Switching to Lithium

[yangstyle]

I've decided to take the leap and go to Lithium batteries. I have some of the equipment already but have to get some cables and fuses.
I was thinking of installing a positive and negative busbar to replace the few locations where there are 2 or 3 connectors on 1 set of terminals.
I have a question about these fuses? with the white protectors on them. Are they fuses and if so then I assume there is 1 post in and 1 post out? Is it possible to move them over to a busbar or should they be replaced by a different type of fuse?

 

[TTMartin]

I've decided to take the leap and go to Lithium batteries. I have some of the equipment already but have to get some cables and fuses.
I was thinking of installing a positive and negative busbar to replace the few locations where there are 2 or 3 connectors on 1 set of terminals.
I have a question about these fuses? with the white protectors on them. Are they fuses and if so then I assume there is 1 post in and 1 post out? Is it possible to move them over to a busbar or should they be replaced by a different type of fuse?

They are thermal breakers. The one needs to be upgraded as the stock one isn't rated high enough for the current flow from the converter to the LiFePO4 battery due to their lower internal resistance. The other one is for the connection to the battery from the solar charge controller and doesn't need to be upgraded.

 

[oldwave]

I've decided to take the leap and go to Lithium batteries. I have some of the equipment already but have to get some cables and fuses.
I was thinking of installing a positive and negative busbar to replace the few locations where there are 2 or 3 connectors on 1 set of terminals.
I have a question about these fuses? with the white protectors on them. Are they fuses and if so then I assume there is 1 post in and 1 post out? Is it possible to move them over to a busbar or should they be replaced by a different type of fuse?

You might consider rewiring with Victron Lynx distribution
It’s a bus bar system that has 4 fused tap points
I completely retired my dc battery feeds using one.
Size the fuses to the load. My batteries and inverter run through it also as well as my shunt

 

[yangstyle]

Thanks for that.
I haven't cut all the ties yet but it looks to me like the bottom left side of the fuse is from the 7 pin from the truck? and then goes to the disconnect switch. The right side looks like it goes to the battery then also goes up to the upper fuse which then goes to the solar controller?

I haven't paid much attention to schematics as I never thought I would be doing this but do you know if there are schematics for the 21C in the forum from Escape?

 

[yangstyle]

You might consider rewiring with Victron Lynx distribution
It’s a bus bar system that has 4 fused tap points
I completely retired my dc battery feeds using one.
Size the fuses to the load. My batteries and inverter run through it also as well as my shunt

Thanks, I'll check that out. I am open to ideas. I would like to clean up the wiring a bit while I do this, to a point anyway.

 

[TTMartin]

I haven't paid much attention to schematics as I never thought I would be doing this but do you know if there are schematics for the 21C in the forum from Escape?

This one shows it pretty well. But, has the DC to DC charger that Escape uses with their lithium batteries. The 50 Amp thermal breaker that they still use is not adequate as the converter will output a full 55 Amps when bulk charging LiFePO4 batteries. I upgraded mine to Blue Sea Systems, Surface Mount, 60 Amp, 7184 285 Series Circuit Breaker when I converted my trailer to lithium.

 

[yangstyle]

This one shows it pretty well. But, has the DC to DC charger that Escape uses with their lithium batteries. The 50 Amp thermal breaker that they still use is not adequate as the converter will output a full 55 Amps when bulk charging LiFePO4 batteries. I upgraded mine to Blue Sea Systems, Surface Mount, 60 Amp, 7184 285 Series Circuit Breaker when I converted my trailer to lithium.

View attachment 69952

That's perfect, thank you. Exactly what I was looking for. I upgraded the converter this afternoon to WFCO-8955-AD and that does put out 55 Amps, just like the one it replaced so I will definitely go to a 60 amp fuse. I like those Blue Sea breakers. I will not be installing the batteries quite yet, still in the process of rounding up the parts.

 

[GregWCIL]

You might consider rewiring with Victron Lynx distribution
It’s a bus bar system that has 4 fused tap points
I completely retired my dc battery feeds using one.
Size the fuses to the load. My batteries and inverter run through it also as well as my shunt

Second the Lynx idea. It really cleans up a system and lets you fuse four separate circuits.