wire size for bottle heater Battery connect
#1
wire size for bottle heater Battery connect
I just hooked up the bottle warmer and it works but it doesn't seem to get that hot. I can keep my hand on it and you can feel it heat right away but the directions made it sound like, it would heat up to a point where it would burn you and its not even close.
I used 16g to the battery, is that a big enough wire? I used the same ground for the warmer and the warmer relay, could that be causing a problem?
The bottle is empty I am just testing the connections right now.
Thanks!
Bobby
I used 16g to the battery, is that a big enough wire? I used the same ground for the warmer and the warmer relay, could that be causing a problem?
The bottle is empty I am just testing the connections right now.
Thanks!
Bobby
#3
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16AWG is not big enough. You will need 12awg. and don't forget the fuse.
An easy way to check it is to:
1.Start the car
2.measure voltage at the heater, with it on.
3.measure voltage at the battery
You will see that the heater is not getting nearly full battery voltage. If you increase the wire size you heater will work much better.
Vinny
An easy way to check it is to:
1.Start the car
2.measure voltage at the heater, with it on.
3.measure voltage at the battery
You will see that the heater is not getting nearly full battery voltage. If you increase the wire size you heater will work much better.
Vinny
#5
Check out this link.
http://www.rbeelectronics.com/wtable.htm
(Hey moderators, I have suggested before that this chart would make a good sticky. What do you think?)
Look at the third chart down.
Pick the amperage of the device you are wiring and the length of wire used and the chart will give you the wire size to use. It does not hurt to choose the larger wire if it is close to needing a larger wire but going overboard on wire size is not necessary and the wire is harder to work with in confined areas such as a switch panel.
If the heater draws 12 amps or less and you are not going over 20 ft. 16 ga. should be fine. If the amperage is higher or the length longer you may need 14 ga. but you don't need 12 ga unless the amps are over 20 or you are going over 20 ft.
Checking the voltage as Vinny said is a good idea to be sure. Don't forget all connections must be good and you must have a good ground or you will not get proper voltage even with the right size wire. I solder all connections to be sure they do not have resistance in them and that they won't come loose later causing trouble. Solder and two layers of heat shrink tubing can be your best friend.
Crimp on connectors can be trouble particularly if you don't have the proper crimping tool and just use pliers. It might work but it can turn in to a witch hunt trying to trouble shoot later if a connection gets loose or if you unknowingly break some of the wire strands. I prefer to get the non insulated connectors or take the insulation off. Then crimp with the right crimping tool, solder and heat shrink two layers and you will have trouble free wiring.
http://www.rbeelectronics.com/wtable.htm
(Hey moderators, I have suggested before that this chart would make a good sticky. What do you think?)
Look at the third chart down.
Pick the amperage of the device you are wiring and the length of wire used and the chart will give you the wire size to use. It does not hurt to choose the larger wire if it is close to needing a larger wire but going overboard on wire size is not necessary and the wire is harder to work with in confined areas such as a switch panel.
If the heater draws 12 amps or less and you are not going over 20 ft. 16 ga. should be fine. If the amperage is higher or the length longer you may need 14 ga. but you don't need 12 ga unless the amps are over 20 or you are going over 20 ft.
Checking the voltage as Vinny said is a good idea to be sure. Don't forget all connections must be good and you must have a good ground or you will not get proper voltage even with the right size wire. I solder all connections to be sure they do not have resistance in them and that they won't come loose later causing trouble. Solder and two layers of heat shrink tubing can be your best friend.
Crimp on connectors can be trouble particularly if you don't have the proper crimping tool and just use pliers. It might work but it can turn in to a witch hunt trying to trouble shoot later if a connection gets loose or if you unknowingly break some of the wire strands. I prefer to get the non insulated connectors or take the insulation off. Then crimp with the right crimping tool, solder and heat shrink two layers and you will have trouble free wiring.
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Originally Posted by 93TAWicked1
I just hooked up the bottle warmer and it works but it doesn't seem to get that hot. I can keep my hand on it and you can feel it heat right away but the directions made it sound like, it would heat up to a point where it would burn you and its not even close.
I used 16g to the battery, is that a big enough wire? I used the same ground for the warmer and the warmer relay, could that be causing a problem?
The bottle is empty I am just testing the connections right now.
Thanks!
