Many of the Add-a-fuse RU-vid videos do not cover the theory of the circuit i.e. the consequences of plugging these devices in the wrong way around. You have a good understanding of electrical theory and excellent practical skills. This is a very useful piece of video production. Well done.
Consequence is just 2 fuses in series for the second added circuit. Not really an issue! So there is no wrong way, but there is a best way... You don't need a multimeter to check this, just verify that only one of the 2 fuses cuts power to new circuit.
so far i have watched several ADD A CIRCUIT and trust me some of them are bad bad bad but yours is simply excellent. lots of good correct information, great work habits, clear and conscise video. you simply have done an excellant job. great great effort. ill be looking at more visd you make as your good value.
Good job on your first video project. I stumbled upon it, looking for a clean way to add a circuit into my camper-van to fix some of the previous owner's mess of twist / tape wiring, and have only just heard of these add-a-fuse things just now. Thanks for the knowledge. It looks like I can source them quite easily and cheaply here too. This has helped me saved hours!
Very useful specially the explanation about wrong way of putting piggyback. Thx was looking for some instructive before hardwiring a dashcam. Keep it up
Hello Basement Engineer, Excellent teacher! Circuit input and out put wonderful I was about to hard wire a mini dash cam DVR and was hesitant until you lessen plan, it was educational and very informative and you saved me from damaging my car's electronic circuits, thank you! The interior fuse box and the cheap instructions poorly written in pigeon English say install red wire to accessory;the black wire to ground; the yellow wire to constant power. Do I use two add on circuits, one to battery and one to accessory, then wire then wire them together to the dash cam? And how do I wire 2 separate wires from 2 circuits to the one wire?
Hi Basement, I enjoyed that, great video, well done. A question for you regarding more than 10 amps as mentioned in your instructables page ... "For circuits that operate at higher current's, such as Audio amplifier's you need to run a seperated wire from the positive terminal of your battery to your device and do not forget to add a fuse near the power source." Do you mean buy a totally separate fuse box, connect it to the main terminal battery and add ( for example) one 20amp fuse between the fusebox and the +ve?
I have a question about 3:41 (pause). So at the bottom we have the original circuit with lets say a fuse of 20A. On top we have the new circuit with lets say a 10A fuse. Assuming both circuits are in use and take the max of Amps. Would that not be a problem because now the "in line" wire from the battery runs 30A and no fuse will blow? So would 4:01(pause) not be the better solution because it will not allow any more amps on the line than it was designed to?
My understanding is the fuses are supposed to be inserted upstream to protect the circuit DOWNstream. The role of the fuse is not to prevent the wire meltdown (we assume conductors have negligible resistance for IR^2 loss) but to prevent pushing more current through the appliance than it is capable of handling so meltdown of ITS contacts etc. So, if the wires/terminals melt, it should be a cheap replace but if you burn the circuit of your headlamp/AC, the part will be expensive ! Also note that the factory fuse ratings are estimated based on the specific circuits running them, not on the terminals that connect them to 12V of the battery. Now in the wrong way of connecting it, there are two appliances/grounds coming out of the original fuse so indeed since resistance of parallel connection is less (than of either component), then power supply provides more current to the node so more likely to blow the original fuse there. Also it seems you are constraining the original circuit in lower branch to a window of at least 10amp & at most 20amp while it is supposed to be flexibile between 0 and 20. So you could be oversupplying your original circuit. It would be better to regulate the original circuit OVER the add-on circuit... If you want to do it that way, I think it's better to limit max current by installing the tap the correct way but just choosing lower rating fuses for both circuits, say, 15amp for original and, 7.5 amp for the appliance. Being as those are extreme values, the device can ask for as little current demand as it needs to get by.
I know the theory on how to use the fuse taps but how do I know how many can I use? I would connect a USB socket, maybe a dashcam, led footweel lighting, an alarm (probably with central locking) and heated seats. The heating should be the biggest consumer and the other things wouldn't be on all the time. How to know the limit?
When using fuse taps to connect multiple devices to your vehicle's electrical system, it’s essential to calculate the total current draw and ensure it doesn’t exceed the fuse rating or the capacity of the circuit. Here are the steps to determine the limit: Identify the Fuse Rating: Look at the fuse you plan to tap into and note its amperage rating. Check Existing Load: Determine the current draw of any devices already connected to this fuse. Calculate Additional Load: USB Socket: Typically 1-2A. Dashcam: Around 0.5-1A. LED Footwell Lighting: About 0.2-0.5A. Alarm: Approximately 1-2A (varies with features). Heated Seats: 3-10A (varies by model and usage). Add these values to get the total current draw. Sum Total Current Draw: Add the current draws of all devices you plan to connect to the existing load on the fuse. Compare to Fuse Rating: Ensure the total current draw does not exceed 80% of the fuse rating to avoid blowing the fuse (for safety, keep some headroom). For example, if your fuse is rated at 20A: Existing load: 5A Additional devices: USB (2A) + Dashcam (1A) + LED (0.5A) + Alarm (2A) + Heated Seats (10A) = 15.5A Total load = 5A + 15.5A = 20.5A This exceeds the 20A fuse rating, so you need to distribute the load or use a higher-rated circuit (if possible). Always consult your vehicle’s manual and consider professional advice for significant modifications.
I just checked and apparrently 12V coffee makers use less than 200 Watts, which courses around 17A of current draw. Most 12V sockets can supply 20A. So you should be able to safely enjoy your fresh brewed coffee in your car. HOT TIP: Don't drink and drive :D
Hab den Kommentar jetzt erst gesehen:D ich hoffe mal stark das du das Video noch gebrauchen kannst um in Neuseeland deinen fahrbaren Untersatz ein bisschen komfortabler zu machen. Wenn du dir dazu noch nen Solar Laderegler und ein Panel organisierst musst du dir auch keine Gedanken wegen der Batterie machen.
great job and thanks for the video it helped a lot. You used 2 12v chargers so were they both connected to the single add a fuse, did you need to splice the wire?
I added a ring shoe to the end of the negative wire and bolted it to a chassis grounding point. There happened to be one right underneath the center console that is also used for the infotainment system. Just be sure to secure it with a spring ring or some loctide. Vibrations in a car and can cause nasty grounding issues, if the bolt gets loose, which may or may not have happened to me later on😅