reason that ABYC requires OCPD within 10’ of the shore power inlet.

[@natecostello9201]

@@charliejohnson5762 This is the way.

[@charliejohnson5762]

@@natecostello9201 Sorry, I don't understand your comment.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Thanks all! I added some additional info/context to the pinned comment regarding this. Here's the copy/paste: A special note for you marine/boat/yacht users: ABYC requires overcurrent protection on the wire coming from your shore power inlet. This is because the shore power pedestals at marinas are subject to salty (corrosive) sea air and faulty breakers in the shore power pedestals are common. This is something we rarely see in the 'Camping' world and is why pretty much no OEM RV's on the road have a breaker on the shore power inlet wire. Here is the specific ABYC standard for that: 11.10.2.5.3 Shore power systems shall have a main shore power disconnect circuit breaker. If the location of the main shore power disconnect circuit breaker is in excess of 10 ft (three meters) from the shore power inlet or the electrical attachment point of a permanently installed shore power cord, additional fuses or circuit breakers shall be provided within 10 ft (three meters) of the inlet or attachment point to the electrical system of the boat. Measurement is made along the conductors.

[@wellyzz4963]

hi sir . how can we calculate the fuse size for 2 battery 200 ah. as sample in parralel

[@bobbeebobbee6998]

So every input source from solar panel solar blanket DC/DC need mppt current contrôler then fuse and then to the buss bar and breaker box exept the box 3000 w inverter who manage his own input and output right?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

I'm not quite following that summary. Perhaps watch it again to see where you need to put fuses.

[@olivierhecht8022]

Thanks for the overview…how do fuses built into batteries factor in? I assume they’re just extra protection for the small amount of wire between the battery and the main fuse in the system?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Those are 'usually' fused to protect the internal circuitry of the battery. Depending on how it's set up, it could protect the battery interconnect or battery to busbar wires give the fuse is less than the max ampacity of the wire. I don't really like/deal with/recommend those types of batteries, though, so for my system designs it doesn't really matter, personally.

[@cobster79]

Really great video and good explanation :) byt why do you have ground/chassis connection? as far i can se it wouldnt be a problem to make i a floating system, only that the dc/dc charger should be an isolated model :)

[@EXPLORISTlife]

A lack of chassis ground connection would make any GFCI outlet not function properly and would take away a good 'return' path of current in the event of a catastrophic system failure.

[@kevinanderson9243]

Could you do a wiring schematic for 4 Heliene 360watt panels going into 2 Renogy Rover 40A charge controllers? I split the array bc the controllers are rated at 1040 watts for a 24v battery bank ...3 panels are 1080 watts so I split them into 2 groups of 2. I'm wiring a camper so for the purpose of weight distribution I put 6 batteries over the left axle and across the hall I put 6 batteries over the right side of the axle. The batteries are 55ah gel batteries with each pair wired in series then in parallel with the next pair for 3 sets of 2 batteries then connected to the other group of 6 batteries across the hall...wire length between the 2 groups approximately 6 feet. All series/parallel connections are done with 6 awg wire. The panels have the following tolerances... 360 watts Voltage MPP-37.3 Current MPP-9.65 VOC-45.3 Current SC -10.18 Max System Rating-1000V Fuse Rating-15A Thank you for taking the time to look this over. Cheers

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Here is a video that will show you how to wire multiple solar arrays/charge controllers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGG4c2qCj7uXq80

[@saintb6969]

Awesome video!

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Thanks!

[@olivierbourgeois3230]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. I was wondering, do you recommand any AWG Gauge Size Chart that would match your calculator? I tried to compare with the Blue Sea chart and for some reason, in some cases it doesnt seem to match my findings. So, maybe I'm missing something. I like the shortcuts that your calculator provides but I also want to understand better. Thanks :-)

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Sure! The ABYC wire sizer app is the one I use to cross-reference.