Bobby
I used 16g to the battery, is that a big enough wire? I used the same ground for the warmer and the warmer relay, could that be causing a problem?
The bottle is empty I am just testing the connections right now.
Thanks!
Bobby
#7
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While your heater is running, touch your 16gauge wire and I'll bet you a DP kit that it's hot, or at least warm. This will prove what 860 performance has said. Pulling to many amps through to small of gauge wire. Could be a fire hazard, change up for safety.
Robert
Robert
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#8
It is wired to a relay, it does have the pressure swith, I'll run a 12g wire to the relay, after that shouldn't matter as the heater is less then a foot an half away. Thanks for the help guys. Should have figured that out in the begining I guess. All the rest of my wiring seems OK, although alot of accessories splice into the nitrous acc arm wire. Which I used the 18 g wire that NX says to use in its directions....
#9
Originally Posted by 93TAWicked1
It is wired to a relay, it does have the pressure swith, I'll run a 12g wire to the relay, after that shouldn't matter as the heater is less then a foot an half away. Thanks for the help guys. Should have figured that out in the begining I guess. All the rest of my wiring seems OK, although alot of accessories splice into the nitrous acc arm wire. Which I used the 18 g wire that NX says to use in its directions....
What is the amp draw of the heater and what is the total length of wire from battery to heater? If there are other items running off the same wire you need to add those amps when choosing the wire size.
Don't be fooled by the NX directions and the wire size they provide. I respect the NX guys but they or any other manufacturer does not know how far the total distance from the device to the battery and thay don't know if you have other items pulling current from the same wire. Ths same goes for the ground wire. Use the chart for power & ground wires and you will be fine. Going a little big on wire size is fine but you don't need a shotgun to kill a mouse.+
+
#10
OK just reread through all this and unfortuneatly I'm more confused on what seems to be a simple issue.
The bottle is mounted on the hump between where the rear seats were. About a foot away from it is the relay which NX suggests should be as close to the bottle as possible. It is close enough that the relay wire is the one going to the warmer.
There is another wire that is directly connected to the battery, which is now 12g with a 25a fuse until I can find from NX what it should be for sure. The relay and bottle heater are both grounded to the hump to a hole that was sanded to bare metal around it.
If there is any suggestions to a better setup please let me know. I really don't want to tear it apart again but I want it done right too...
The bottle is mounted on the hump between where the rear seats were. About a foot away from it is the relay which NX suggests should be as close to the bottle as possible. It is close enough that the relay wire is the one going to the warmer.
There is another wire that is directly connected to the battery, which is now 12g with a 25a fuse until I can find from NX what it should be for sure. The relay and bottle heater are both grounded to the hump to a hole that was sanded to bare metal around it.
If there is any suggestions to a better setup please let me know. I really don't want to tear it apart again but I want it done right too...
Last edited by 93TAWicked1; 04-16-2006 at 04:11 PM.
#11
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Sounds like you have it right.
The 25A fuse is sized right too. The NX heater is 240W which should draw abot 18.5A @13V. A 20A fuse would be a little too close for comfort so your 25A is perfect.
Good luck with it.
Vinny
The 25A fuse is sized right too. The NX heater is 240W which should draw abot 18.5A @13V. A 20A fuse would be a little too close for comfort so your 25A is perfect.
Good luck with it.
Vinny
Originally Posted by 93TAWicked1
OK just reread through all this and unfortuneatly I'm more confused on what seems to be a simple issue.
The bottle is mounted on the hump between where the rear seats were. About a foot away from it is the relay which NX suggests should be as close to the bottle as possible. It is close enough that the relay wire is the one going to the warmer.
There is another wire that is directly connected to the battery, which is now 12g with a 25a fuse until I can find from NX what it should be for sure. The relay and bottle heater are both grounded to the hump to a hole that was sanded to bare metal around it.
If there is any suggestions to a better setup please let me know. I really don't want to tear it apart again but I want it done right too...
The bottle is mounted on the hump between where the rear seats were. About a foot away from it is the relay which NX suggests should be as close to the bottle as possible. It is close enough that the relay wire is the one going to the warmer.
There is another wire that is directly connected to the battery, which is now 12g with a 25a fuse until I can find from NX what it should be for sure. The relay and bottle heater are both grounded to the hump to a hole that was sanded to bare metal around it.
If there is any suggestions to a better setup please let me know. I really don't want to tear it apart again but I want it done right too...