batteries and refridgeration

[NanVan]

We bought our Catalina 30 last summer and were told by the previous owners that they did not leave shore power, refridgerator or battery charger ON when in the slip. Leaving the Cold Machine on would require the charger to be on and could boil the batteries and decrease their life. Everyone I've talked to leaves Power on, Cold Machine on, and the charger on all the time. All I know is I am tired of hauling a cooler to the boat when there is a perfectly great, unused fridge waiting to be used. Is is necessary to have the charger on in port if fridge is running? I read in the manual that leaving the charger on longer than 48 hours is bad. How does everyone else do this? Help?

 

[Phil Williams]

ColdMachine in Port

The ColdMachine should be left on if you have shore power and a good battery charger. This is how thousands of boaters use their system. A good charger will not over charge the batteries and boil them dry. You should always check your batteries to make sure your charger is doing a good job and not boiling off the fluid. The ColdMachine should be wired to your DC distribution bus and on a circuit breaker. The charger should be connected directly to the batteries. I would suggest you talk with the maker of your charger about how to use it. If he tells you to not run it more than 48 hours then I would suggest getting a charger that is a higher quality.

 

[Paul]

Batteries and Refridgeration RE

NavMan,Running you refrigeration unit full time while at your slip will for sure require that you be under shore power with your charger in use. Most Battery chargers sold at Marine Stores will switch to a "float" or "trickle" voltage when the batteries reach close to the full storage capacity to prevent overcharging.You will have to investigate your current charger capabilities to ensure it has this feature. If not, I recommend purchasing a marine grade charger with this feature suitable for your battery bank. Good luck,Paul

 

[Richard]

Battery Stress

I have two AB connected to shore power full time, they have been running for five years that way.One unit is connected to a cheep group 27 battery being charged by a 10 amp Guest three step. Water is added every 3 weeks to battery.The second AB is connected to again one cheep group 27 battery and being charged by a Heart 2000 inverter charger. Water level checked every 3 to 4 months.For best results in warm climates a three-step charger with adjustable voltage range will protect the battery. It is also important that the charger not increase the voltage to the full charge step when the refrigerator starts up. For more information on refrigeration connected to chargers go to the link below.