Where is the battery isolator?
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Thanks, but not there
Rick, thanks for the quick reply, but ours is not there! Just trying to figure out where they put it....no-where obvious so far!
Rick, thanks for the quick reply, but ours is not there! Just trying to figure out where they put it....no-where obvious so far!
Seems that the isolator is really just the combiner...
After much diagnosis - the "isolator" must just be the combiner knob....
After much diagnosis - the "isolator" must just be the combiner knob....
neither would seem to fit that description.
Does this help? (note just to left of battery switch)
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Our boat has a solenoid to the left of the battery switch....we were assuming the the battery switch (what I'm calling the "combiner") acts as the isolator.
I Don't Think So
What I was referring to as an isolator is, I think, actually a 'combining relay' which I think combines the house and start banks when there is 13 volts in and disconnects when less. But that is with a very shoddy memory. Anyhow, that's where mine is. On Don's photo, it is about 8" above and to the right of the alternator, on the wall.
What I was referring to as an isolator is, I think, actually a 'combining relay' which I think combines the house and start banks when there is 13 volts in and disconnects when less. But that is with a very shoddy memory. Anyhow, that's where mine is. On Don's photo, it is about 8" above and to the right of the alternator, on the wall.
Apparently no two boats are alike! I think we've got it figured out - just don't know why the documentation refers to "the isolator" and then fails to label it at all. Thanks for your help!
Follow the positive wire out from the alternator and if there is an isolator, it will end there, with two more cables, one from the house, and one from the start.
Here is mine:
Here is mine:
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Karen
If it isn't clear, the solenoid is a starter relay. The battery switch is just that and the isolator will, depending upon which one, look like a box with three wires such as that in Marco's picture and wired as he described. Hope you already had it figured out.
OK, here's a photo I just snapped - there simply isn't a "box" as you show anywhere that I can find on this boat!
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It's unlikely there is none - there would ordinarily be some way to ensure both the start and house banks are charged by the alternator which would necessitate some form of interconnection via an isolator, combiner, ACR relay, etc.
Is that a Volvo engine?
Is that a Volvo engine?
The solenoid is the combner
On our boat there is a solenoid that parallels the house and start batteries when the key is in the run position. You probably will hear a click when you turn on the key to start the engine. So every time you run the engine it combines the start and house batteries. When you are charging from shore power you either have an extra terminal (echo charge) on the charger that goes to the engine battery or nothing (which is what my boat has, no need to continually charge the start battery).
You will probably see that the two heavy terminals on the solenoid go to the house and engine battery positive leads.
On our boat there is a solenoid that parallels the house and start batteries when the key is in the run position. You probably will hear a click when you turn on the key to start the engine. So every time you run the engine it combines the start and house batteries. When you are charging from shore power you either have an extra terminal (echo charge) on the charger that goes to the engine battery or nothing (which is what my boat has, no need to continually charge the start battery).
You will probably see that the two heavy terminals on the solenoid go to the house and engine battery positive leads.
We have a 1996 40.5 with the Volvo engine and have the same relay. As Rick & Bill wrote, it combines the output of the altenator once the engine starts. It acts like a combiner and when the engine is off it allows the solar panel to charge the starting battery without trying to charge the house batteries.
I am wondering if the "isolator" you refer to in the original post is really the galvanic isolator rather than a battery isolator?
Battery combining relay
The grey relay shown in the picture by karenmccraw combines (parallels) the house and starting battery when the engine switch is on. Mine went bad and I replaced it. I also replaced the ON/OFF starting battery switch with a 1/2/BOTH battery switch so that I can manually parallel the batteries.
I have 330 W of solar power with a controller that puts 10% into the starting battery and 90% into the house battery. The starting battery stays fully charged.
The grey relay shown in the picture by karenmccraw combines (parallels) the house and starting battery when the engine switch is on. Mine went bad and I replaced it. I also replaced the ON/OFF starting battery switch with a 1/2/BOTH battery switch so that I can manually parallel the batteries.
I have 330 W of solar power with a controller that puts 10% into the starting battery and 90% into the house battery. The starting battery stays fully charged.
isolator
Hunter usually hid the "galvanic isolator" behind the DC breaker panel by the nav station. It will most likely have a sticker on it labeling it as such. This is not to be confused with external voltage regulators for the alternator or battery combiners.
Hunter usually hid the "galvanic isolator" behind the DC breaker panel by the nav station. It will most likely have a sticker on it labeling it as such. This is not to be confused with external voltage regulators for the alternator or battery combiners.
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