Battery Banks
Date: May 14, 1999 I would like to relocate the batteries in my Endeavour 40. Currently they are located in the engine compartment. I have 3 battery banks..........2 house banks and 1 bank starting. Recently I relocated the starter battery under the after cabin birth but I would like to move the other 2 battery banks. Please contact me if anyone has different battery locations.
Date: May 27, 1999 I'm also consdiering moving our battery bank and upgrading it abaord our E32. We have two 85ah batteries located in the original location: the engine compartment along the port pipe berth--a real @#*$! to install and remove. I'm thinking about upgrading to 6v and storing them in the forward locker under the same berth--lift the cushion and there they are. Has anyone done this?
Date: June 1, 1999 I do quite a bit of electrical work on boats in our marina, and I can really recommend the installation of four 6 volt golf cart batteries, if you are running electrical refrigeration. If you shop around, Trojan golf car batteries (6 volt 220 AH) can be had for $50 to $55 each, making a 440 amp hour bank for a little over $200. They fit under the quarter berth on a 33, but you need to make a sturdy platform to mount them on. I used 4 of these with my Frigoboat electric icebox conversion and got 4-1/2 years out of them. I recently reworked the battery compartment area, and mounted four Trojan L-16 350AH batteries there. These are tall batteries (18 inches) and won't fit on every sailboat, and they are heavy (nearly 500 lbs for the 4) but they enable me to anchor out for 6 to 7 days, running the fridge. I do have 2 60-watt solar panels assisting the batteries. I have a 120 amp alternator on my Yanmar, and a Link 2000R energy management system, with the Heart 1000 inverter/charger. All of the above have been in service now for 5 years with good results. The frigoboat (Italian) refrigeration uses a "keel cooler" to dissipate the heat from the box straight into the water. It uses the same compressor as the Adler Barbour, and draws 5 amps when running. Mine cycles off and on about 50% in the summer months, and about 25 to 30% on in the winter. Long winded here! E-mail me if you have any questions. I have some experience in this area.
Date: June 2, 1999 Don, where would one start looking to find the batteries? I've heard that you can find them that cheap but my initial, low effort search found them about triple that price.
Date: June 2, 1999 The "standard price" through West Marine is $89.95 each. I bought through a local "auto electric" shop, which rebuilds starters and alternators. Look in the yellow pages under batteries, and call around asking about "Golf Cart" batteries. You should be able to find the Trojan's for $50 to $55. Trojan is the better brand. Sam's Wholesale Club sells Exide Golf Cart batteries here for $42.95. The Exide made batteries are not quite as good, but they are readily available. (They'll have some other brand marking on them - at Sam's they'll be Dunlops.) If all else fails, call the country club and ask where they recommend you look for Golf Cart batteries. Most likely they'll know where to get the best deals. The battery shop may think you're a little odd, only wanting 4 of them, since the Golf Carts use 6.
Date: March 15, 2001 Hi there, a) Should I put my current two batteries in series and make them "one battery" and use the 8D as the second battery. b) Should I isolate the two current batteries, either as the two or in series, for the engine items and the 8D for all other 12 volt items, lights, radio, etc. With the arrangement as three individual batteries I believe I'll have to add an additional charger between the alternator and the three batteries c) I plan to house the 8D in the compartment below the sole, forward of the bilge, away from the bow edge, in case we every use the shower! I believe it is less than 5m from the alternator. d) I have seen and browsed many "electrics for boats" books - what book gets your vote as the best value?
Date: March 15, 2001 Hello Mike, a) Should I put my current two batteries in series- PROBABLY NOT !!!! --assuming that you have two twelve volt batteries now. (six caps for filling on the top of each) you could wire them in parallel. This would normally be one bank for your one/two all switch. Are these two batterys the same size, and roughly age? Use the 8D as the second battery.------- Fine.... b) Should I isolate the two current batteries, either as the two or in series Please watch out when using that series word. Two 6v in series =12v, two 12v batteries in series = 24 v. for the engine items and the 8D for all other 12 volt items, lights, radio, etc. UP to you. With the arrangement as three individual batteries I believe I'll have to add an additional charger between the alternator and the three batteries. as three batteries you would need to be able to switch the alternator to each individually, ergo different switch setup. Normally this is done with the two batterys by your 1-2-all switch for two batterys or two banks of batterys. c) I plan to house the 8D in the compartment below the sole, forward of the bilge, away from the bow edge, in case we every use the shower! I don't know about the shower but it will require a decent supporting battery box. I believe it is less than 5m from the alternator. At 5m (5 meters ??) If you plan on using as a back up starting battery you are going to need some big cables. d) I have seen and browsed many "electrics for boats" books - what book gets your vote as the best value? All things considered ---I think it would be better to walk down the docks first to see as many different alternatives as you can on other peoples boats. Or have a trusted buddy to tell you what its going to take to do what you think you want to do.
