I hope someone can straighten me out on this issue. I have a Hunter 36 with 2 new 4D batteries with parallel connection. I have a battery charger/inverter with a toggle swiitch 1-BOTH-2-OFF. Under this area, I have 2 on/off switches for HOUSE BATTERY 1 and HOUSE BATTERY 2. i'm told when mooring out to switch to HOUSE BATTERY 2 to run the AC powered devices and to save BATTERY 1 to start the engine. The problem is that when I switch back to BATTERY 1 and check the voltage readings both batterues are the same, always. I've shut down everything on the DC panel and have run microwaves, hairdryers, etc trying to get a lower reading from BATTERY 2 and it doesn't work. I've been told that parallel connections, while increasing capacity, charge and discharge equally. If this is true, is the inverter wired to the battery. Do I need to wire each battery separately to the respective switch to be able to go from one battery to another and if I do this, am I going to lose the extra capacity of the 2 parallel batteries. Any thoughts and advice would be really appreciated. thank you
confused regarding batteries discharge
- Thread starter barrile
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Parallel connection? Your information from others is true, I believe.
It's virtually one battery.
I think...
It's virtually one battery.
I think...
Thats my thinking also so I can't figure out how you can segregate 2 batteries that are tied together. Hunter's schematic shows parallel batteries, 2 postives coming in but the 2 negatives connected and one line out so it seems impossible to switch batteries with this set up.
wrong
Someone must have changed the wiring because the way it should work is the 2 breakers under the nav station change from battery 1 to battery 2.
Easy to check the battery box in the port cockpit locker and see if batteries are all one bank and check the fuses for the 2-4D's.
Not bad setup and that is what I did my batteries are all one big bank and added a starter battery.
Nick
Someone must have changed the wiring because the way it should work is the 2 breakers under the nav station change from battery 1 to battery 2.
Easy to check the battery box in the port cockpit locker and see if batteries are all one bank and check the fuses for the 2-4D's.
Not bad setup and that is what I did my batteries are all one big bank and added a starter battery.
Nick
Seadaddler-Can you have a bank of 2 parallel batteries and still have the 2 breakers to 1 and 2? Are your 4Ds parallel connected? Mike
Sure
Yes you can have the 2-4D's parallel into 1 bank which I did have and the start battery to 2 bank but I felt it was too easy to forget the charging of each battery and to keep track which one was charged and which battery on just for start or which one for house bank,the way Hunter had it suppose to be setup much better with 2 different banks and no start battery.
But I wanted one big main house bank on and charging all the time with no confusing if and when it the house bank was on charge,we have a lot of 12volt draw with the microwave,coffee maker and TV and computers and smartphones and Hot Spot and don't forget radar,chartplotter autopilot and other instruments too.
I now have 4-6volt T-105's as my house bank and alternator bypass the starter and wired direct to house bank and start battery wired to starter and charged from echo from inverter/charger and battery switch backup to house bank.
Like I said we go out cruising for 3 weeks at a time and use lots of 12volt battery power and lots of weekend trips and my wife likes all the best for comfort even a hair dryer.
I do have a 4200 Fisher Panda Gen and 2-190 watt solar panels that keep 1 ref and 1 freezer going 24/7
Yes you can have the 2-4D's parallel into 1 bank which I did have and the start battery to 2 bank but I felt it was too easy to forget the charging of each battery and to keep track which one was charged and which battery on just for start or which one for house bank,the way Hunter had it suppose to be setup much better with 2 different banks and no start battery.
But I wanted one big main house bank on and charging all the time with no confusing if and when it the house bank was on charge,we have a lot of 12volt draw with the microwave,coffee maker and TV and computers and smartphones and Hot Spot and don't forget radar,chartplotter autopilot and other instruments too.
I now have 4-6volt T-105's as my house bank and alternator bypass the starter and wired direct to house bank and start battery wired to starter and charged from echo from inverter/charger and battery switch backup to house bank.
Like I said we go out cruising for 3 weeks at a time and use lots of 12volt battery power and lots of weekend trips and my wife likes all the best for comfort even a hair dryer.
I do have a 4200 Fisher Panda Gen and 2-190 watt solar panels that keep 1 ref and 1 freezer going 24/7
Preferred setup
Have a separate start battery connected to position 2 on switch
Connect an ACR (automatic charging relay between banks 1&2
Leave the switch on position 1 always.
The house loads will run from the 4D's, and the start Battery will start the engine.
