Balmar Output

[Rick D]

Trevor, thanks for appearing on our Guest Expert Forum. I have a Balmar 100 amp alternator and three-stage regulator. The starting and 500-amp house banks are isolated by a factory-supplied relay. Anyhow, I have a suspicion I am not getting the full output back to the house batteries. Someone in a prior post indicated he had disconnected the relay and that it had prevented full charging to the house bank. That may be, but I don't know why. What's your take and what diagnosis do you suggest? Rick D.

 

[Trevor - SailboatOwners.c]

Battery test

H- Rick -The simplest test is to load the batteries until they reach 50% of charge (it's most helpful to have a battery meter installed). Run the engine with no other loads or sources and check the voltage at the alternator on both sides of the relay and at the battery. Depending on correct wire sizing (amperage, length of circuit, temperature and number of bundled conductors) there should be no voltage drop. The simplest solution is to connect the voltage sensor for the regulator directly to the house bank.Hope this helps!Trevor