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Old 06-22-2020, 07:10 PM   #1
mj5150
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Valterra EZ Valve wiring question

We've decided to upgrade two of our three tanks to the electric valves from Valterra. The third one will be later if this all works as well as I'm being told it will.
I did some measuring and looking around underneath to be sure they fit and I can secure them. All good there.
One thing that got me was the electrical wiring. I can't figure out from that big collection of wires down there which, if any, are continuous 12v. I don't want to start cutting into them to test either.
Would it be ok just to run a 10 gauge wire direct from the battery for the power and another direct from the battery for the ground? I would then connect both valves to the wiring. I thought I'd asd a 10 amp fuse as well to be safe.
I plan to call Valterra and ask them as well, but I figured some of you would know as well or at least provide me some reliable advice.
Thanks y'all for your thoughts.

-Mike
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Old 06-22-2020, 07:43 PM   #2
wiredgeorge
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What is the draw of the electric motors? Seems to me 10 ga. wire is kind of thick for a 10A fused circuit. I am sure someone with a EE will jump in here but I would go 14 ga. as a guess.
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Old 06-22-2020, 07:55 PM   #3
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Each valve draws 2.5 amps.
You're probably right, 10 gauge is too much.
I'm a little bit out of my expertise when it comes to wiring.

-Mike
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Old 06-23-2020, 01:15 AM   #4
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In my opinion, if your going to run new wiring, I would run it from the fuse panel if you have an empty slot.
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Old 06-23-2020, 07:30 AM   #5
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^^^ What Chuck said. There should be one or two empty fuse slots on the fuse panel. The factory often installs fuses in all the slots, even if they are not connected to a circuit, so look for fuses with no wires connected to the slot, not for an "empty fuse location"... Doing it that way will keep as many fuses as possible in one location and will help prevent corrosion/connection issues at the battery terminals, which are exposed to the elements "outside the trailer".
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Old 06-23-2020, 08:36 AM   #6
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Seems to me that getting to the battery and a waterproof fuse block near the battery might be considerably easier to wire rather than pull the wires to his converter (not familiar with location on that camper). If he has the wiring for his camper buried under the coronaplast then that would mean pulling that stuff down across a major portion of the underbelly. Is my thinking faulty (could be I guess)... (The coronaplast was a pun, btw).
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Old 06-23-2020, 12:40 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57 View Post
In my opinion, if your going to run new wiring, I would run it from the fuse panel if you have an empty slot.
I'll look into that option.
The wires on the EZ-Valve are 18 gauge, and would run about 8-9 feet from the battery to the valve location or 15-16 feet from the fuse panel.
Do you think a single run of 14 or 12 gauge wire would be fine for both valves? Or should I run two 18 gauge wires, one each?

-Mike
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Old 06-23-2020, 01:22 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by mj5150 View Post
I'll look into that option.
The wires on the EZ-Valve are 18 gauge, and would run about 8-9 feet from the battery to the valve location or 15-16 feet from the fuse panel.
Do you think a single run of 14 or 12 gauge wire would be fine for both valves? Or should I run two 18 gauge wires, one each?

-Mike
I would add a fuse block somewhere inside a storage compartment and it would be all weather if possible. Run 14 ga from battery to block and then 18 ga to each of the valves; not sure how they are switched but whatever they do obviously is inline with the 18 ga wires. Something like this thing:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900355?rrec=true

Here is another and it would take a few weeks to get to you via China:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Positive-Ne...IAAOSwMDpeVAvT
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Old 06-23-2020, 02:36 PM   #9
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I would add a fuse block somewhere inside a storage compartment and it would be all weather if possible. Run 14 ga from battery to block and then 18 ga to each of the valves; not sure how they are switched but whatever they do obviously is inline with the 18 ga wires. Something like this thing:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900355?rrec=true

Here is another and it would take a few weeks to get to you via China:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Positive-Ne...IAAOSwMDpeVAvT

I ended up getting two of these that I'll put five amp fuses in:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cooper-Bussmann-30-Amp-Fast-Acting-Fuse/3138837
I'm going to run a separate power and ground for each valve.
It's a little extra work, but I'll be doing it anyway, so it's not that big a deal overall.
The only issue I ran into getting the parts at Lowe's was a spade connector to the battery posts. None were that big, so I'll just have to spread out the ones I did get and make sure they are on tight.

