zacksc
100 W
I am working on a project where an inverter draws about 25 amps* continuously from a 13 volt battery-based source. I am using 10 AWG wire with 30 amp blade fuses in in-line fuse holders on the 13 volt wires. (Something I got on Amazon that happened to have the connectors I wanted on both ends and seemed like it might work okay? (pictured in the reply below.)) Anyway, after about 40 minutes one of the fuses was blown. The fuse holder felt warm to touch and so I wondered if I should just replace that fuse with a 40 amp, or if I need to make more fundamental changes such as using a different fuse type and lower gauge (bigger) wire?
If I just replace the 30 amp with a 40 amp blade fuse in the same in-line fuse holder, I was concerned that maybe the fuse holder would tend to heat up and that might be bad?? I wondered if it might be more prudent to go with 40 amp bolt-down type fuse such as Baomain ANL 40 amp in a Baomain holder, or a Little fuse 40 amp Mega or...? I could mount that fuse in a small switch box that I use to precharge the inverter. I could also change to 8 AWG wire. Is that necessary? The total length of wire is just about 5 feet.
I know next to nothing about fuses and I have very little experience. So any advice about what is safest, most prudent, best, etc., is most welcome. Thanks very much!
* The project involves a Jackery E1500 Li-ion battery system which is being charging at 260 Watts. The power for that comes from a Victron Phoenix 375 VA inverter which is powered from the 13 volt source with about 25 amps on the input (13 volt) side of the inverter). The estimate of 25 amps at 13 volts is based on assuming 82% efficiency for the entire chain. Assuming 77% efficiency instead, the inferred current on the 13 volt side would be 26 amps. (13a x 26v = 338 Watts) I have note measured the current directly.
If I just replace the 30 amp with a 40 amp blade fuse in the same in-line fuse holder, I was concerned that maybe the fuse holder would tend to heat up and that might be bad?? I wondered if it might be more prudent to go with 40 amp bolt-down type fuse such as Baomain ANL 40 amp in a Baomain holder, or a Little fuse 40 amp Mega or...? I could mount that fuse in a small switch box that I use to precharge the inverter. I could also change to 8 AWG wire. Is that necessary? The total length of wire is just about 5 feet.
I know next to nothing about fuses and I have very little experience. So any advice about what is safest, most prudent, best, etc., is most welcome. Thanks very much!
* The project involves a Jackery E1500 Li-ion battery system which is being charging at 260 Watts. The power for that comes from a Victron Phoenix 375 VA inverter which is powered from the 13 volt source with about 25 amps on the input (13 volt) side of the inverter). The estimate of 25 amps at 13 volts is based on assuming 82% efficiency for the entire chain. Assuming 77% efficiency instead, the inferred current on the 13 volt side would be 26 amps. (13a x 26v = 338 Watts) I have note measured the current directly.