On a 06 Hunter; When at the dock with shore power hooked and charger running, shouldn’t the voltage of my house batteries and start battery be very close to the same, maybe a tenth or two off? My house battery is at 13.27 and my start battery is at 12.71. On the Battery controls I have the start and house batteries turned on. The charger is a 100 amp charger with Echo Charge. All batteries only 6 months old.
Charging system
- Thread starter DOCKHAND
- Start date
Sound like my configuration too.
On Mine...
1) House batteries are charged by My Charger [Echo Charge for you]
2) Start Battery is charged by my Engine Alternator and my Genset Alternator.
_____
The 13.7 = Float charge of the shore power connected Charger.
The 12.71 = Full charge after Alternator charging.
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To prove that they are independent, start you engine and check the voltage on the start battery after about 15 minutes, it should about 14 VDC.
Jim...
On Mine...
1) House batteries are charged by My Charger [Echo Charge for you]
2) Start Battery is charged by my Engine Alternator and my Genset Alternator.
_____
Answer, if like mine, NO!
The 13.7 = Float charge of the shore power connected Charger.
The 12.71 = Full charge after Alternator charging.
____
To prove that they are independent, start you engine and check the voltage on the start battery after about 15 minutes, it should about 14 VDC.
Jim...
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Your house batteries have reached 100% charge while your start battery seem to be still charging. The two banks function separately and if deep cycle and Start batteries react differently. Your house seem like they have been at rest for a while meanwhile the charging current is being directed to the start battery. Have they all been charging for the same amount of time? I would put a load tester to that start battery. The start battery is like a car battery it cranks the engine in a spurt of power and then quickly recharges from the alternator. If your echo charger is still demanding a charging current either the battery is weak or the Echo charger is defective. In my experience charging the start battery solely with the alternator is more than adequate unless the boat stays unattended for months at a time.
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How do I test the Echo charger to see if it’s defective? Last year I had to install a new charger (model Freedom 458) which doesn’t come with an Echo charge like my old one, so I had to add a remote Echo charge unit. Also I thought that the shore power charger, charged the house batteries and the Echo charged the start, but I must be wrong? On the battery control panel both the house and start switches are on.
I think you just did!
Do you have the Echo Charger manual?
A simple test is to turn off the Echo Charger and then check the house batteries...
if fully charged, should read ≈12.7 VDC
Jim..
Without knowing exactly how the boat is wired, it's hard to tell.
If it's really BOTH, you'd read the same voltage for both start and house, because they would be connected together, and your Echo charger would be doing nothing.
Is it a Xantrex Echo Charger?
If the 1/2/B switch is wired as many are doing so these days, you are running your house loads from the start battery. That would explain the difference, since the Echo charger is ON, charging the start battery from the otherwise unloaded house.
Look at the Echo charger. Is the green LED on solid, blinking, or off?
Does that mean you have a 1/2/BOTH/OFF switch, and it's set to BOTH? How is that switch wired?
If it's really BOTH, you'd read the same voltage for both start and house, because they would be connected together, and your Echo charger would be doing nothing.
Is it a Xantrex Echo Charger?
If the 1/2/B switch is wired as many are doing so these days, you are running your house loads from the start battery. That would explain the difference, since the Echo charger is ON, charging the start battery from the otherwise unloaded house.
Look at the Echo charger. Is the green LED on solid, blinking, or off?
Is that actually backwards from the recommended configuration? If you are indeed doing that, you are supplying your maximum charging source current to the start battery, which is never really discharged much, and limiting your house bank charging current to the Echo charger's limit, which is a paltry 15A.
You should connect your alternator output, and shore power charger output to the house bank, and echo-charge the start battery.
Xantrex Echo Charger Manual:
http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Ac...er/Echo-charge-OwnerGuide(445-0204-01-01).pdf
Excerpt:
http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Ac...er/Echo-charge-OwnerGuide(445-0204-01-01).pdf
Excerpt:
The Xantrex Digital echo-charge is specially developed for charging an
auxiliary battery with FreedomTM or Fleet Power® Inverter/Chargers or with
any charging source. The Digital echo-charge automatically switches ON
and OFF, charging a starter or auxiliary battery without affecting the main
house battery bank. The maximum charge current is 15 amps when the
starting battery is 1/2 volt to 1 volt DC less than the house battery. The
Digital echo-charge is designed to work on 12 VDC or 24 VDC systems.
auxiliary battery with FreedomTM or Fleet Power® Inverter/Chargers or with
any charging source. The Digital echo-charge automatically switches ON
and OFF, charging a starter or auxiliary battery without affecting the main
house battery bank. The maximum charge current is 15 amps when the
starting battery is 1/2 volt to 1 volt DC less than the house battery. The
Digital echo-charge is designed to work on 12 VDC or 24 VDC systems.
Thanks for the advice.
But...
I have a genset and will maintain my OEM Hunter wiring that meets ABYC standards.
I sail more that use my engine. I use my genset more than I or previous owners use the engine.
Jim...
PS: The OP is a Hunter owner too.
I fail to see how that changes things.
The purpose and intent of an echo charger is to maintain a starting battery. If you charge the house with a genset, and the start battery with the engine, why install an Echo charger (backwards, no less).
If your genset fails, how do you charge your house bank?
I don't understand that statement. I assume you mean the generator meets ABYC standards. Great. What does it mean to "maintain my OEM Hunter wiring?"
The purpose and intent of an echo charger is to maintain a starting battery. If you charge the house with a genset, and the start battery with the engine, why install an Echo charger (backwards, no less).
If your genset fails, how do you charge your house bank?