I want to know what is being charged by the motor and is this properly wired?
Thanks
Ted
Thanks
Ted
electrical expertice needed
- Thread starter kkpth6
- Start date
It looks correct to me. The only thing missing is the alternator, which is either connected to the "control panel" or the "common" connector in the switch. Unless "engine" is the alternator.
When the switch is in "all", both batteries are being charged, otherwise you can select between 1/2.
When the switch is in "all", both batteries are being charged, otherwise you can select between 1/2.
Most likely the alternator and starter share the red wire back to the selector switch. Under this configuration the alternator only charges the selected bank by the switch. Can't link because I am responding on my phone, but do some reading on The Musings of Maine Sail. There is a sticky on 1/2/both/off switches.
MZ thanks for the reply... yes the engine is the alternator.. But from what I've been reading is that with out some kind of combiner the alt will only charge the battery with the highest volts? the other one has the potential of never getting charged if not selected or if you use the both one could cannibalize the other. Im looking into changing the selector switch to the add a battery by blue seas and just have an on and off switch.. seems so much easier.
Yes, it is important to have matched batteries (new, same brand, same specs) because when you hook them in parallel (all), the batteries will try to "balance" each other out. If the batteries are not matched (voltage), a "circular" current will exist between the two (yes, they get hot), until an equilibrium is obtained. At this point, charging from the alternator will work, on both batteries, equally.
Regarding the combiner, that is more related to isolating a third battery (a starting battery) from being drained when using the house batteries. How it works is when the voltage is high enough (13 volts, either from the alternator or AC charging system) the third battery is in the charging circuit. Once the voltage reaches a certain level (i.e. 13.8 volts), the battery is disconnected (via a physical relay).
I should add that this ONLY works if the alternator is putting out good voltage (13.8V). If one diode is burned out (happened to me), and it is only putting out 11 volts, then the starting battery will NEVER charge. In my case, I solved this mystery by installing a 3-way voltage meter so now I can tell if the alternator is putting out the correct voltage.
Regarding the combiner, that is more related to isolating a third battery (a starting battery) from being drained when using the house batteries. How it works is when the voltage is high enough (13 volts, either from the alternator or AC charging system) the third battery is in the charging circuit. Once the voltage reaches a certain level (i.e. 13.8 volts), the battery is disconnected (via a physical relay).
I should add that this ONLY works if the alternator is putting out good voltage (13.8V). If one diode is burned out (happened to me), and it is only putting out 11 volts, then the starting battery will NEVER charge. In my case, I solved this mystery by installing a 3-way voltage meter so now I can tell if the alternator is putting out the correct voltage.
a bluesea combiner used on a two bank system will allow the charge to get to both batteries (banks) and charge them at the same time, BUT... when there is NO CHARGE coming into the acr unit, it will automatically disconnect and isolate the banks from one another.
when you have two banks, or single batteries in the case of the diagram/drawing, and assuming they are GOOD batteries, with an ACR in the system, one battery can be discharged quite heavily, and the other can be fully charged... when the alternator puts power to the relay for distributing to the batteries, the fully charged battery will not uptake any of the power because its already full and because there is another avenue for the power to go... to the empty battery. so the discharged batt continues to get amperage back into it until it becomes full and equal to the other battery. if the other battery is a little bit low on charge, they will both come up equal at this point until they are fully charged.
and to the OP, most of the charging will always go to the battery that is discharged the most, NOT to the one with the most charge already in it... this is how good batteries get cooked when there is a bad one in the system. the charge just keeps forever coming trying to charge up the internally damaged battery and all of the residual voltage keeps pushing into the rest of the bank of already charged up batteries without any relief...and they overheat.
Why a group 27? Why keep the two non-deep cycle back breakers?
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/deep_cycle_battery
Right. Skippers, there's really no reason to retype thew same stuff, over & over. Try these (includes Maine Sail's thread):
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
A combiner is a relay that parallels banks when charging is available.
An echo charger limits current to the reserve bank to 15A.
Do a search on "echo charger" by Maine Sail and read away.
There's also this:
Echo Charger Use Warning from Maine Sail: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/electrical-systems/72295-xantrex-echo-charger-rant.html
Because.........they are brand new batteries in a brand new boat. 6 volts to follow.