Battery/ charger question

[ianainge]

need some info on my electrics as wiring diagram on board and im not going down until next week. igave two engines & 3 batteries which i understand that two are linked to port engine one for starting and the other for domestics. question 1. are these linked or seperate i.e when my domestics are on am i running down both batteries.question 2. does my battery charger charge all 3 batteries or just one or two, and which ones.My battery charger needle which i dont know if it reads in amps or volts use to move up on the scale when turned on it doesnt any more, and several times i have had to use the cross over switch to start the port engine.

 

[hlb]

Well. I dont know. I mean it's you boat not mine. So yours might of course be different. However.

I've got two engines and three batteries.

Both engines charge all the batteries.

One battery starts the engines. Nothing else.

Using domestic batteries wont effect starting battery.

My indicator thingy works in Volts. It shows about 14 volts if everything is OK and fully charged.

Is that everything covered?? Course wont make a blind bit of difference if yours different, will it! Should be simillar though.

<font color=blue>
No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer<font color=blue>




Haydn

 

[PerlMac]

Re: Battery charger leaving on constantly

On the subject of battery charging, agree with what Hadyn said, but another point - is it okay to leave batteries on charge all the time?? We are currently (there's a good word for this discussion!) connected full time to the mains in order to run a small heater in engine bay - is the battery charger the 'trickle' type which just charges when necessary??

 

[boatone]

All a bit vague mon brave but would expect linked pair to be domestics and single to be for engine starting but bit strange if you need changeover switch only to start port engine. Wonder if single battery is starb'd engine starting only which bit strange arrangement but possible I spose. Suggests port batteries knackered or not charging but without more info/diagram just cant be any more helpful than that !

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.boatsontheweb.com/galleryframes.html> BoatsOnTheWeb Photo Gallery</A><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by boatone on 19/11/2002 11:09 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[tr7v8]

Re: Battery charger leaving on constantly

Assuming you have a proper marine charge of the 3 step type then yes you can leave it on continually. If unsure and/or you find you are topping up the batteries excessively then the answer is it's probably not a 3 step type and won't do them a lot of good.

Jim
--------

 

[tcm]

Battery charger on constantly, + Fairline

I leave the battery charger on constantly. The levels have to be checked that batteries aren't being fried, but seems fine.

Regarding Fairline targa, the charging systems can sometimes be strange. On the targa 48, i believe that the charger didn't charge all the batteries, and one was only charged from the alternator. Worth checking wic lectrician. Also, after a few years, the batteries are knackered (possibly due to constant charging ahem) and a total change is required. If this doesn't work, buying a new boat usually solves the problem.

 

[adarcy]

Ian

On our Targa27, one battery was for starting one engine only, the other 2 batteries in parallel started the other engine and were the domestics. If they got flattened then you had to use the cross over switch. We didn't have the charger on shore power often = can't remeber how it charged. Each engine charged its own bank.

So, if your charger shows nowt maybe it aint working and something is draining off the domestics.
Do remember, if you have flattened your domestic bank and "jump started" the engine from the single, the alternator will NOT charge the batteries up properly (something to do with the primary field in the alternator). Smiths denied this for 20 odd years on cars but you have got to get a godd (50%) charge in the bank before the engine will fully charge it again.

Suggest you check each bank voltage before you start the engines and again when running and next day/week to see if they have discharged. Will tell you if they are knackered or not being charged by the alternators and then check the volts with the battery charger working.

Anthony

 

[Guest]

Re: tr7

Er Jim got me thinking about my "constavolt" must be type which charges up to say 85% then cuts off yes? The name suggests that.
Second thoughts of course I would have fried me domestics by now.
By the way have you tried the air conditioner yet ?

"The Med has got me" (no not the Medway the other Med)

 

[tr7v8]

Re: tr7

Not sure about the Constavolt, saw piccy of one with lid off the other day and it has transformer inside, so would assume not a lot of intelligence (the constavolt I mean!) in it. So yes would guess normal type battery charger. Also accounts for the size and weight of it.

Not tried A/C yet, still looking for a truss having unloaded it from the car and into the garage! But plan on getting it down their either at weekend or next week, once free. Latter may not be the case as I hear muttered comments about me being given a stay of execution and staying 'til Xmas!!!! Just when I had all this work planned on the boat!

Planned a clean up of the boat yet,? so you can get it on brokerage?

Jim
--------

 

[Guest]

Re: tr7

I'll have to check the manual again but I'm sure it said something about 85%
Planned for me and two lads today me to change stb engine filter & oil, them to start on washing & polishing the outside.

However put them off cos of iminent rain.

"The Med has got me" (no not the Medway the other Med)