Possible Battery selector switch/charger problem

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Sep 21, 2006
280
-Hunter 35.5 Washington, NC
Just replaced my old AGM group 24 batteries with AGM 31's. Since the boat had the original "frytech" charger also replaced with a Xantrex True Charge 20amp charger. Here's the problem, set up battery #1 as the starting and the other 2 batteries as the house bank on #2. When I leave the boat I switch to the house bank, leave the AC and charger switched to on and leave the refrigerator(DC) running. When I come back the refer is off because the voltage has dropped below 11 volts. If I change the selector to all or #1 the volts go back to 13.5? The only thing I can figure is that the charger is run through the battery switch and the only way it's charging bank 2 is it's on "all" but this doesn't seem to make much sense because bank 1 seems fine. I'm not very adept at electrical stuff so I need some advice please.
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
You need to verify the wiring of the Xantrex charger. Your problem sounds like the charger is wired to battery #1. Only your starter battery is being charged. When you leave the battery switch on #2 there is no way for the charger to "see" the house batteries.

My charger is attached to the house bank. Then I have a battery combiner. This allows the starter battery to be charged once the house batteries are fully charged.
 
Jun 4, 2004
834
Hunter 340 Forked River, NJ
As recommended by Xantrex, you should disconnect the current wires coming out of the charger and run new wires directly to each of the new batteries. If your boat is anything like mine, the charger is wired through the switch. If you wire the batteries directly, they will all be charged regardless of the switch position.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,651
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I have a H356 and have had a similar problem. I have no expertise in this area but ......... before you spend money check this.
Does your battery selection switch have a pair of off/on switches on the lower left corner marked bat 1 and bat 2? Mine does. At least once a season I leave these switches on a setting that is different than what I have the rotating battery selector switch on. I return to the boat with a low or dead battery because the DC panel is drawing from one battery and the charger is charging the other.
I am sorry if you've already dismissed this possibility but I had my boat for at least a year before I understood that those two switches alter which battery the DC system was drawing from and that it is possible to be charging the wrong battery.
 
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