-Mike
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Old 06-23-2020, 03:04 PM   #10
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Most folks use a ring terminal for the battery connection instead of a Spade I would connect the ground to the frame, no need for a dedicated ground back to the battery.
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Old 06-23-2020, 03:17 PM   #11
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Most folks use a ring terminal for the battery connection instead of a Spade I would connect the ground to the frame, no need for a dedicated ground back to the battery.
I see those ring terminals all the time, and of course when I need one they are nowhere to be found.
I'll try an auto parts store. That was my mistake, thinking a home improvement store would carry auto fuses and electrical parts for vehicle batteries and wiring.

-Mike
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Old 06-23-2020, 03:40 PM   #12
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tractor supply has them
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Old 06-24-2020, 09:46 AM   #13
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I buy mine at ACE Hardware. Any hardware store would have them readily available in any needed size.
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Old 06-24-2020, 01:21 PM   #14
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Harbor Freight has those kit packs with dozens of yellow, blue and red crimp on connectors. The colors are for different gauge wire and these kits are cheap and work OK with the correct crimping tool (not supplied). Perhaps a bit of solder would make the connection a tad more secure if the situation calls for it; I do a dab of solder on all connections made with these things in motorcycle applications.
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Old 06-24-2020, 01:34 PM   #15
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I needed a new 12V power run from my fuse panel. My power center is at the floor level so all I needed to do was drill a hole in the floor outside of where the A-Frame runs (between the A Frame and the edge of the trailer). Then I just ran the wire through the floor and back along the trailer to where it was needed. I then sealed the hole in the floor using expanding foam.

I agree it would better to get the power from the power center, so all the fuses are in the central location (as much as possible).
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Old 06-28-2020, 11:13 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mj5150 View Post
We've decided to upgrade two of our three tanks to the electric valves from Valterra. The third one will be later if this all works as well as I'm being told it will.
I did some measuring and looking around underneath to be sure they fit and I can secure them. All good there.
One thing that got me was the electrical wiring. I can't figure out from that big collection of wires down there which, if any, are continuous 12v. I don't want to start cutting into them to test either.
Would it be ok just to run a 10 gauge wire direct from the battery for the power and another direct from the battery for the ground? I would then connect both valves to the wiring. I thought I'd asd a 10 amp fuse as well to be safe.
I plan to call Valterra and ask them as well, but I figured some of you would know as well or at least provide me some reliable advice.
Thanks y'all for your thoughts.

-Mike
Go to drainmaster.com (the actual creator's of the valves) and see what parts you are probably missing and they will still give you support. I am in the process of installing 3 valves, master switch/breaker, 3 switches indoors and 3 outdoors. I bought fuse holders locally as much cheaper but fuses from them as hard to find that size and style.
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Old 06-28-2020, 11:24 AM   #17
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Go to drainmaster.com (the actual creator's of the valves) and see what parts you are probably missing and they will still give you support. I am in the process of installing 3 valves, master switch/breaker, 3 switches indoors and 3 outdoors. I bought fuse holders locally as much cheaper but fuses from them as hard to find that size and style.

We went with the Valterra EZ-Valve.
After I added the five amp fuse holders and fuses to the 12v lines from the battery, I looked at the switch plate for the valves, and it had a five amp fuse built in. So now I have two five amp fuses. I suppose an extra layer of protection isn't a bad thing.
Two valves are in. The third will be here Monday. That one's going to be fun since I get to deal with the transition from 1.5" to 3".
The folks at Valterra have been awesome answering my questions and providing recommendations.

-Mike
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