Hi there
I have a bluesmart 12v/15a charge running of 240v. On the 12v side do I need to put a fuse inline or is there already a fuse built into the unit? If I do need to fuse the wire what fuse should be used?
asked
DO I need an inline fuse on the 12v side of a bluesmart 12v/15A charger or is the fuse built into the unit?
Hi @daveharnan,
The fuse must be near the battery because you have to protect the cable against a short circuit.
Ciao!
@daveharnan, for temporary usage it is fine to connect the charger directly to the battery without a separate fuse, but if you plan to wire it permanently to the battery for convenience, if I were you I would install another inline fuse. The charger does protect itself, but since the internal fuse is not user-replaceable, it makes a lot more sense to add an external fuse that you can replace rather than running the risk of blowing the internal fuse and having to get a new unit.
Since you specify a 15A charger, I would put a 20 or 25A inline fuse on it. Whatever type of fuse is easily available to you - a standard automotive ATO fuse would be fine. Please note to install brand-name fuses only - for an ATO fuse, that would be Littelfuse or Bussman. Off-brand fuses can cause major issues down the road.
