Thread: Master power switch. Electrical GURUS needed

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Originally Posted by 34_40

No one is jumping off any cliffs! The guy wants to control the flow of electricity. With a switch he can open or close the circuit. It won't matter if it's on the positive or the negative side. The electron flow won't care as long as the circuit is complete with good clean connections! Don't believe it? Go to any car and lift off the negative terminal. Of course we all know the car won't start, won't crank, it just does NOTHING! Just what this guy wants. And just cause that's not how you think it's "customarily done" doesn't mean it's unsafe or bad. You aren't the know all / end all in the automotive field! I remember the days of positive ground systems, still work on a few of them too. And we all sleep well at night too! Sorry if this seems short or ill tempered, you're response implies something less than desireable.

Geesh, didn't you see the smiley faces? My point was that while you are doing something like this it takes no more effort or money to do it the RIGHT way. Would it work by interupting the negative side? Sure, but the problem is that you still have the entire positive side unprotected and the potential is there, albeit slim, that it could short out against something metal and cause a problem.

Where I work we have to operate under strict guidelines by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) they mandate how and where every component of a boat is placed and installed. Again, I realize this is a car, but the principles are the same........both have engines and batteries. The Council insists the switch be on the positive side, for the reason I mentioned above. I have never seen any disconnect switch installed on the negative side and have been in this industry for over 20 years.

Sorry you took offense for some reason to another opinion, but when we give advice on any forum we need to present the best way to do things, not just one that would get by, and if I had to chose between you getting irked and him having an electrical fire, guess which one wins out?

Don