diy solar

diy solar

Van Conversion Wiring Diagram, Please Review

dudedogvan said:
For the 12awg low current appliance fuse block wire I planned to use ring terminals to connect to the fuse block.
Click to expand...
My bad.
Not firing on all cylinders today.
dudedogvan said:
The 10awg is solar extension wire from the panels to the SCC. I plan to use small rings terminals to connect to the DPST on both sides (DPST switch I found has small screw connections that I seem to like better than a switch with spade connections). Then I'm using the 10awg ferrules to go into the SCC.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you have it covered.
Actually it sounds like you have weapons grade autism.
That is a good thingTM for this pursuit.
 
smoothJoey said:
My bad.
Not firing on all cylinders today.

Sounds like you have it covered.
Actually it sounds like you have weapons grade autism.
That is a good thingTM for this pursuit.
Click to expand...
Haha I can be rather particular, and I agree for my first solar install that's a good trait to have. I really like having the visual drawing and the ladder style. As long as I can assemble it all correctly and it works, I'll be quite impressed with what our efforts will have created!
 
smoothJoey said:
Its a double conversion UPS.
Click to expand...
Took me a minute (many hours) to understand why you might have such a system, but funny thing, without reading the wiki article, I literally woke up this morning and some of my first thoughts were putting it all together and realizing what it is. So why do you have it? Are there frequent power outages where you live? Or do you have some sensitive equipment you absolutely want to have power for in case an outage? Is the battery 24V?

Down here in south Alabama, people have generators (usually Generac's) as a backup power supply in case of a hurricane outage. Solar is not very common. We ain't all that progressive down here in the deep south, which is one of the many reasons I want to get back out there in the van and interact with people in other parts of the US.
 
Last edited:
dudedogvan said:
Took me a minute (many hours) to understand why you might have such a system, but funny thing, without reading the wiki article, I literally woke up this morning and some of my first thoughts were putting it all together and realizing what it is. So why do you have it?
Click to expand...
Keeps the power on.
dudedogvan said:
Are there frequent power outages where you live?
Click to expand...
Not frequent but their have been some extended outages.
I've got an inverter generator as backup to the backup.
dudedogvan said:
Is the battery 24V?
Click to expand...
Yep.
 
@smoothJoey
By the way, I changed all the low current appliance wires to 14awg with 15A fuses. The appliances and the combo sockets will pull under 10A each (actually nothing will need more than 5A) so 14awg should be just fine.
 
dudedogvan said:
@smoothJoey
By the way, I changed all the low current appliance wires to 14awg with 15A fuses. The appliances and the combo sockets will pull under 10A each (actually nothing will need more than 5A) so 14awg should be just fine.
Click to expand...
Did you compute the voltage drop?

Interactive Wire Size Calculator

Battery Chargers, Inverters, Solar Components, and Wiring Supplies for Boats, RVs, and Off-Grid Applications.
baymarinesupply.com baymarinesupply.com
 
smoothJoey said:
Did you compute the voltage drop?

Interactive Wire Size Calculator

Battery Chargers, Inverters, Solar Components, and Wiring Supplies for Boats, RVs, and Off-Grid Applications.
baymarinesupply.com baymarinesupply.com
Click to expand...
14 awg is a bit tight.
12 volts at 12 amps gets you 2.63% voltage drop at 10 feet round trip.
That is 5 feet out and 5 feet back.

15 fuse amps * .8 fuse headroom = 12 service amps.
 
What is your highest draw dc load?
Are you planning on running these wires behind panels or in bundles?
If yes then we may want to de-rate even further.
Say 10 amp fuses for for 14 awg or 15 amp fuses for 12 awg?
 
Also, please no connections except at junction boxes or endpoints.
 
smoothJoey said:
Did you compute the voltage drop?
Click to expand...
Thanks for showing me that calculator. I'm just now really understanding voltage drop and V=IR. So the 12V cig lighter socket in the combo socket is rated for 120w at 12V=10A. That would be my max current draw. So I used 10A in the calculator. But the fridge will actually only draw a maximum of less than 2A. When I look at maximum distance of the round trip on the fridge, if I choose to wire through the ceiling and back down to the fridge it's about 30 feet RT with all the bends in the run. The floor is looking like 18ft RT. Either way when I plug 2A at 30ft into the calculator, any wire size listed will give me a voltage drop of less than 3%. All the other connections will be RTs shorter than 7 feet. 10A at 10ft. is 2.19% voltage drop with 14awg. All in all, I can see why 12awg would be better, it allows for minimal voltage drop for any load expected to be 10A without upping to 10awg wire.
smoothJoey said:
Also, please no connections except at junction boxes or endpoints.
Click to expand...
All loads will be connected through the fuse block.
smoothJoey said:
Say 10 amp fuses for for 14 awg or 15 amp fuses for 12 awg?
Click to expand...
The fan called for a 10A fuse, the fridge has that internal 15A fuse, socket would be 10A fuse.

Also, one of the reasons I reevaluated low current wire size is because the fridge comes with a 16awg 12V socket power cable. I want to hardwire it to the fuse block. The plug on the fridge side is a very strange, unnamed plug on the internet. I called ICECO and they couldn't even tell me what plug it is. My idea was to build a new 12V fridge power cord with 14 or 12 awg. It looks like I'll have to splice 12 or 14awg into the existing 16awg fridge cord for the longer run because I can find that plug end anywhere. Also the sockets and the fan will come with short 16awg or smaller cords and I was trying to match the run wiring to what would come with each appliance. I'm unfamiliar with step-down butt splices so I was trying to match them up. Do you follow? Details, details. I'm probably overthinking it. Classic.
 
dudedogvan said:
All loads will be connected through the fuse block.
Click to expand...
That is not what I mean.
I mean that all wire joinery should be accessible.
Don't hide splices in the middle.
If you have a joint in the middle it should be accessible and in a junction box.
dudedogvan said:
The fan called for a 10A fuse, the fridge has that internal 15A fuse, socket would be 10A fuse.

Also, one of the reasons I reevaluated low current wire size is because the fridge comes with a 16awg 12V socket power cable. I want to hardwire it to the fuse block. The plug on the fridge side is a very strange, unnamed plug on the internet. I called ICECO and they couldn't even tell me what plug it is. My idea was to build a new 12V fridge power cord with 14 or 12 awg. It looks like I'll have to splice 12 or 14awg into the existing 16awg fridge cord for the longer run because I can find that plug end anywhere. Also the sockets and the fan will come with short 16awg or smaller cords and I was trying to match the run wiring to what would come with each appliance. I'm unfamiliar with step-down butt splices so I was trying to match them up. Do you follow? Details, details. I'm probably overthinking it. Classic.
Click to expand...
I think so.
I like Wago 221-41x and 221-61x for non-waterproof joinery of 10 awg and smaller.
Remember to provide for strain relief.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Please review my wiring diagram
Replies
4
Views
376
Rocketman
R
D
Wiring Diagram Review
Replies
2
Views
374
mikefitz
mikefitz
C
Keep the magic smoke off my boat!!- please review my wiring diagram
Replies
2
Views
163
Bop
B
D
Solar for a E-250 Van Conversion
Replies
9
Views
449
RV10flyer
RV10flyer
TheFlumph
My new diagram. Please check.
2
Replies
23
Views
827
TheFlumph
TheFlumph
Back
Top