Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

Re: Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (CaptNorm42) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:00:00 GMT

I think both aft batteries are in parallel from the factory. So that makes the forward battery the starting battery. Considering the heavy circuit breaker for the windlass, you can assume it will stay off except when you turn it on. There is nothing else to discharge it, so it would be an OK starting battery. As was mentioned, the windlass is only used then the engine is on, so that is no problem. The only drawback to the forward one as the starting battery is the long cable run will give...

Re: Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (svzephyr44) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:22:13 GMT

OK -
My question. At the moment my battery wiring is the two aft batteries are each "Bat 1" and "Bat 2" and the foward battery is in parallel with "bat2" Are you suggesting I would be better off it I paralleled the aft two batteries as "Bat 1" and the forward battery as "Bat 2" Of course this way the anchor windless would only be running off a single battery, but since I always run the engine when using the windless I don't know how...

Re: Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (CaptNorm42) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:07:18 GMT

Kevin,

Gene is right, there is much debate on putting batteries in parallel. I also agree, the long run to the forward battery is less than ideal.

My personal feeling is I DO NOT recommend everything in parallel. If you put 3 @ 12-volt batteries in parallel, you have 18 cells. If one of them shorts out (my feeling is in a bouncing boat there definitely is that possibility), that battery will produce roughly 10-volts. The other 2 healthy 12-volt batteries will try to charge...

Re: Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (Bob VonDrachek) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:13:19 GMT

Is there any difference between wiring the 3 batteries in parrallel and just leaving the selector switch in the "both" position?

Re: Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (pdrimmer) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:16:26 GMT

I changed to AGM's. When I added a new alternator and regulator I wired the alternator to the batteries through a battery isolator and added another selector switch for the starting battery. These connections do not go through the battery switch so you do not have to remember what switch position you are in. A small starting battery and echo charger complete a foolproof and very reliable installation.

I only use the selector switch on the load side, it is reminder that we...

Re: Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (lakandjc) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:57:04 GMT

FWIW I used the forward batteries as part of the house batts in the garage and had a small AGM starting batt tucked in a corner. This worked very well in 2.5 years of cruising in Mexico with no charging or usage problems. We used golfcarts to keep the cost down.

But if you wanted to use non-wet batts, I stongly urge AGMs instead of gels. AGMs charge better and present less problems. I used AGMs on my previous boat and they gave trouble free service for many years.

James...

Re: Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (rbetzing) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:12:55 GMT

That is the way I have my house bank set up. All 3 4Ds are connected to battery switch 1 as the house bank and then I installed a seperate Group27 battery connected to switch position 2 as the start battery.

Re: Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (yorkrose) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:45:29 GMT

Kevin,

There is a never-ending religious war regarding connecting large house banks in parallel or using smaller banks serially. Personally, I like the large bank idea.

However, in this case the physical location of the batteries makes such a parallel connection a poor idea. The long wire between the third battery up front and the two in the back should not really be used as the parallel connection. There could be voltage drops that would give you less...

Battery Idea: 1 big house bank, no starter

feeds@yuku.com (cqr35) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:15:28 GMT

I need to replace my 4D lead acid batts and am wondering if this idea is crazy:

I am considering 3 new gels or AGMs (2 in port cabin, one at bulkhead) and wiring them all in parralell as one big house bank. That would presumably reduce the degree of discharge on them, and give me lots of Ah's.

As a precaution, I would carry one of those battery jump starters in case I ran the house bank too low to start the engine. I always run it when using the windlass, and...