Lead acid house & Optima start advisable?

[Vaughan_M]

Maine,

First, let me say I admire tremendously your knowledge and ability to communicate it.

I own a '81 Hunter 33c. It is presently equipped with 2 marine 12v batteries, one wired to each side of the 1/2/both switch. Battery charger is a 15A Charles 5000 SP Series. Alternator is 35A Hitachi on Yanmar 2GM.

A friend gave me a perfectly good Optima red top battery, which I would like to use as a dedicated start battery. I would like to retire in the old house batteries and purchase 2 6v lead-acid golf cart batteries (Duracell size EGC2) to wire in series for a house side with 20Ah rate = 230. I would also like to purchase an Echo charger and wire the system using your "Use Switch" scenario - wire alternator and charger directly to house side with Echo charger wired to the Optima.

My question is: will mixing battery types in this way cause problems? Will having the Charles charger set for lead-acid work okay with the Echo charging an Optima?

Thanks in advance for considering my dilemma.
Vaughan_M
EVA
Hunter 33c
Kinsale VA

 

[FastOlson]

I have done something similar for the last 15 years on our boat. In our case I needed the AGM Spiralcell because it has to live under the aft cabin berth and there is no way to add water to a flooded battery anyway in that location.

I replaced the easily-accessable two stock group 24's with a pair of Trojan 145 golf cart batts for a 260 ah house bank that is also used for starting.

We operate a refer all the time, too.

The "Optima" gets charged up for an hour about three times a year, and lasts and lasts -- very low self discharge from that type of battery technology. I start the diesel with it several times a season just to test it. No problems.
Only the big house bank is connected to the shore power charger full time.

I have considered adding an echo charger device, but so far the present setup seems to work ok for our needs.

 

[Maine Sail]

Vaughan,

You'll be fine with the Echo Charger....

 

[Vaughan_M]

Thanks guys!

 

[Rick D]

Same Here

I have had exactly that same layoout for the last five years. I got the Optima after conferring with the rep who said the charging profile is the same as a wet cell.

 

[Dave602]

Same here. We have the two 6v hooked to the charger and the sealed starter battery gets charged from the alternator after starting and motoring out. Worked fine for years. If you're looking at the two 6v route check out Maine's article on Sam's club batteries. Great buy