Size circuit breaker?

[Mogli]

Does anybody know the size circuit breaker needed for the van's wingtip light kit (10 or 15 amp?) I've looked thru the plans sent with the van's wingtip kit (the two bulbs in the tip) and cannot find the size circuit breaker required.

Thank you

Mogli
RV-8 phase 1

[ctbecker]

Circuit Breaker is dependent on wire size which is dependent on the continuous current (amps) drawn by the lamp.

http://support.anywheremap.com/pdfs/wiresize.PDF

[Jeff R]

I am planning to use a 10 A slow blow with 16 AWG wire for the 100W halogen lamps.

[Webb]

Are you going to use 1 breaker/fuse or 2?

I used 2 switchable breakers. 16G wire to each light and a 10A switchable breaker for each light pair of lights.

Problem of using 1 breaker/fuse is the wire to the light may require heavier wire since you have it hooked up to a higher rated breaker. (ie: 15 amp breaker should have 14 gauge wire).

Kinda like wiring a house. You put in a 20 amp breaker, you install 12 gauge wire. Put in a 15A, you use 14G wire.

That link from 2nd thread is excellent info.

[Andy Hill]

Mogli...

We fitted the Van's RV-8 lights... but wired the lights to separate switches i.e. a switch/CB for the "upper lights" and another for the "lower". 4 x 75W bulbs.

Each Switch/CB controls 150W = 12.5A, so used 15A Switch/CB. 15A x distance to wingtips is marginal 14AWG v 12AWG... so we went for 12AWG.

You might do better with a Switch and separate fuses for each side, which would let you reduce the wire size?

If I did it again, I would only use 1 bulb per side, reduce wire/switch weight, and have 2 spare bulbs. We are at ~85hours with lights on all the time, and all 4 bulbs still OK (but only 2 in use at any one time).

HTH?

Andy & Ellie Hill
RV-8 G-HILZ http://www.g-hilz.co.uk

[Mogli]

Andy Hill,

Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. I know about wire size and distance - just needed a starting point with amps drawn by the bulbs. The lights are already in my plane and I was using a 10 amp fuse(from my other plane, leading edge lights) and kept popping the breakers and before I started taking things apart, I wanted to go easy first and ask about breaker size.

Thanks

Mogli