Electrical Q: Blue Sea Fuse Block

Hi All,

I have a switchpro but still have too many wires directly connected to my accessory (2nd) battery. So to clean things up, I thought the blue sea fuse block would be a good idea. However, the blue sea unit obviously needs fuses to function. All of the wires I have already have those inline fuses. So do I just add another of the same amp fuse to the blue sea? There is no way I'm cutting those in line fuses out of my ARB items. Should I scrap this solution in favor of another? If so, what product should I be using?

 

Typically you cut out the inline fuse and re-terminate the wire with an appropriately sized #8 or #10 ring terminal. You then place the appropriate size fuse in the Blue Sea fuse block. However, note that the Blue Sea fuse block has a maximum fuse size of 30A, so I doubt your ARB (compressor?) will be able to run through it.

I'm not an electrician, but I don't believe there would be any issue with leaving the inline fuse in place, and then putting the same size fuse in the block. However, I don't think the existing ARB ring terminals will fit in the block (too big).

Good luck!

 

If you don't want to cut wires and reroute to a fuse block, get a terminal distribution block. One cable goes to the battery and your smaller wires attach to the distribution block.

Personally, I think rewiring everything to an aux fuse panel would look better. But, I do use one of these as a ground distribution block on my trailer.

 

I have run across a prior installation that had several wires with inline fuse holders going to a fuse block. The inline fuse holders had the fuse component replaced by a hollow "dummy" fuse. Basically just a copper tube of the diameter of the original fuse. I didn't really understand why until now. This might be the use case for you as well. I'm not sure if they are commercially available but I think if you found the right sized copper tubing they could be fabricated.

 

just found these too. thanks for the idea.
https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/18/6/BusBars/MaxiBus

 

thanks for the idea, sounds a little bit like a fire to me though.

 

True that. Although I think you just have to pick your poison - fuse at the point of distribution or fuse inline after a distribution block. I don't think having two fuses in the circuit buys you twice the protection

Kinda like the guy that jumps out of the plane with a chute on his back. But he also keeps a chute on the ground as a backup.