Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 20,059
Thank you again, very, very much. But . . .
. . . If it is not one thing . . .
This morning, I blew the 175 amp breaker on the main 4/0 cable from the battery to the inverter? That never happened (with my old 450Ah battery array before failure)? I decided to try my small electric coffee pot (easier, faster coffee). It worked fine previously, used daily. So, something has changed, somehow? I know from my previous testing that the coffee pot draws 60 amps +/- for 5.5 minutes to make a small pot.
Therefore, your response about breakers is especially timely. But raises further questions . . .
(1) What might I look for to diagnose what changed and caused the breaker to trip?
(2) Before I invest $100+ on a new breaker, can I safely increase the size to 200 amps to solve this problem?
(3) Is a fuse holder + ANL fuse (200 amp) a suitable replacement for a breaker?https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZJ0WEQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
Most of my components are Blue Sea because I knew it to be a quality brand from my previous sailing years. I suppose there is a quality difference in ANL fuses, too?
How the heck is a beginner supposed to know all this stuff?
First do the math and figure out how much current was being drawn.
Your system should be designed so fuse/breaker is rated 25% higher than maximum continuous draw.
Next figure out of the breaker is good for its ratings, or is an off-brand that can't be trusted.
How hot does the breaker get with a known load less than its rating?
What voltage drop across it? Voltage drop from its terminal to cable terminal? Terminal to cable strands (puncture insulation if necessary)?
It is possible poor connection contributes to heating.
If you're really tripping a 175A breaker with 60A, something is wrong that needs to be fixed.
ANL fuse ... what kind of battery do you have?
The fuse (or breaker) should be rated to interrupt whatever maximum short circuit current your battery bank can produce.
Car battery, 3000A
100 Ah AGM, 4000A
LiFePO4 battery 20,000A? (I haven't seen ratings or tests, but given 0.17 milliohm IR measurements reported, 3.4V / 0.00017ohm = 20,000A)
I found 2700 AIC somewhere:
Class T vs ANL fuse
I'm about to start my upgrade to our RV electrical system. It will be a Victron MultiPlus 3000 with 4 Battleborn Batteries and 700 watts of solar. I went and go everything from BattleBorn but noticed that they supplied me with a 400 Amp ANL fuse to place between the battery and the inverter (it...
diysolarforum.com
This Blue Sea link says 6000 AIC:
ANL Fuses - Blue Sea Systems
Use with ANL Fuse Blocks for many applications with 35-750 Amp loads
www.bluesea.com
To me, those ANL fuses are only good enough for some lead-acid batteries.
For Lithium batteries, class T fuse rated for 20,000 AIC is good. Some breakers like Midnight rated for 50,000 AIC are good.
My inverters have a breaker built in, and I also use class T fuses at my batteries (higher rating, intended to only blow if cable short-circuits.)