Distribution Panel Wiring Question

[bonnie]

Hi,

Let me preface my questions with a statement of my electrial ability: I can wire lamps.

I am looking to use a West Marine Distribution Panel for the 12 volt in the Nookery. At present one switch will be for the reading lights and one switch is going to be dedicated to running computer fans in the overhead vent. The final switch will most likely be for some outdoor lighting.



This is the instructions. I followed everything, but there doesn't seem to be a ground area for the appliances shown. Or a black wire feed to the battery.



Here's a front shot of the panel. Pretty much does everything I thought I would need. I bought it probably 5 years ago. The fuses are the little glass ones. They are each rated for 15 amps.



This picture isn't very clear, but there are two open spades. The higher one is to the positive side of the battery. I am guessing the lower one is for the ground to the battery and grounds for the lights and fan. Should this have a buss bar too? To connect all the grounds and then connect a single ground to the panel? Or is that complicating the actual wiring?



Last shot is of the three spade connectors for the appliances, as the directions call them.

I have the black plastic cover to house the panel in. I will need to drill an access hole, so I want to wire things up and test it before I commit to that. All the lighting is LED. The fans will be wired in such a way that I can use the type switch that is used to raise and lower things. Sorry, the correct name escapes me right now. I also have the switch. Well, it's somewhere in the camper parts inventory pile, anyhow.

The outdoor lights are two of the LED under car lights that I picked up for another trailer (long gone) and would like to mount underneath the trailer to give light and maybe keep the critters at bay. I would like to wire them so they will come on together.

Simple, right? I'm pretty sure I need the bus bar, or someone to explain the finer points of wiring a panel. I tried Youtube, but all the vids are a bit lacking on the actual wiring details.

Thanks for your help!

[WoodSmith]

Its hard to tell from what you have posted. I think that what you have is partially correct. Do you have a meter or some sort of tester that you can use to check continuity? At its simplest, a continuity tester is a battery, a lamp and 3 wires. From the plus side of the battery to one side of the lamp, from the other side of the lamp to a loose wire, and from the negative side of the battery to another loos wire. when you touch the 2 loose ends together, the light --- lights and you know you have a complete circuit.

Are these switches supposed to light up when turned on? Is the wiring that is on there factory, and not been moved around? If so, you probably have lighted switches.

A bus bar is a very good idea, not a complicating one. Plus 12v would come in from the battery and connect to this unit somewhere (I'm not sure where yet, but probably marked '+'.) Ground would come in from the battery and connect to the bus bar. One black wire would connect to the power dist. unit (at a location marked as '-' ). Each light or set of lights would connect a Red to the fused and switched output from the unit and a black wire to the ground bus bar.

I would definitely hook this up on a workbench with just some light fixtures and be sure you understand it prior to committing it to the trailer.

Glen

[Dale M.]

This is one of the easiest and safest (not threatening) tester you can use... Requires very little technical skills...



Its quite simple, you hook alligatoir clip to ground side of circuit and use probe to "find" the positive side of circuit (12 volts).... IF you have complete circuit "ground" and "12 volts" lamp lights, either "component" ( ground or 12 volts) of circuit missing, switch off, fuse blows or missing, lamp does not light... Good way to test functionality of fuses and switches and determine of circuit is functioning as desired or tracing problem in circuit...

$5 -8 at most auto part or hardware stores......

Irony here is I have 4 different electrical meters in my shop and one is a $200 digital, and test lamp is tool I use most for 12 volt automotive/trailer type testing (non-computer circuits) ....

Going a bit out on limb here and say terminal on switch which appears to be bronze in color (in pic) is output of switch (panel) to device.... Also drawing shows the "load" off center terminal of switch but physical wiring of panel indicates "load" terminal is terminal furtherest away from fuse.... Time to connect panel to some power and bench test its functionality...

And it appears switch has a ground wired into lamp if switch is illuminated, also the terminal on switch closest to fuse (silver in pic) might possible be your circuits ground connection....BUT it may be easier to supply a simple ground bar external of panel...

Load-Ground

load-ground.jpg (31.38 KiB) Viewed 1104 times

Dale

[bonnie]

Thank you Glen and Dale that helps quite a bit, actually. I'll pick up a test lamp tomorrow. Thanks!