Big debate. Does the battery discharge control switch affect which batteries are being charged? In other words, two batteries on a boat, discharge selector set to battery 1, is battery 2 also charged when the engine is running/boat is connected to shore power? MANY BEERS HANG ON THIS! John
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Agree, if properly wired......
After having my boat for two years I could not understand why one bank of batteries would show a charge of 14+v and the other 12+v when hooked up to shore power. I would use the battery selecter switch to check the voltage. To play it safe I decided to just leave the selecter switch on both. Well, I finally looked into it this past weekend....the dealer when installing a combiner (combines both batteries bank when charging, but seperates them when not)forgot to attach the ground. Thus, the solenoid never kicked in when charging the batteries (and thus always keeping the 2 banks seperate). The second bank was beeing charged not by the charger directly, but inderectly via the battery selector switch in the cabin when placed in the "both" position. That explained why one set of batteries was always warmer and needed more water than the other. Live and learn. abe
After having my boat for two years I could not understand why one bank of batteries would show a charge of 14+v and the other 12+v when hooked up to shore power. I would use the battery selecter switch to check the voltage. To play it safe I decided to just leave the selecter switch on both. Well, I finally looked into it this past weekend....the dealer when installing a combiner (combines both batteries bank when charging, but seperates them when not)forgot to attach the ground. Thus, the solenoid never kicked in when charging the batteries (and thus always keeping the 2 banks seperate). The second bank was beeing charged not by the charger directly, but inderectly via the battery selector switch in the cabin when placed in the "both" position. That explained why one set of batteries was always warmer and needed more water than the other. Live and learn. abe
How to tell
follow your 12 wire(s) from the battery charger. If you find one going to each batter bank then your system is, IMHO , wired corectly and it does not matter which position the 3-way battery switch is placed. If the wires go to the "common" post of the 3-way battery switch the your system can direct the charger output to either battery bank or both. Neather set up effects the way your batteries get charged by the alternator. If you have a battery combiner then you have other problems but it will combine the batteries correctly for both the battery charger and the alternator regardless of which position the 3-way switch is placed in. For more beer points, ask how your main bilge pump is hooked up. I should run, IMHO, when the float switch is "rased" no mater how you set the 3-way switch.
follow your 12 wire(s) from the battery charger. If you find one going to each batter bank then your system is, IMHO , wired corectly and it does not matter which position the 3-way battery switch is placed. If the wires go to the "common" post of the 3-way battery switch the your system can direct the charger output to either battery bank or both. Neather set up effects the way your batteries get charged by the alternator. If you have a battery combiner then you have other problems but it will combine the batteries correctly for both the battery charger and the alternator regardless of which position the 3-way switch is placed in. For more beer points, ask how your main bilge pump is hooked up. I should run, IMHO, when the float switch is "rased" no mater how you set the 3-way switch.
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