[@olivierbourgeois3230]

@@EXPLORISTlife thanks Nate! Ill look in to it. Looking forward for the rest of your build!! :-)

[@charliejohnson5762]

Nate: Good video but……..ABYC requires OCPD within 10’ of the shore power inlet. We simply don’t trust the pedestal breaker in the marine environment. Further, that “unprotected” 10’ of wire inside the boat has some very specific requirements levied on it to ensure it’s physical integrity and to mitigate the possibility of a short circuit.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Great! For sure! That has been something I've gone back and forth on because we rarely have faulty shore power pedestals in campgrounds like you boat/yacht guys do in the marine world since our shore power pedestals aren't subject to salty sea air. I'll add that info and the related standard to the pinned comment for those watching these videos for marine installations. Thanks Charlie!

[@psl53]

I have a very simple electrical system. I have a 30 amp solar controller that I've placed a 30 amp fuse within 7" of the positive output of the controller. I also have my converter at the rear and Batteries up front that has a 4 awg wire running to the battery that I believe will carry current to the Batteries for charging, but also carry the current from the batteries to the 12v distribution panel. Why wouldn't want a fuse at either end to limited the amount of power. I should never have more than 50 amps running through this wire.

[@psl53]

Think I have it, The solar controller and Convert/charger are self-limiting. I'll fuse the loads individually and fuse the unlimited power battery bank. Thanks

[@salvadorblascogonga8204]

Para hacer un camión vivienda taller de 5Kw de inversor que sería mejor , un regulador y batería o inversor contado junto?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/plans-and-diagrams/solar-wiring-diagrams/400-1400ah-battery-bank-quattro-5000w-24v-inverter-dc-dc-charger-wiring-diagram/

[@webbandito]

what software do you use to do you diagram

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Microsoft Visio. I will say, though, that I've made most of the small graphics over the last few years from taking caliper measurements and then making the illustration; so most of the graphics are natively built into Visio. Also worth noting that we have wiring kits based on our diagrams over at shop.explorist.life if you'd rather leave the diagramming to us.

[@Stevemcqueen808]

is it better for battery balance to have all + and - leads running to respective buss bars?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Not necessarily, no.

[@Stevemcqueen808]

@@EXPLORISTlife assuming 6x 100ah lipo4 batteries in parallel. Would the first battery take more wear? Or do the 6x on board BMS manage this? I'm currently about to wire mine up and I've been stuck on this bus bar consideration for better balancing.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

@Stevemcqueen808 perhaps you’ll find the pre designed systems we have on our store shop.explorist.life helpful to help you put your mind at ease in regards to system design.

[@edmor1086]

I wonder if the victron charge controller has a way to sense a short circuit and turn off

[@EXPLORISTlife]

It does not, no.

[@OffGridLivingEspana]

good stuff appreciated

[@1unihipili]

Question!!! What brand and type of assorted washers do you use? Ty.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Just general use washers? Whatever is cheap at the local hardware store.

[@1unihipili]

Thx. I thought maybe it would not be cheap. Everything that you have used is quality and expensive. I' m good though if cheap is good with you. Thx again.

[@richardthames661]

I was curious can I just pay you guys for a wiring diagram

[@EXPLORISTlife]

We have diagrams available for each of our systems we have pre designed over at shop.explorist.life

[@ErwinDay-oq1sf]

I did the power audit. Results suggested I add a 400W system with a 3000W Inverter and 200 Ahr battery bank. Spent A LOT of money on components. Have a 270 Ahr Battle Born BBGC3 battery with Victron MultilPlus 12/3000 Inverter. Of course first thing I discover after purchase when I read the manual, Page 8, "recommended battery capacity (Ah) 400 - 1200. The MultiPlus Quick istallation guide shows a frame with a main battery and trickle battery going to the inverter. Adding a 100 AH battery would get me to 370 Ah. That's close to 400 Ar. I am broke. Any ideas?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Batteries in the same battery bank must be the same size; so you'll need to either add an additional 270Ah battery or return that one and go with 4x100Ah batteries to get to that 400Ah minimum.