When charging or on shore power, they will All be lumped together Automatically
Very simple
Have your 2 4D batteries connected in parallel as they are connected to position 1 on switch
Have a separate start battery connected to position 2 on switch
Connect an ACR (automatic charging relay between banks 1&2
Leave the switch on position 1 always.
The house loads will run from the 4D's, and the start Battery will start the engine.
When charging or on shore power, they will All be lumped together Automatically
Very simple
That would make sense but what I don't understand is when I switch from House Battery 1 to House Battery 2, I get the same readings. If both parallel batteries were hooked to house battery one switch, wouldn't battery 2's switch not register any voltage at all? Very confusing. Maybe they shouldn't be parallelled and just run battery one to house battery switch one and battery 2 to house battery switch two. Seems like it would work but I'd lose the extra capacity of the two batteies tied together. I just can't believe that this is the way Hunter designed this with the battery/inverter. mike
What year is your 36? There are a few different models of the 36 dating back over a couple of decades! It sounds to me that your vessel may not be wired the same way it left the factory. If that is the case you may need to diagram the current wiring in order to get the most benefit from the members of the forum.
Trace
You need to start tracing the wiring to the bank 1 and 2 switches and also check the 1-2 both switch and also take the top off the 2 4-D's battery box.
Just go easy and start with the battery box and see how they are wired and check and the 2 battery fuses next to the battery box in the cockpit port side compartment which go to each battery to protect against any shorting out.
If the batteries are wired as a single bank in the box and not parallel as one bank than they are not together parallel one bank but also check the switches under the nav station.
Leave the switch on bank 1 and leave it there and use the inverter on and plug in something with a big draw like electric heater plugged in to a outlet and watch that battery for drawing down and than check both bank i and 2 until you see some kind of drop in that bank and see what happens than to your batteries.
Nick
You need to start tracing the wiring to the bank 1 and 2 switches and also check the 1-2 both switch and also take the top off the 2 4-D's battery box.
Just go easy and start with the battery box and see how they are wired and check and the 2 battery fuses next to the battery box in the cockpit port side compartment which go to each battery to protect against any shorting out.
If the batteries are wired as a single bank in the box and not parallel as one bank than they are not together parallel one bank but also check the switches under the nav station.
Leave the switch on bank 1 and leave it there and use the inverter on and plug in something with a big draw like electric heater plugged in to a outlet and watch that battery for drawing down and than check both bank i and 2 until you see some kind of drop in that bank and see what happens than to your batteries.
Nick
To answer the one question, it is a 2005. I agree with both of you that I need to check the wires and see what is up. It sounds like a wiring issue. I also have an issue with having no steaming light as the anchor light and steaming light were wired together on the same switch.???? Thanks for your help. mike
Why you should parallel
So, let's say you have a 100 ah battery.
That means it can run a 5A load for 20 hours.
But does it mean it can run 100A load for 1 hour?
No.
This is because of something called Peukard's equation, which de-rates batteries the higher the load is versus the overall AH rating of the batteries.
So, by wiring your 2 batteries in parallel, you'll have a longer discharge curve than running one down & then switching to the other.
If you are bored at some point, research this on the Internet. You'll find a bunch of math & formulas that are all but impossible to understand
There is a specification on batteries called the 20 hour rule, which simply states a discharge measured over a 20 hour period.
So, let's say you have a 100 ah battery.
That means it can run a 5A load for 20 hours.
But does it mean it can run 100A load for 1 hour?
No.
This is because of something called Peukard's equation, which de-rates batteries the higher the load is versus the overall AH rating of the batteries.
So, by wiring your 2 batteries in parallel, you'll have a longer discharge curve than running one down & then switching to the other.
If you are bored at some point, research this on the Internet. You'll find a bunch of math & formulas that are all but impossible to understand
Another forum has an emoticon "This post is useless without a wiring diagram."
You really need to make one, or else we're all just guessing, you included.
BTW, 2 + wires coming out with one (-) wire is just fine, 'cuz only the +s are switched.
You really need to make one, or else we're all just guessing, you included.
BTW, 2 + wires coming out with one (-) wire is just fine, 'cuz only the +s are switched.
Inverter
Youshould have a remote inverter charger panel at the nav station and is that
What you are reading battery monitoring
I will be home in week and can send wiring info
Youshould have a remote inverter charger panel at the nav station and is that
What you are reading battery monitoring
I will be home in week and can send wiring info
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