solar system fuse(s)?

G

genehelfman

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2024
Messages
14
Fluid Motion Model
R-27 (Outboard)
Can;t find it (them) and want to know where to look. The wiring diagram indicates a 30 amp fuse. Are there more than one, e.g. a separate fuse associated with the MPPT controller? I have checked all 4 blade fuses on the small wires near the starter and house battery terminals. Thanks
 
genehelfman said:
Can;t find it (them) and want to know where to look. The wiring diagram indicates a 30 amp fuse. Are there more than one, e.g. a separate fuse associated with the MPPT controller? I have checked all 4 blade fuses on the small wires near the starter and house battery terminals. Thanks
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Need to know what boat you have, what year, and whether you have Lithium batteries or AGM batteries. The answer will vary based on the boat you have.
 
genehelfman said:
AGM
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2023 would have either a MPPT or PWM style solar controller. If you have the MPPT solar controller, it'l be in the cave and be easily visible. If it's not there, it's a PWM style solar controller in the cockpit starboard lazarette, aft.

In both instances, you'll find a 30 amp ATC/Blade style fuse, in a fuse holder, on the engine battery and on the house battery. There is no fuse between the controller and the solar panels.

What you're looking for is this, the wire will have a label that says "solar" on it.
IMG_8829.jpeg
 
Thanks, again. I had found that and checked it and it was okay. I was expecting something closer to the controller.
 
genehelfman said:
Thanks, again. I had found that and checked it and it was okay. I was expecting something closer to the controller.
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ABYC standards, fuses need to go as close to the battery as possible as that’s the true source of power.
 
worth knowing. BTW: after I located the SOLAR HOUSE fuse holder, I discovered its wire was attached to the thruster battery positive stud, and the wire and fuse holder labeled THRUSTER were attached to the House batteries. This may explain why the solar panels aren't charging our house batteries and the thruster batter is always fully charged.Now to just disconnect/reconnect without blowing anything up.
 
genehelfman said:
worth knowing. BTW: after I located the SOLAR HOUSE fuse holder, I discovered its wire was attached to the thruster battery positive stud, and the wire and fuse holder labeled THRUSTER were attached to the House batteries. This may explain why the solar panels aren't charging our house batteries and the thruster batter is always fully charged.Now to just disconnect/reconnect without blowing anything up.
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When I do battery work, I will use electrical tape to cover the lugs (positive and negative) as a precaution to help prevent an accidental short/arc welding experiment.

Electrical tape is less expensive.

It’s also important to label the cables if you are unsure where they go or what they are for.
 
Submariner said:
ABYC standards, fuses need to go as close to the battery as possible as that’s the true source of power.
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ABYC also states that larger amp draw needs to be at the bottom of the stack
 
thanks! I will label all wires, pull fuses, tape lugs, and move things to where I hope they're supposed to be.
 
2023 R27: Follow up just in case any else encounters our situation of solar panels working but house batteries not getting charged. Apparently the factory wired things wrong, ran the SOLAR HOUSE wire to the thruster battery and the THRUSTER CHARGE wire to the house batteries. We switched things around the house batteries immediately started "filling up," going frpom 82% (according to Victron) late yesterday to 94% early this a.m. Thanks again to ChannelSurfing and others who joined in. I notified the factory but hope ours was a one-off.
wrong fuse wires_.JPG
 
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