[@ErwinDay-oq1sf]

@@EXPLORISTlife this was my thoughts as well. I returned to where I purchased the system. Salesmans assured me that the 270Ah battery was sufficient for the Multiplus 12/3000 to work and further said he would call Battleborn Battery rep to confirm this. Should I be wary of his statements?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

@@ErwinDay-oq1sf I'm not comfortable with discrediting the way another company does business. All I can share is what we do within our own business which is based on years of building these systems with 1,000's of successful builds behind us and the understanding that both Battle Born and Victron Energy contract us to teach about these systems. Would love to have you as our customer in the future so we can make sure you get what you need. Ultimately, whoever you buy your equipment from is responsible for providing tech support and any warranty repairs/exchanges, so if they are willing to back up those two things on a purposefully undersized battery bank, that's on them.

[@wademchenry1560]

Can you do some videos on EMP protection?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Like "how to fold a tin-foil hat" type of videos? 😂🤣 jk jk. I don't know much about EMP protection, so those videos are pretty low on the priority list.

[@rjthomasindyusa]

I’m kind of concerned about having a big electrical system in a big metal box (van) myself. Especially since I will be sleeping right over the top of it....

[@Maxtcee1]

Hey been watching your channel for quite sometime and I'm currently doing my catamaran but I'm at a information overload right now. Would love your help if you got time

[@EXPLORISTlife]

For sure! I've made all kinds of videos here on this channel that 'help'. Or if you have a question, you can always leave it here in the comments section and I'll point you in the right direction. Unfortunately, I don't have time for 1 on 1 consulting or installation services and still run this channel , if that's what you were getting at.

[@Maxtcee1]

@@EXPLORISTlife currently Im adding four 545w mono half to the three 160w mono that came with the boat. I'm connecting each 545s to separate 100/50 MPPT and the 160s to 1 mppt. Replacing the 4 amg house batteries for four 330ah lithium batteries and keeping 2 amg starter batteries which will be connected to 4 Orion DC to DC chargers. I'm also adding another 12/2000 multi to the one that came with the boat which is where I'm getting stuck at . Not sure if I should run them in parallel or series. Right now we keep tripping the breaker if we run the heat and microwave or kettle and microwave. So what would be my best option as to be able to use everything without tripping breakers ?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

If both units are feeding the same 'phase' of the breaker box, you'll want to set them up in parallel. If you have a split phase (L1 and L2) breaker box, you'll want to set them up in split phase. If both your microwave and your kettle and you heater are all on the same side/phase of the breaker box, that might be a breaker box limitation if that's where the breakers are tripping. I don't have any specific videos about any of this, but that is the direction I'd recommend you investigate.

[@Maxtcee1]

@@EXPLORISTlife hey thanks for the response, so the breaker that actually trips is from the shore power on the marina side . I believe it's a 30amp breaker which is weird because my inverter is an 80amp inverter.

[@fightswithspirits915]

Some folks say negative wires need fuse s and cut-off protection. Any idea why?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

It's just a different way/method of designing systems. It's pretty atypical, though, and is not how I design systems. I've looked into it before, and there are too many 'gotchas' for me to be comfortable with a negative switched/fused system and, I believe, is not allowed by ABYC.

[@ErwinDay-oq1sf]

Can I start the Multiplus 12/3000, with Orion TR DC - DC charger using default settings temporarily until I get a MK3 to USB connector to download software for programming the inverter?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

You could turn it on; but I wouldn't power any loads or try to charge from shore.

[@ErwinDay-oq1sf]

@@EXPLORISTlife Thanx

[@simon359]

Can you use two fuses for the batteries, one on the terminal and one before the power cut off battery switch? 🖖

[@EXPLORISTlife]

What additional protection do you feel that would offer?

[@simon359]

@@EXPLORISTlife In case one didn’t blow the other one might?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Adding redundancies like that is not necessary if you are using high-quality and appropriately sized fuses.

[@daniellel256]

Nate, another great video. As a follow up, can you discuss the different fuses, ANL versus a T fuse. Why use one instead of another? Where to use what type of fuses? Thanks for all the work you guys put into these videos.

