Simple wiring help please

Discussion in 'OnBoard Electronics & Controls' started by Kinchasa, Apr 10, 2010.

  1. Kinchasa
    Joined: Apr 2010
    Posts: 2
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Florida

    Kinchasa New Member

    I have a 26' pontoon boat that I got for free. I am down to the electronics and motor. I need some help with the basic electronics since this is not a strong point for me. I have wired the boat using all 14/2 tinned wire, and I used a 6 switch panel with 15 amp fuses at each switch. A bus bar is 4" from the panel with all negatives tied in. The boat is wired as such:

    Switch #1 has a bow light and the wire is 8' in length amp draw unknown
    Switch #2 has a stern light and the wire is 8' in length amp draw unknown
    Switch #3 has 5 courtesy lights in series wire is 16' in length .4 amps per light
    Switch #4 is the same as switch #3
    Switch #5 has a live well pump 500 gph wire is 6' in length amp draw unknown
    Switch #6 has a horn wire length 8' amp draw less than 1
    Battery cable is 10' from battery to panel.

    The boat came with 10 gauge battery cables, but when i connect the battery to the panel only the bow & stern lights work. The courtesy lights immediately burn the fuses, and the pump and horn don't work at all but the fuses seem fine. I took great care in all connections, and am confident it's not that.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
     
  2. alan white
    Joined: Mar 2007
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    Location: maine

    alan white Senior Member

    Soundsd rather mysterious. My suggestion is you go through one circuit at a time. If the wire color is the same for each pole, that can cause a lot of confusion. If so, use a meter to make sure the polarity is correct and then label both ends with colored tape. With DC current the wires are not reversable.
    The courtesy lights should be connected in parallel, not series (unless you meant something else).
     
  3. Kinchasa
    Joined: Apr 2010
    Posts: 2
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    Location: Florida

    Kinchasa New Member

    My 14/2 is colored black & red. Black is hot red is negative. All accessories are wired as such. Each courtesy light has roughly 3' between breaks, at which is a light, and 2 14/2 connections for continuance with the start and end being 1 run of 14/2. So 5 connections, 1 starter, and 1 to panel with an overall wire length of 15 - 16'.
     

  4. alan white
    Joined: Mar 2007
    Posts: 3,730
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    Location: maine

    alan white Senior Member

    With DC circuits, red is hot. It's opposite of AC coloring, which uses black for hot. First switch the wires, in case anyone else works on the circuits. If you connected to color coded connections at the fuse panel, your wiring is reversed!
    Do you know the difference between a series circuit and a parallel circuit?
    Each light should tap into the two continuous circuit wires so that snipping a branch wire makes no difference to the remainder of the circuit. Sorry if you may have already said, just confusing to read what you wrote.
     
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