Battery switches

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bob776	Battery switches		Lead	[-]
Posts: 115 06/05/06 06:36:29	Tags : None Actually, I'm looking for a concensus on my presumption. Our 2001 MKII is equipped with three batteries; 2 house and 1 for the engine. I have two battery switches, but my wiring schematic shows only 1 switch. Here's the scenario; the switch marked "engine" get its power through the switch marked "house" therefore there is no power to start the engine unless both switches are on. I presume this is to allow the engine battery to be charged, both from the engine and battery charger. Here's my presumption; when anchoring out I should turn the engine switch off to prevent drawing down all batteries and not being able to start the engine. Am I correct? Also, between the two switches (1 panel) there is what's labled a "fuse, pull on - push off." Mine won't push or pull and again, it's not shown on in the schematic. What's this for? Thanks Bob #776
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melelana	Re: Battery switches	#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 323 06/05/06 07:46:27	Bob, Some more info please. Are these On-Off switches or Offf-1-2-all switches? Have you traced the wires and can you provide a rough schematic? Larry Melalana Catalina 42 #175 1990 3cbn, wk Solomons, MD
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bob776	Re: Battery switches	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 115 06/05/06 08:49:41	The one for the house batteries is Off 1 2 and the other is just off on. Without doing a lot of tracing, there is a red wire into the engine switch and a red wire out that goes to the house switch that is connected to one of the on poles. As I said, there is no power to the engine (for starting) unless the house switch is also on. Bob
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melelana	Re: Battery switches	#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 323 06/05/06 09:52:29	Based on that, I would say the switch is there to isolate the starter from the batteries, perhaps for saftey during engine maintenance. In that case, turning it off will not keep you from running down your battery with house loads. Are you sure you have 2 batteries for the house loads and 1 for the engine? A lot of 42's were delivered with 2 4A's in the port aft battery box with an off-1-2-all switch and another for the windlass under the forward settee. Not sure how you boat was set up originally. Power coming from switched position of the "House" switch to the starter through an on/off switch to the starter doesn't sound like a dedicated start battery to me. There's a pretty good thread on battery system set up in the cruising forum on Sailing Anarchy (www.sailing anarchy.com). Search on "battery" and "batteries". I'll warn you ahead of time that SA's a pretty free wheeling site. Great info available, often from professionals in the sailing industry, but not many posters pull punches. The cruising forum is "gentler" than other forums, but nothing like here. Larry
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dbnonsense	battery switches	#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 137 06/05/06 10:32:31	we have 3 4ds two we use(d) as the house battery on position #1, we save(d) position #2 for starting should the need arise, # 2 was also dedicated to to the windlass but the engine switch was always enegerized provided the 1-2-all switch was not in the off position. I don,t know what the problem might be with the push pull breaker as ours works ok. I used past tense as we have just added a group 27 as a dedicated starting battery on position #2 , thereby making all 3 4ds as house bank. Dave on Common Sense #810
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peterw	Battery switches	#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 105 06/05/06 10:37:02	My set up is very similar to Bob's - two batteries in the rear port side with the same set of confusing switches and a winch battery near the mast to the port side of the bilge (and impossible to reach to fill it up with water) There is a push pull red thing, which does not seem to do any thing, then there is "1","2" "off" rotary switch and another rotary switch "off/on". I know you cannot start the engine without that switch on "on". But what are the functions - I looked at the wiring diagram and its no help. Any ideas out there???? Peter C'est la Vie Hull #746
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tinolanza	Re: Battery switches	#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 209 06/05/06 10:46:42	Your setup sounds very similar to the way ours came from the factory. Working from memory there are 3 switches on the panel. From left to right they are 1) Perko Off-1-2-All, 2) Engine toggle, and 3) Main power (push-pull). The first switch selects the battery bank in service. These were not wired consistently which caused some initial confusion. The 2 * 4D were wired to the "1" position, while the 4D (engine/windless) battery was wired to the "2" position. On the main electrical panel volt/battery meter, they were originally wired with "1" being the engine/windless battery. The second switch connects the battery select output to the engine. You are right that the Perko switch must be "on" in order for current to flow to the engine, and that the battery supplying the engine (and getting charged by the alternator) depends on the position of the Perko switch. I have only rarely turned the engine switch to the off position, and even more rarely have had the Perko switch on the "off" position. The third switch provides power to the electrical distribution panel. This works like the windless switch in that you need to hit it fairly hard for it to kick on/off. With this switch off there is no 12VDC at the distribution panel except for the bilge pump operation which by-passes this switch. Actually after I had one of my 4D house batteries fail, I decided to follow Norm's advice and add a second Perko switch so that I am able to isolate which batteries are in use at any given momemt. This new setup has worked well. Tino Lanza, Dancing Dolphin (#739/3 cabin pullman, Westlake Village, CA)
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bob776	Re: Battery switches	#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 115 06/08/06 05:35:52	Tino: Thanks (and thanks to all). My "third" switch didn't have the knob on it and that's what was confusing me. Bob #776
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melelana	Re: Battery switches	#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 323 06/08/06 06:44:37	Blue Sea systems has recently added a battery switch (model 5511E) that greatly simplifies 2 bank (house and engine) systems. It fits in the Perko mounting hole and turns on both banks simultaneously with a second "Combine batteries" position. Larry, Melelana Catalina 42 # 175 1990 3cbn, wk Solomons, MD
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