Working with solar system

[Steve_C 0]

Hi, My boat needs a new light fitting to replace a dodgy one in the fore cabin.

It is a 12 V system with one solar panel and battery, everything going through a switch/ fuse panel.

Question, I guess I need to remove one of the battery leads and remove the appropriate fuse(like working on a vehicle system) is there anything else I should isolate ?

[wheels 543]

Is this so you don't short something? Have you fuses or circuit breakers on each circuit. Just remove the Fuse or switch off the circuit breaker for that circuit. You can't get zapped off 12V, so no worries there. The only thing that could go wrong would be a dead short which should just blow the fuse of trip the breaker. So don't fret about it. It won't leap out and get you.

[Steve_C 0]

Thanks, makes sense. Just being over cautious

[wheels 543]

Well if you don't know much about Electricity, it's being sensible rather than over cautious. Good on you for asking the question.

[RushMan 31]

The electric train set from my youth was 12V, I would not be here if 12V was deadly!

[wheels 543]

Yes but it isn't the voltage you need to worry about. It's the current and if you are playing with the Battery side of the switchboard, it pays to still give the sparky stuff some respect.

[RushMan 31]

A wise man said to me "If you can't see it, don't mess with it"

[Mothership 6]

Yes but it isn't the voltage you need to worry about. It's the current and if you are playing with the Battery side of the switchboard, it pays to still give the sparky stuff some respect.

 

It is the current, but it's the volts that carry the amps.

[banaari 27]

You won't get a shock off 12 volts, but by god you'll know about it if you inadvertently short something not protected by a fuse... those batteries are capable of delivering a breathtakingly large amount of current, albeit for a short time; think 800 watts being dissipated through, say, your watch strap...

[wheels 543]

You won't get a shock off 12 volts,

Oh yes you can Try getting your fingers nice and wet with Salt water and grab a bare wire. Or place wires across your tongue No don'tPeople have died from a 9V battery across the Tongue.

But all those are out of the ordinary situations. You are right when in normal context of 12V.

[erice 732]

what he said

 

dry skin and good earth generally stops people getting a shock while they work on their car electrics

 

but put a wet foot on a bare metal chassis and then touch the positive terminal on a car battery and you'll generally can get at least some weird muscle tremors

 

remember you can make a rough welder out a car battery