I have a 1980 C27 Catalina. My batteries have gone dead while plugged into the shore power. Shore power was attached, 120V circuit breaker on, and the battery selector switch in the "both" position. I don't understand why they would have gone dead while attached to shore power. Shouldn't they be getting charged while plugged into the shore power?
Battery charging problem
- Thread starter Kenan
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- battery problems
K,
Why do you keep the battery selector set to both, when not at the boat & having to run systems, this should be off. I can see if maybe your bilge pump is wired this way however, there may be some other unknown circuit problem which is draining power.
You want your bilge pumps wired directly to your batteries to avoid problems.
Secondly, I installed a digital battery charger. I have AC receptacles hooked up & wired to my shore power thru a breaker. I do have an auto-manual switch on my panel but the juice goes directly from shorepower to battery to pump.
I take the plug from the charger & plug it into a good China Depot house timer, simple.
I have my timer set daily for 1 1/2 hours. When the timer goes on, I get 5 minutes of full charge & the rest becomes a trickle charge. This keeps my batteries up without cooking them. If using wet cell with caps, that's a poor choice. Remember only use sealed batteries.
In addition, there is no reason other than price to have wet cell-non sealed batteries on your boat. I myself use only ATM batteries. I find they charge easily & I get between 5-6 years use. Sure you pay more upfront but, it's worth it pal.
Why do you keep the battery selector set to both, when not at the boat & having to run systems, this should be off. I can see if maybe your bilge pump is wired this way however, there may be some other unknown circuit problem which is draining power.
You want your bilge pumps wired directly to your batteries to avoid problems.
Secondly, I installed a digital battery charger. I have AC receptacles hooked up & wired to my shore power thru a breaker. I do have an auto-manual switch on my panel but the juice goes directly from shorepower to battery to pump.
I take the plug from the charger & plug it into a good China Depot house timer, simple.
I have my timer set daily for 1 1/2 hours. When the timer goes on, I get 5 minutes of full charge & the rest becomes a trickle charge. This keeps my batteries up without cooking them. If using wet cell with caps, that's a poor choice. Remember only use sealed batteries.
In addition, there is no reason other than price to have wet cell-non sealed batteries on your boat. I myself use only ATM batteries. I find they charge easily & I get between 5-6 years use. Sure you pay more upfront but, it's worth it pal.
For a start at guessing what the problem is:
Is the charger also from 1980?
What kind and brand charger?
Did you verify the charger is working? What voltage is it producing?
How old are the batteries? What are their resting voltages?
Did you remove and clean all connections routinely?
Are the batteries fused? Are the fuses good?
Glad this works for you, but usually not for the rest of us. Wet cells, NOT sealed, are almost the universal choice of those who use them. If, however, you are using AGM, not ATM, batteries, of course.
But AGMs are not for everybody and have their own disadvantages.
It usually helps to use correct terminology (unless it was an honest typo, then sorry) when promoting something, and perhaps explaining a bit more in detail what you have and why you made the choice.
Your timer for the charge is ingenious, I've read about the concept, but most boats aren't wired that way, 'cuz the chargers are hard wired into the boat's incoming AC system, not through receptacles.
Your boat, your choice.
Thanks for sharing the options.
How OLD are the batteries? Charging old batteries on guarantees wasting power. A bad battery will always suck the life out of a good one. Another good reason to stay away from the both selector. However, you can add a diode to allow simultaneous charging without back feed draining.
If you use a micro processor “smart” charger, there is no need for timers etc. The charger will determine the current state of charge and will supply necessary amps to charge to an acceptable level and then maintain without overcharging.
I have AGM batteries onboard also; however, after reading Mainesail’s recent evaluation of marine batteries, AGM batteries are probably not the best choice. There are batteries that are better suited at a lower cost.
I have AGM batteries onboard also; however, after reading Mainesail’s recent evaluation of marine batteries, AGM batteries are probably not the best choice. There are batteries that are better suited at a lower cost.
The battery switch shouldn't be part of the charging circuit. The charger should be hardwired to the AC system and then directly to the battery, not through the 12 volt panel.
The first thing I'd check is how old the battery is... look on the top where the year and month stickers are. Anything over 36 mos. on a wet cell is probably close to the end of it's life.
The first thing I'd check is how old the battery is... look on the top where the year and month stickers are. Anything over 36 mos. on a wet cell is probably close to the end of it's life.
Different boats are wired different ways. Some need the battery switch to be on, in order for the batteries to get charged. Some don't. If your batteries went dead while plugged into shore power, then you need to do some troubleshooting. Something is wrong somewhere. It could be a wire, a switch, a fuse, a charger, a battery, a loose connection or a gremlin nest. A knowledgeable person poking around with a volt meter should be able to give you an educated opinion after a short evaluation.
They can pop up almost anywhere.
The Gremlin on #Simpsonsworld
http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/318795843551?
It depends on how your inboard Battery Charger is wired. The best way is to follow the charging lead sets to determine if they go directly to the batteries (+ and -), to a combining post or through a switch. With power on check the voltage at the leads (13.5V+). If no charging current check internal circuit fuse. Determine brand and model of the charger and google it for information. If it is a 30 year old charger it might be worth to just replace it as the modern units are more efficient, easier on the batteries and much faster.
The first thing to do is to locate the battery charger, if there even is one.. There are some boats that shipped with an AC panel breaker for a battery charger but the battery charger was an "option". In other words you may have an AC breaker labeled Battery Charger but there may not even be one. I had a customer who went through two banks in one season. He was flipping the charger switch to ON, when he left, but there was not a battery charger on the boat...
I had the battery selector switch set to both because I thought they would both be getting charged while connect to shore power
I just replaced the batteries today since they were flat dead and I don't know the age. I tested the battery lead with a meter while attached to shore power and got nothing. Silly question but where would the charger be?
If yes.
Look behind the panel and follow the wires from that circuit breaker to the box. It should indicate that it is a "Battery Charger". It will have a red wire coming out of it that will go to one of your batteries or it will go to the switch you used to turn to both. Confirm this is the case or not the case.
Look behind the panel and follow the wires from that circuit breaker to the box. It should indicate that it is a "Battery Charger". It will have a red wire coming out of it that will go to one of your batteries or it will go to the switch you used to turn to both. Confirm this is the case or not the case.
If you have a hard wired charger, it will be powered by your shore power system, and should have its own dedicated on/off switch. The path would be: 120 source to on/off switch to charger to battery. My boat does not have an AC panel... the charger switch is mounted next to the Shore power switch/bus. So locate your shore power inlet and follow the wires. When you find the master switch... the charger switch is nearby... then follow it to the charger, which will be mounted on a wall near the battery compartment. If your previous owner just used a portable car type charger ... forget all this.. go to a marine store and tell them you want to buy a "smart charger" .... it comes with instructions on how to connect. A 10 amp 2 battery model is all you need. The smart charger does all the work once installed.