House batteries
- Thread starter mjmercer19248
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House bank should be deep cycle batteries. Dual purpose batteries do neither very well. Don't buy your batteries at West Marine.
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=132350
Do an energy budget to size your house bank.
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=132350
Do an energy budget to size your house bank.
Marine batteries, unlike automotive ones, have posts and fittings for attaching accessory wires. Usually for house batteries you want deep cycle. They come in 80 amp (24 group size) or 105 amp hours (27 group size). Starting batteries come in cold cranking capacities. The larger the motor to start, the larger the CC capacity. Interstate is a good company.
Batteries Plus
Don't overlook Batteries Plus-- they carry everything. There is one right next door to the local WM store near here.:dance:
Don't overlook Batteries Plus-- they carry everything. There is one right next door to the local WM store near here.:dance:
+1 on the Batteries Plus. I got a motorcycle battery from them last year and it failed. A different Battery Plus store ( not affiliated with the one I bought it from ) was more than happy to help out and honor the warranty. No REAL big deal, but a nice experience when dealing with a problem.
Based on comments in other posts on this forum, deep cycle batteries are just as capable as automotive batteries at starting the engine, so wouldn't it make sense to have all your batteries be the same deep cycle ones?
Interesting remarks Fred V. A fresh starting battery can provide higher amps for a short time to spin the engine over faster. This is good to generate the heat needed to start a diesel engine. That being said, another Fred on here years ago suggested a single bank of four batteries to start and run all electric requirements. The idea is that having all the amps available when they are needed is the best use of batteries.
Yes. And, as MaineSail points out in another thread, if all your batteries are the same type, charging them all at the same time using a 1/BOTH/2 switch or a combiner is not a problem. IMO the only reason to have a separate starter battery (either a "cranking" or a "deep discharge" type) is to have the redundancy in case you run the house bank too low. This has only happened to me once in ten years, after 4 days on the hook, running the reefer and not starting the engine during that period. The argument for "one big battery bank" is a valid one, some of us just like belt and braces...
On my Catalina 309, I used a lot of forum member Maine Sail's advice and went with a pair of golf cart batteries for the house bank. Wired them for a combined 12V, and monitor them with a Victron 600 battery monitor. They are on the "2" position on my battery switch. On the "1" position I have a 12v marine starting battery, non-deep cycle. It's only purpose is to serve as an emergency starting battery, as I simply leave the switch on the 2 position all the time. I NEVER use the both position.
Depending on your needs, you can always go to 4 golf cart batteries or more.
I got mine from Sam's Club. They're by Eastern Penn. Very reasonable price for a good battery.
Depending on your needs, you can always go to 4 golf cart batteries or more.
I got mine from Sam's Club. They're by Eastern Penn. Very reasonable price for a good battery.
Siamese, I like your thinking on this; it's realistic and sensible.
Also... East Penn make the West Marine batteries. Providing the production runs are all comparable, you just got premium-priced WM batteries at Walmart prices. Nice going.
Also... East Penn make the West Marine batteries. Providing the production runs are all comparable, you just got premium-priced WM batteries at Walmart prices. Nice going.
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