A question for Haydn and the electrical techies

[Velocette]

Hi
Teenmal
Ingenious....but I prefer to run a new supply where possible, rather than overload an existing cable!....
It might be a quick fix for the Willinton problem with switching part of the alarm system onto the leisure battery...one alarm unit and split supplies sounds like disaster!..
Cheers
Helen

Hi,I am very sorry but I dont have a clue what you are talking about,and these coolant alarms by design should have very little draw.

All the circuits on that row are "split" at that point. With the tap in you are splitting the supply nine ways instead of eight. As long as the new circuit plus the existing one don't exceed what each terminal on the fuseboard is rated at or with the existing equipment, the total designed load for the whole row there can be no real problem. It is only like using a piggy back spade connector to pick up a feed, that is what this sort of fuseboard is to all intents and purposes, a bank of female spade connectors in double rows. The only thing that would blow the alarm fuse in practice would be a dead short I would think and that will blow any fuse you choose.

[Velocette]

Hi
Teenmal
Ingenious....but I prefer to run a new supply where possible, rather than overload an existing cable!....
It might be a quick fix for the Willinton problem with switching part of the alarm system onto the leisure battery...one alarm unit and split supplies sounds like disaster!..
Cheers
Helen

Hi,I am very sorry but I dont have a clue what you are talking about,and these coolant alarms by design should have very little draw.

All the circuits on that row are "split" at that point. With the tap in you are splitting the supply nine ways instead of eight. As long as the new circuit plus the existing one don't exceed what the donor terminal is rated at, or with the existing equipment, the total designed load for the whole row there can be no real problem. It is only like using a piggy back spade connector to pick up a feed, that is what this sort of fuseboard is to all intents and purposes, a bank of female spade connectors in double rows. The only thing that would blow the alarm fuse in practice would be a dead short I would think and that will blow any fuse you choose.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Teenmal...
Sorry, I'd forgotten the thread..deepest apologies...I had just been looking at some wiring for a car alarm, and it was still in my head..."alarm"....
Eric...
Yes...just like piggybacking...I rarely do that...but, hey...I've ordered 5 of those "taps" on the off chance...I am going to try to rewire the Jeep radio...all the fuses work in the fusebox, but the panel light in the radio doesn't work...that's on 2 Jeep radios!...apparently it's a common Jeep problem, so I reckon the module on the front with all the tuning info, and the indicators for the tape player and CD player doesn't work....The buttons all illuminate, so it's a local fault, and I'll see if I can isolate the circuit, and tap a live off one of the fusebox fuses and feed direct!

Anyway...with my LCA, I just soldered a lea d in behind the binnacle somewhere, and used amalgamating tape
Cheers
Helen

[Velocette]

Yes to be fair, the LCA doesn't need its own fuse, It is just a neat accessible way of getting a feed in the right area IMO. The main advantage is if your whatever fails and blows its fuse, your coolant alarm is still supplied on its own way.

[tallbongo]

Yes to be fair, the LCA doesn't need its own fuse, It is just a neat accessible way of getting a feed in the right area IMO. The main advantage is if your whatever fails and blows its fuse, your coolant alarm is still supplied on its own way.

I'm afraid this is not good advice. While the coolant alarm (or any other electrical item) is functioning properly all will be fine. It's when things fail unexpectedly that fuses do their job. Should it fail with a short circuit you'll be wishing it had been fused.

[tallbongo]

Yes to be fair, the LCA doesn't need its own fuse, It is just a neat accessible way of getting a feed in the right area IMO. The main advantage is if your whatever fails and blows its fuse, your coolant alarm is still supplied on its own way.

I'm afraid this is not good advice. While the coolant alarm (or any other electrical item) is functioning properly all will be fine. It's when things fail unexpectedly that fuses do their job. Should it fail with a short circuit you'll be wishing it had been fused.

Not having one of Haydn's alarms, I may be talking nonsense here. Is it internally fused? If so, please excuse and ignore the above.

[Simon Jones]

It's not internally fused, but as with all electrical accessories it should be fitted to a fused supply. That's why I fitted mine to the instrument panel supply which is switched with the ignition and completely isolated from the leisure battery.

[tallbongo]

Yes to be fair, the LCA doesn't need its own fuse, It is just a neat accessible way of getting a feed in the right area IMO. The main advantage is if your whatever fails and blows its fuse, your coolant alarm is still supplied on its own way.

Apologies - on re-reading you were recommending that the LCA be fused, independently which is best. It's more than a neat accessible way of getting a feed. It is common sense to give it it's own independent fuse, both for the reason you state and in case the LCA should fail.

[Velocette]

Yes to be fair, the LCA doesn't need its own fuse, It is just a neat accessible way of getting a feed in the right area IMO. The main advantage is if your whatever fails and blows its fuse, your coolant alarm is still supplied on its own way.

Apologies - on re-reading you were recommending that the LCA be fused, independently which is best. It's more than a neat accessible way of getting a feed. It is common sense to give it it's own independent fuse, both for the reason you state and in case the LCA should fail.

If it were tagged onto another supply as most people do it would be "protected"* by the fuse to that supply but a short or fault on the new or existing wiring or kit would knock out both.

If one follows the instructions and uses good practice to protect and secure the wiring, insulated connectors etc the chance of a short is extremely low, but accidents can happen.


* practically you are only protecting against shorts in the case of the LCA like with a lot of electronic goods the amount of over current to destroy them is too low to design for (IMO) and an internal short would mean the end of them no matter how quickly the fuse blew .