A windlass bank makes sense, but you probably don't use it for your daily use.Boat came that way. One house bank is under the v-berth for the windlass, and the other is under the quarter-berth.
Starting your engine on "dead" batteries.
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To give you a better idea of how our boat wiring was set up by the factory, a couple of pictures should help.
Normally, I keep this switch on all the time. When switched off, the voltmeter on the distribution panel shows zero volts, but 12.7v when on.
Normally, I keep this switch on all. When switched to off, the volt meter on the distribution panel does not change. Volts on both batteries show the same at 12.7v. I suppose if I wanted to draw AC from either of the two house batteries using the inverter, this switch would allow me to select. The two rocker switches are used to preheat, then start or stop the Onan Genset.
Normally, I keep this switch on all the time. When switched off, the voltmeter on the distribution panel shows zero volts, but 12.7v when on.
Normally, I keep this switch on all. When switched to off, the volt meter on the distribution panel does not change. Volts on both batteries show the same at 12.7v. I suppose if I wanted to draw AC from either of the two house batteries using the inverter, this switch would allow me to select. The two rocker switches are used to preheat, then start or stop the Onan Genset.
I think I see the source of our confusion over battery switches. I had asked earlier if you could select ALL on your battery switch. Apparently, you don't have a battery select switch, so you can't select between the house battery and the starter battery. The ALL on the switch on your panel is to select the batteries the inverter will draw from. The voltmeter always shows only one battery apparently.
Hi Tom, actually the DC volt meter has four selections, three in use, fourth vacant. One for house battery one, one for house battery two and one for the starter battery.
This DC voltmeter is wired from the battery test selector switch and will display volts for each battery.
Not sure how the DC Source switches work, other than if both switched to off, no house bank volts will display. So I'm suspecting the two house bank batteries become Source 1 and Source 2. I alternate them periodically.
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Okay, thanks, Terry. I am learning a valuable lesson in Hunterspeak. If I could make a suggestion, based on what your pics show, maybe try leaving the inverter select switch on the house bank only, and save some wear and tear on your starter battery. By constantly pulling a load on the starter battery, it does not stay fully charged, as the starter batt should. The thinner plates on the starter batt can not handle the cycling up and down that the house batteries see.
Hi Tom, the inverter select switch applies to the house bank only. It allows the selection of house bank battery one or battery two, or both. No connection here to the starter battery. While out cruising on the hook, the house bank will draw down to around 12.2v and 260 amps (house bank contains a total of about 500 amps) or around a minus -130 - 160 amps per the Link 1000 after a couple of days of consumption (two reefers, electronics, furnace, autopilot, etc).. At this time the Genset will come on line running for about 1.5 hours, which brings the hose bank down to around -40 amps (the last 10-20 amps requires mostly a float charge for a few hours. I'll let shore power handle that). During this episode the starter battery remains constant at 12.7v.
Someone much smarter than I about boat electricity designed this and it seems to work just fine. In all the years cruising, many times for two months or more mostly on the hook or under sail, the system works like a marvel. Other than replacing batteries from time to time, that is.