Hank the Tanks Dodgy battery and solar system

[yeoblade]

I can't even see a black wire, I've used red on neg myself but never with back shrink sleeving.

And no disrespect intended towards Julian at all.

Most of my experience was with UXB, normally its cut the blue wire, so Red and Black were new territory to me!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

You must have been reasonable at it then Julian, or did you just like the mega sexy work uniform.

I bet you lurv bonfire night.

 

[Nabsim]

don't get hung up on red and black, half of mine are blue and brown

 

[merl]

I hope this is on topic . . . . . .
With reference to putting a fuse in between solar controller and batteries I was just browsing a Victron supplier yesterday and saw that Victron do a 'special' solar - controller - to - leisure battery cable, (price £69) and it contains an in-line fuse. I can't remember what the current rating was though . .. .

The job of a fuse is to protect the cable in the event of a short circuit and a solar panel isn't capable of supplying anything like the kind of current to burn out a supply cable, so a fuse is pointless for that use. It would however serve as a means of isolating the panels which is desirable but a cheap switch and pattress from Screwfix would be way more practical and cheaper.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-900-series-20a-16ax-1-gang-2-way-light-switch-white/117pm?ref=SFAppShare

 

[trevskoda]

No I know! Its how they come if you look at the Amazon link. One red wire has a black line through it I think. Bit daft really but they are good sockets.

Anyway. A meeting has been held and we are going with the additional battery to start with and possibly another panel if its not enough. Im leaving the existing controller unless I can find an MPPT with two outputs for the cab battery. Ill probably wait until after Christmas now when we have been away. I think ill need help removing that clamp.

However I think ill revisit the weighbridge first. We had 700kg free on the back when the van was empty out of over 1000kg I think of payload so we should be fine but Ive added the scooter and rack and all our stuff since then. Will be interesting to see where we are at. I did the calculations but never actually got it weighed after.

Blind and brainless.

 

[trevskoda]

Most of my experience was with UXB, normally its cut the blue wire, so Red and Black were new territory to me!

 

[merl]

Due to the change in standard wiring colours in houses a few years back if you see one of these labels on the consumer unit there's no guarantee of what's what.

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels - in Full Colour with Diagram

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels with Diagram are required to clearly indicate that an installation has cable colours to two versions of British Standard 7671. Printed with a clear Full Colour Diagram to illustrate the correct wiring colours, our Extra Large Caution Cable...

www.patlabelsonline.co.uk

Blue can be either live or neutral.
Black can be either live or neutral.
Live can be either red, yellow, grey, brown, black or blue.
Apparently a sticker on the fusebox makes everything dead safe tho

 

[yeoblade]

Due to the change in standard wiring colours in houses a few years back if you see one of these labels on the consumer unit there's no guarantee of what's what.

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels - in Full Colour with Diagram

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels with Diagram are required to clearly indicate that an installation has cable colours to two versions of British Standard 7671. Printed with a clear Full Colour Diagram to illustrate the correct wiring colours, our Extra Large Caution Cable...

www.patlabelsonline.co.uk

Blue can be either live or neutral.
Black can be either live or neutral.
Live can be either red, yellow, grey, brown, black or blue.
Apparently a sticker on the fusebox makes everything dead safe tho

Remember it well, 3 phase gear I worked on R.Y.B. & Black neutral if fitted, all became, well, sommat else. . Anyway, finger in ears and cut the BLUE wire!

 

[yeoblade]

View attachment 137362

Now I've opened a can of worms with N.I.

 

[colinm]

Due to the change in standard wiring colours in houses a few years back if you see one of these labels on the consumer unit there's no guarantee of what's what.

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels - in Full Colour with Diagram

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels with Diagram are required to clearly indicate that an installation has cable colours to two versions of British Standard 7671. Printed with a clear Full Colour Diagram to illustrate the correct wiring colours, our Extra Large Caution Cable...

www.patlabelsonline.co.uk

Blue can be either live or neutral.
Black can be either live or neutral.
Live can be either red, yellow, grey, brown, black or blue.
Apparently a sticker on the fusebox makes everything dead safe tho

You've got a pretty big gaff if the distribution box has one of those labels.

This would be the one found on most domestic consumer units.

Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation - Harmonised Wiring Labels

Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels are required to clearly indicate that an installation has cable colours to two versions of British Standard 7671. Printed Black on Yellow, our Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels are highly visible and should be applied to all...

www.patlabelsonline.co.uk

 

[Nabsim]

I helped the sparks rewiring some of the control panel on one of the asphalt plants after a fire. Multi core cables with varying amounts up to around 50 individual cables in each. Every cable in the panel was white on the control side lol

luckily they did have numbers on the cables but was fiddly