Hot plug...

I have a 20 gallon bait tank that has 2 aerator pumps that have individual 2-way flat connectors that run into a "Y" connector that plugs into a harness that runs to the battery with a in line fuse. Over the weekend the "Y" connector that plugs into the battery connector harness got really hot. I think that the "Y" harness has to small of wires for the current draw of two pumps causing the "Y" connector to get hot.
I think the "Y" connector has 14GA wire.

Should I use 12ga wire for the "Y" harness or just run individual circuits to each pump? Total length is about 10'

I would step up to 12 for that set up. Splice it as close to the plug or get a new plug with 12 made into it.


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That fuse should have blown. What size is it?

Probably high resistance in a connection. The number one source of "real hot".

If you draw more current "amps" then you really should on a wire....then the the voltage will drop and it will get warm. If a wire gets "hot" then its really overloaded ...like 20 amps on 16ga.

So if you have "really hot" on a connection it's usually in the connection. Many times with crimp connectors they are a dissimilar metal than the wire. Between the connector and the wire a corrosion can setup and create resistance,then you get heat...

You might check but I doubt the pumps are more than a 2 or 3 amps. Use the chart in the link for wire size. You can run bigger wire won't hurt. But guess what...if you have a high resistance connection on the end of wire that's rated for triple the amps you need...it won't matter...it's gonna get hot and drop voltage. You see the voltage drop is lost power...and that lost power is converted to heat.

Run the right size wires and fuse everything right....but I'm telling you the connections and switches are super critical. They are the reason for more melting plastic and fires etc. then anything else. Check the link for wire size based on the length the wire runs and less than 3 percent voltage loss from the wire run.

https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvis...e-And-Ampacity

Thanks for the suggestions - I will look at the in line fuse and the connectors