We are having problems with our batteries. Last night we drained all the batteries and couldn't start the boat at anchor. We don't understand how to isolate the start battery so it does not get drained. Here is the panel. Please help.
Take a closer look … the switch IS 2 poles and designed for isolation. That said, it may not be used that way. Nick should investigate the back side of the switch.You have a single pole switch to connect or disconnect the battery bank. I would consider it normal that you only have a single battery bank to perform double duty in starting the engine as well as powering House fixtures. A battery bank may be composed of a single battery or multiple batteries acting in unison. The same way a single cell can bring down a battery a single bad battery could bring down a multi battery bank. Did you run a large load overnight while you were at anchor? How large in Ah is your bank? This sort of thing happens, and that is why you need to build redundancy into your power storage system. A simple way to insure redundancy for engine starting is to carry a fully charged portable power pack like those used for Automobiles. A more refined option would be to have a dedicated and isolated starting battery.
There is switch to the top right ofof the red battery switch. If open it appears to not drain the starter battery. Also does not charge starter battery from the inverter. I am going to start the motor to see if the alternator changes the starter battery when the motor runs.Take a closer look … the switch IS 2 poles and designed for isolation. That said, it may not be used that way. Nick should investigate the back side of the switch.
BTW, the switch does appear to be too simplistic for the application. I'm wondering if there are additional switches behind the scene to give the operator the ability to use one bank to temporarily provide service when the other bank fails. It appears that the single 2-pole switch does not provide any redundancy when needed.
This is a tell tale sign. Dry batteries are dead batteries.Three new life line AGM batteries are on there way from Miami. Test showed our deep cell batteries were toasted. The batteries are over two years old and when checked last week they were very dry.
Thanks for the info. We will watch that.This is a tell tale sign. Dry batteries are dead batteries.
Get to know your charging system well. The good news about AGM batteries is they have a higher charge acceptance rate. The bad news is they don't tolerate a Partial State of Charge (PSOC) very well and if not fully recharged correctly and quickly, they die an early expensive death.
How many batteries are in your house bank ?I wasn't familiar with a Dual Circuit Switch, so I looked it up and found this on the Blue Sea site: Blue Sea Systems' Dual Circuit Battery Switch - Blue Sea Systems.
A user friendly, no brainer battery switch.
Thanks that is what I discovered using the meter and trying different combinations of the switchsThe parallel charge breaker needs to be off/open or your house and start banks are combined..
I stand corrected about the number of poles and capabilities and would need to defer to how it is wired as far as any further comments.Take a closer look … the switch IS 2 poles and designed for isolation. That said, it may not be used that way. Nick should investigate the back side of the switch.