e-Puzzlement

[Rick D]

I had a Balmar 100++ amp alternator, Heart 2500 and two banks of golf cart batteries installed four months ago. When the boat was 'off the grid' for two weeks, it seemed that the batteries came up only weakly when the engine was run for an hour at 1500 RPM. The regulator indicated a normal charge. The switch was on 'both'. Later, I isolated them and it appeared bank #1 was really weak, so I suspected a bad cell. Bank #2 seemed to come up OK. Back at the slip, I let it charge for a week. I left the refrig&freezer draw from #2. (I believe the Heart charges both regardless of the battery switch selection.)Then I turned off the shore power and hit the batteries with all the lights for about 15 minutes at 10 amps draw. I then checked the electrolight gravity. Bank 1 was low on all cells. Bank 2 was medium on all cells. However, the amp meter showed only 11 volts on either setting. The Heart remote indicated 12.5 volts. I took my multimeter and checked each bank. #2 was 12.7 with a 5 amp load and #1 was 12.4. OK, so what does this really tell me? The altenator seems to be putting out fine. The belt is tight. Could it be reading from the starting battery and keeping the output down since it has a good charge? How should I check that?What do all the readings from the house bank tell you? I have had enough defective batteries in my day to not be surprised to have a bad cell in one? But, all the cells in bank 1 were down about the same. Is the real test to take them in and have them load tested? Is there a flaw in my testing? I'm probably over my head in this and need to bring in someone, but I'd like your input first. Thanks all. Rick D.,

 

[Ed Schenck]

Similar problem, but...

more details are required I think. You mention that the Heart should take care of ALL of the batteries. But there is nothing in a Heart Inverter/Charger to balance the battery charging unless they are all wired in parallel. And the battery switch positioned on "ALL" would have no effect. If you have the starter battery and house batteries isolated as they should be then more electronics is required. There should be a "combiner" in the mix somewhere. This device senses that the house battery has reached full(or nearly) charge and then closes the circuit so that the house batteries are being charged. Since it has only been installed for four months I would suspect a wiring problem. All the batteries should have come back up in a week's time on shorepower.

 

[Patrick Ewing]

Some things to check

First see where your regulator senses. There should be a wire from the battery to the regulator. If it is sensing from the starting battery, that could explain its behavior.As to the difference between banks, check the voltage on each bank with the charger on at the dock. It may be charging through the battery switch. If the selected battery is charging and the nonselected battery is not the voltages will be different. Then you can check both with both selected and see if they both come up to the charging voltage. If they do, that indicates the wiring to the charger is connected to the selector switch.One thing you said is unclear. You said the amp meter read 11 volts. Did you mean amps? It sounds to me like you have the skill to fix this problem.Hope this helps,Patrick

 

[DENNIS CHERONE]

BAD PUZZLEMENT

HI RICK. THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR MY HEART 2000 DESCRIBES "ECHO CHARGING" IT WILL CHARGE WHATEVER BANK NEEDS IT BUT WILL ALSO FOLLOW WITH A CHARGE TO THE OTHER BANKS. THE SECOND BANK GETS A CURSORY CHARGE. THE CHARGER DOESN'T TREAT IT WITH AS MUCH PRECISION AS THE BANK THAT NEEDS A CHARGE. AS FAR AS RUNNING THE ENGINE GOES THE BATTERY SWITCH SHOULD SELECT WHICH BANK IS TO BE CHARGED. OR YOU WOULD OVERCHARGE THE STARTING BATTERY OR SECOND HOUSE BANK. YOUR SYSTEM IS PRETTY COMPLEX COMPARED TO MINE BUT THE CONCEPT REMAINS THE SAME. AT THE ISLAND I USE THE HOUSE BATTERY BY SELECTING 2 ON THE SWITCH. THIS ISOLATES THE STARTING BATTERIES FROM DRAIN AND OVERCHARGING.