12V wiring question (adding a 12V socket and a USB charger port)

[White Shadow]

I'm planning on adding a Blue Sea Systems 4363 panel that has a 12V socket as well as a dual-USB charger. I'm thinking I'd like to install it in that small cabinet that currently has the TV Gain Control. Since that TV Gain Control is no longer used, I was thinking of simply taking the wires off of it and plugging them into the new Blue Sea panel. According to the wiring diagram from my 2005 320DA the wires feeding this are #'s 563 & 564 and they are 16 gauge that have been spliced off of wires #592 & 593 which are 10 gauge. This splice would only be about 3 or 4 feet away (probably not even that far). I plan on using the 12V socket for a Camco 550 Fridge/Freezer which according to the manufacturer will only draw 5 amps (and that's peak). The dual USB ports would be used for charging phones and the ports are 2.1 amp (and are fused with a 2 amp fuse in behind). I believe even of this whole thing was totally maxed out it would be drawing less than 10 amps. According to ABYC standards a 16 gauge wire could handle 10 amps up to 20 feet in length. Would I be OK with this setup? I'm not sure if I need to account for the length of only the 16 gauge section of wire, or if I also need to account for the 10 gauge wire (which could handle 10 amps up to 100 feet). Or should I consider getting some 10 gauge wire and splicing it in back with the existing 10 gauge wires where these 16 gauge ones are spliced in? Note that the switch on the Blue Sea panel is actually a 15 amp circuit breaker.

 

[Skybolt]

You should consider a 12ga wire for this application. 16ga at that length is only ~8 amps continuous.

 

[White Shadow]

You should consider a 12ga wire for this application. 16ga at that length is only ~8 amps continuous.

Thanks @Skybolt - so are you suggesting a 12 gauge wire run back to the splice point where the existing 16 ga meets with the 10 ga?

 

[Skybolt]

Thanks @Skybolt - so are you suggesting a 12 gauge wire run back to the splice point where the existing 16 ga meets with the 10 ga?

Yes, that would be best.

These may help in that connection:

Amazon.com

 

[White Shadow]

Well I pulled apart the Galley TV area trying to find wires and that 12 TV Receptacle shown in the wiring diagram. No luck finding that 12V TV receptacle (I don't think it exists). There is not a whole lot of room to work in and around there either. I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that there is no easy way of getting into wherever those splices are in order to splice into the 10GA wire. On a side note I discovered that the wires leading to the TV Gain Control that I want to use are actually labelled as SAE 14GA which I understand are about the equivalent of an AWG 16GA.

I'm wondering if I am overthinking this (which I tend to do a lot). I just looked at the cord provided with the new fridge and it is a 16GA wire. If the manufacturer is content with a 16GA wire, then maybe I should be as well? I'm back to thinking about simply using those existing wires (SAE 14GA). Perhaps as an added safety measure I will throw in an inline fuse - maybe 10Amp or 7.5Amp?

As always I'd be happy to hear any feedback and thoughts on this.

 

[bbwhitejr]

Just a thought...behind the electrical panel in the 420 DA we had, were fuses for the CO detectors and the gain controller for the Glomex. They were very low amps like 3 amp fuses I believe.

Bennett

 

[White Shadow]

On the 320DA the CO detector is on a separate dedicated circuit with a 1amp fuse. This gain controller is definitely wired in on the circuit for powering the TV - I just can’t get to where they spliced it in. Well I might be able to but that may involve a sawzall or something along those lines.

I’m just trying to find the “easy” way to do this, but I should know better - there’s no such thing as “easy” on a boat.