[@theadley2002]

If I have a 200 amp hour battery bank. What size main fuse would I need?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

It depends on what loads you are running and what wire sizes you are using. search back a bit on our channel for 'how to size wires' and 'how to size fuses' videos. Or visit www.explorist.life/solarwiringdiagrams for more specific examples

[@CJ30123]

Why does a 100 amp fuse protect the DC block when using 6awg wire? 6 gauge wire isn't rated for 100 amps.

[@noxikid]

Because fuse heats up and blows out faster than a wire. So if you'll have 95 amps short circuit, it could not protect it right. But shorts are often conduct much more power than a wire can handle for few seconds.

[@CJ30123]

@@noxikid uhh...thats not how circuit protection works lol. You use a fuse/breaker designed to protect the max amp load a wire can hold safely. 100 amps is like 30 amps past what 6awg is rated for. Its just a mistake. We dont have to do PR work for Explorist. Everyone fucks up.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

No mistake there. 🙂 6ga wire with 105 degree insulation is rated for 120A.

[@davidgreen9957]

Why not use MRBF Terminal Fuses?

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Those are great fuses as well! We have those in our "smaller" systems where we can use 300A fuses (since the largest MRBF fuse is only 300A): shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/camper-wiring-kits/complete-wiring-kits/wiring-diagram-kits/200-1000ah-battery-bank-multiplus-2k-12v-orion-12-12-30-wiring-diagram-kit/

[@markjackson6829]

I'm sorry, but you can protect the wiring of a 30A charge controller very close to it with a 35-40 amp circuit breaker or fuse, with the proper wire size! As I have done many time in the past, nothing is unprotectable with the correct knowledge!

[@EXPLORISTlife]

No you can't. A 30A charge controller will NEVER NEVER NEVER put out enough current to trip a 40A breaker. Remember, mark, just because "you've done it" doesn't mean it's correct. You can always change your thinking to something more correct. Hope this helps clear up your confusion. I encourage you to re-watch this video from the viewpoint of learning instead of arguing and sharing incorrect information.

[@markjackson6829]

@@EXPLORISTlife OK, re-watched video, and now I agree, and will stop adding a circuit breaker in that position, thanks!

[@alanday5255]

Sadly I wish people would stick to the title content.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

We do. Thanks for watching

[@DannyNomad]

Fuses? I don't need no stinking fuses. Hey guys, is it warm in here? Why's it all smokey now?

[@jeffkurowski638]

Dont fuses go in a fuse holder.

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Yes, absolutely!

[@HoveyFarms]

Your website on a mobile device is kinda a pain in the ass ngl

[@EXPLORISTlife]

It's getting an update as we speak.

[@rocrat8671]

A solar controller or a dc/dc charger is no different to a battery , it should have circuit protection. You can say a battery is a self limited power source as well , just much bigger then an mppt controller or dc/dc charger . Take a look at all the suggested install diagrams from Victron energy which you use a lot

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Hey there, champ! You sure are confidentially incorrect. 🙂👍 If what you are saying was true, the system that Victron contracted me to design and install in their tour trailer last year was incorrectly installed. You'd think they would have corrected me if I were wrong. Fun fact: you can find some of my diagrams published on the Victron website if you know where to look. Hope this helps clear up your confusion, buddy!

[@EXPLORISTlife]

But actually, how about this. You can install a fuse on both end of the wire if you like. The rest of us will do it correctly.

[@charliejohnson5762]

@ Roc Rat: You are interpreting the standards incorrectly. A battery’s available short circuit current is vastly, like really vastly greater than a charging source. For instance, a Lifeline 4D has ASCC of 5800A. A 120A alternator can only output 120A, even in a short circuit condition.

[@rocrat8671]

@@charliejohnson5762 Charlie , what difference does it make if it’s 5800 A or 120A it should still be protected , look at a tig welder , you can melt metal at 11vdc and 50A , the question is can you afford a dead short without any circuit protection? Most people can’t

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Roc... you can't protect a dead short on a current limited device. You are going to need to stop spreading misinformation. I'm just going to have to start deleting your comments until you take the time to educate yourself. Thanks for the additional insight and example, Charlie!

[@MicheleHeinyScott]

Excellent explanation!!

[@EXPLORISTlife]

Thanks for watchibg! 🙂🙌