Negative bus

[MaasGuy]

Hi there everyone….Recently repaired by crane hoist and in the process I noticed a negative bus that has one bolt with multiple negative leads stacked on it. Is this normal practice or should it be an actual bus bar? There is some corrosion on it that I need to take care of but not sure if I should put it back like this or get a bar. Thanks for any info!

 

[Comodave]

Per ABYC you are allowed 4 connections on a post. Can’t tell how many you have there. I certainly would clean them up. And then spray them with Boeshield to keep them clean. You could go with a bus bar but if you do get one rated for the load.

 

[MaasGuy]

Per ABYC you are allowed 4 connections on a post. Can’t tell how many you have there. I certainly would clean them up. And then spray them with Boeshield to keep them clean. You could go with a bus bar but if you do get one rated for the load.

Thank you….I will certainly count how many are on there and use boeshield….PO had some sort of red goop on a lot of the connections on the boat that had some sort of inhibitor but it’s all hard and nasty now.

 

[twistedtree]

It's a bit hard to tell from the picture, but that looks like it might be a shunt for an ammeter or battery monitor. If you can get more of a side view, does it look like this?

 

[MaasGuy]

It's a bit hard to tell from the picture, but that looks like it might be a shunt for an ammeter or battery monitor. If you can get more of a side view, does it look like this?

Similar….I’m going to pull it all apart tomorrow and I’ll find out….I do have some gremlins I have to figure out

 

[fgarriso]

New bus bar with some additional spaces.

 

[Comodave]

It could be a shunt. If there are more than 4 connections then I would add a heavy duty bus bar close by and run a heavy cable from the new bus bar to the shunt.

 

[mvweebles]

Is it just me, or does this look like one of those 'tip-of-the-iceberg' type projects?

Given the heft of the cables, guessing you should go to a full 600A capacity bus bar. Match the terminal studs - looks like 3/8" diameter? While I like Blue Sea for almost anything electric, Victron has started to offer bus bars with a cover. Also, zoom-in on the ends and you'll see small-screw connections for the smaller diameter wires on your birds-nest.

https://a.co/d/7JCePbt

It's a lonely thrill but few things give more satisfaction to me than getting rid of messy wiring.

Peter

 

[twistedtree]

If it is just a common negative junction point, then I agree that a buss bar would be a good addition. But I'm pretty sure it's a shunt on the negative. Notice how one terminal has only a single big cable, presumably the one that goes to the batteries, and the other terminal is stacked with cables. That's how you need to wire a shunt, where if it were just a small buss bar, wouldn't you spread out the cables more across the two terminals?


Even if it is a shunt, it would probably benefit from a buss bar to gather the negatives, then a single connection to the shunt.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. mv. Re: your post #8. "...lonely thrill...". On the contrary, cleaning up messy wiring is but one of my joys whilst boat working. Even though I make use of them, wire ties/tie wraps are one of the sources of frustration. There's always that ONE wire that is fastened in an inaccessible location. Tie wrapped to a steering cable or water pipe. You know the one. That ONE wire that runs behind the battery charger or water heater.



OK, I've got all the wiring neatly bundled and in place BUT...uh, oh, I've got this extra wire(s) I either forgot or added. Take everything apart and start over...

 

[AlanT]

It could be a shunt. If there are more than 4 connections then I would add a heavy duty bus bar close by and run a heavy cable from the new bus bar to the shunt.

+1 Even if only 4 connections I would still add a bus bar as insurance for future expansion needs.
~A

 

[MaasGuy]

Is it just me, or does this look like one of those 'tip-of-the-iceberg' type projects?

Given the heft of the cables, guessing you should go to a full 600A capacity bus bar. Match the terminal studs - looks like 3/8" diameter? While I like Blue Sea for almost anything electric, Victron has started to offer bus bars with a cover. Also, zoom-in on the ends and you'll see small-screw connections for the smaller diameter wires on your birds-nest.

https://a.co/d/7JCePbt

It's a lonely thrill but few things give more satisfaction to me than getting rid of messy wiring.

Peter

This certainly is “tip of the iceberg” stuff…..going to take awhile to go through everything….funny thing is the first owner of this boat was Blue Sea Systems….it has some very nice equipment but subsequent owners seem to have added a lot of wiring and not removed any of the old stuff.

 

[Bmarler]

This certainly is “tip of the iceberg” stuff…..going to take awhile to go through everything….funny thing is the first owner of this boat was Blue Sea Systems….it has some very nice equipment but subsequent owners seem to have added a lot of wiring and not removed any of the old stuff.

That’s typical. Installers don’t want to spend the time to clean out the old, just hook up the new and get the heck out of there.
I’ve taken cart loads of wire off of older boats. It’s shameful how much abandoned wire people leave. Sometimes still hooked up to power and dead ended. Fire hazard.

 

[Comodave]

On our previous boat there was a 6 gauge positive and negative wire run up to the flybridge and hanging in the air not hooked to anything. When I traced it back it was wired directly into the batteries with no overcurrent protection. Not good…

 

[Southern Boater]

Have to agree with the last few comments, I’ve had wires still connected to power supplies, and just cut ends with no insulation, incredible what you find in wiring looms.
As mentioned previously, even after ripping out what seems like miles of old co-axe from TV antenna’s, the reduced bulk in the wiring conduits and the below helm distribution areas is quite satisfying

 

[Comodave]

Yes, getting rid of obsolete wires can be a big benefit when you want to pull more new wires through a chase. Also using wire pulling lubricant.

 

[twistedtree]

I think one reason old wires don't get pulled out, other than simple time and cost, is that many are secured in bundles with other wires with clamps and or zip ties that are difficult or impossible to access. This is especially true for wiring installed when the boat was built. Even if you are willing to spend the time, sometimes it's just no possible to get it out.

 

[SteveK]

I think one reason old wires don't get pulled out, other than simple time and cost, is that many are secured in bundles with other wires with clamps and or zip ties that are difficult or impossible to access. This is especially true for wiring installed when the boat was built. Even if you are willing to spend the time, sometimes it's just no possible to get it out.

I agree. Easy access wires no longer needed, no problem, but then dead wired in hidden location remain. Any ends not used should be depowered and tagged with why they are not connected, or where the other end may be.

 

[Southern Boater]

I think one reason old wires don't get pulled out, other than simple time and cost, is that many are secured in bundles with other wires with clamps and or zip ties that are difficult or impossible to access. This is especially true for wiring installed when the boat was built. Even if you are willing to spend the time, sometimes it's just no possible to get it out.

Yes indeed, this also goes for old rubber hose plumbing, zip tied secured from factory behind a solid GRP shower enclosure, never to be removed without serious destruction of the unit.

 

[Comodave]

Yes indeed, this also goes for old rubber hose plumbing, zip tied secured from factory behind a solid GRP shower enclosure, never to be removed without serious destruction of the unit.

Jig saw blade taped on a stick to cut the old inaccessible tie wraps.

 

[Southern Boater]

Jig saw blade taped on a stick to cut the old inaccessible tie wraps.

I like that idea, cheers

 

[Comodave]

The only problem then is that you might unsecure some other wires too but it does work for removing tie wraps.