Date: March 15, 2001 Mike, Here are a few thoughts. You put batteries in Parallel to increase capacity. I would never connect Batteries in Parallel without some sort of load balancing and protection circuitry. It is possible for a weak Cell in one battery to load down the good battery overheat, and cause a meltdown. On my E-42, I have 5 banks. I have 3 banks of Golf Cart Batteries 6 each 6 Volt Units, 2 golf cart batteries in series is about the same Amp Hour rating as your single 8D, but I can lift them. These are the house banks, and I put them in Parallel when I need current to run the Microwave via the inverter, for this I use a switch, with each leg fused at 200 Amps. For Amp Hour Capacity, I need cold Beverages, I parallel them with a low loss isolator. The isolator prevents a week cell from killing all batteries, but it cannot handle high current, each leg is fused at 50 AMPS. For Charging I have a 95 Amp Alternator on the Engine, and a high current Isolator that distributes the charge current to the starting battery, and a Three bank Battery Combiner that connects the Batteries to the charging circuit without loss. I have an identical system on a True Charge 40 Three Bank charger for shore powered charging, Bank A to a three bank Combiner, Bank B to the Engine Star, and Bank C to the GENSET Start. The fifth bank is for the GENSET Starting.
Date: March 16, 2001 Mike...
Date: March 16, 2001 Mike, If you put the 8D in parallel with the other house battery just make sure you use very heavy cables between the two-- if they are separated by anything over a couple of feet. If the cables are low current capacity, the resistance will be high and will affect charging of the remote battery difficult.
Date: March 16, 2001 Mike,
Date: March 23, 2001 We have also done some rewiring and "beefed up" the battery bank on our E32 and I may be able to help a little. a) DO NOT HOOK UP BATTERIES IN SERIES!! Unless they are 6 volt Golf Cart batteries, a series set up will make them 24 volts. One battery, preferably with high CCA (cold cranking amps) should be isolated as a starter battery. This should not be used when the boat is at anchor. Use it only to start the engine. To ensure that it receives a charge when the engine is running, install a West Marine "combiner" which will pass along the charge after the house battery bank is full. The new 8D and one of your existing batteries can be hooked up Parallel as long as they are the same type ie. liquid acid, gel, or AGM, but do not mix them. b) Storage below the cabin sole is a great location but make sure you can tie the battery down and isolate it from spilling acid should it leak. c) the only book you need to install, fix or trouble shoot everything on your boat from batteries to winches, water pumps to furlers is Nigel Calder's Mechanical Electrical manual. It will soon become your "boat Bible" Read the appropriate section before you do your installation and you won't have any problems. The 32 is a great "coastal cruiser" and I hope you enjoy yours as much as we do. We just got back from 2 weeks in Cuba and the boat performed beautifully.
Date: April 11, 2001 Mike: i would add a new battery VERY CAREFULLY. my E51 has a separate engine-starting battery, a separate windlass battery and two "house" batteries which can be selected individually or "both", meaning that they are connected "in parralell", that is, both are connected to whatever "load" you connect to them. parralleling batteries (or any voltage source) can lead to complications, especially if the batteries so connected have different internal characteristics. the result can be that one battery discharges itself to feed amps to the other battery. if the two batteries are of the same general ratings and age, this can be acceptable, but i would recommend that u NOT parralel batteries of different size, internal resistance or age. u talk of putting your present batteries in series...if this is because they are 4D's, DO NOT do this (their voltages will add) and even if they are 6-volt batteries (doubtful) giving 12-volts in series, this would not connect in parallel w/a larger 8-D new battery as i understand your proposal. if your selector does not have a "both" position, u could have a 4-D and 8-D or any other combination since they would be selected indivivually, not in parallel (both), but i suspect this is not the case. PROCEED WITH EXTREEM CAUTION!
From: Douglas Banks dbanks@ciris.net
From: Paul Uhl endvr32@endeavourowners.com
From: Don Miller alcarina@cs.com
From: Paul Uhl endvr32@endeavourowners.com
From: Don Miller alcarina@cs.com
From: Mike Harwood mbharwood@compuserve.com
I have been donated an 8D battery and I would like to add this to the electrical DC system. I know enough about the wiring to be dangerous can anyone help?
From: Carl Hibbard Chgypsy@aol.com
Before you do anything take your donated 8D. Charge it correctly and then do a load test. This will tell you the condition of the battery before you go to any trouble or expense installing it.
From: Ed Mahoney eemahon@attglobal.net
I always start with the Freebee's, try the WEST Marine Advisor, or go to Boat US during thre Spring, and attend one of their free seminars.
First, you wire batteries in Series to increase the available voltage. If you put two 12 V Batteries in Series, you get 24Volts. Too Much for my Electronics. If you have two 6V Golf Cart batteries then you are OK.
From: John Witanowski jwitanowski@yahoo.com
Get a copy of Nigel Calder's book on electrical/engine and general boat maintainence. It's the 'bible' and will answer all your questions!
From: Bruce McMahon lbm@amherst.com
I assume the batteries you are talking about (including the "8D") are 12 volt. This being true, and the boats systems being 12 VDC, you put batteries in parallel -- not series. 2nd, there is usually isolation between the engine system battery and the "house" battery (s). This is done to ensure one can start engines when needed. Modern dockside powered chargers can handle multiple "banks" of batteries. A bank being two or more batteries in parallel. Cu Mara has a single battery for the engine and two paralleled batteries for the house needs. My charger is a Dytek, two bank, 15 A unit.
From: Scott Ziegler scott.ziegler@attws.com
I don't know the original settup of my 78 E32 but currently I have two batteries for house mounted on the starbord side of the engine compartment accessable vie the pilot berth. I have a third battery isolated under the floor boards at the base of the steps. it is for starting after I've successfully drained the other two via tv etc. It works quite well for us!
From: Bradd Wilson marina@portcolborne.com
From: Bill Wachs slambam1930@juno.com
i'm not a boat-type electrician...but i am an electrical engineer and the owner of an E51.
