Charging Batteries

[Tyemac]

I have a Hunter Vision 32' with 2 house batteries and 1 start battery all are beep cycle. My questions are, why is the alternator just hooked up to the start battery and not to both ? Second, can I start the engine with the master switch turned to the all position rather than just in the engine position, and/or is it ok to switch it from engine to all while the engine is running ?

 

[dlochner]

The alternator is hooked up to the start battery to quickly recharge the start battery and perhaps more importantly protect the alternator diodes from being fried by someone turning off the house battery switch. There are better ways to wire the system so that the diodes are protected and the house battery gets recharged. Check MaineSail's forum here or his website, MarineHowto.com.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Tyemac, without knowing how your boat is wired, it would be premature to answer your specific question(s). Alternator output is an important subject, because interrupting the AO leads to fried diodes and dead alternators. Of course, those days should be a thing of the past, but it has taken decades for many of the basic concepts and solutions to get distributed to, and understood by, boatowners. The following links may begin to explain How Things Work and allow you to do some of your own sleuthing. Good luck.

OEM 1-2-B Switch Wiring History http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4949.msg30101.html#msg30101

Basic Battery Wiring Diagrams This is a very good basic primer for boat system wiring: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6604.0.html

This is another very good basic primer for boat system wiring: The 1-2-B Switch by Maine Sail (brings together a lot of what this subject is all about)
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=137615

This is a newer primer for boat system wiring design with a thorough digram: Building a Good Foundation (October 2016)
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/in...dc-electrical-foundation.181929/#post-1332240

The Short Version of the 1-2-B Switch Stuff: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5977.msg38552.html#msg38552 This is a link to the Electrical Systems 101 Topic, reply #2

What are ACRs, Combiners & Echo Chargers? (by Maine Sail) [scroll to the top]
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=742417 and http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,9404.msg70131.html#msg70131

 

[jssailem]

Tiemack welcome. See you joined in 2016 and have 3 posts. You must be doing something correctly.

Stu just gave you the links to the best info on batteries and wiring on a boat.

It will empower you to resolve your question and while answering the question likely raise more about the nature of your wiring. There is nothing like understanding your boat and how it is put together.

You will be a better owner for the time you put into reading these links. You may decide to do the work yourself, or conclude that you will have someone else do the work. But you will know what to ask and what to expect of the person you hire. A far cry better than saying to the yard worker... I have a problem can you fix it? Then hoping they can figure out the problem and never knowing if it was really a problem or if they fixed it.