Battery connections

[Networks]

I am currently adding a couple of domestic batteries to the two I already have. At present the batteries are wired with the +ve connection to the boat on battery 1 and the -ve connection to the boat on battery 2 with the required links between batteries.
For practical reasons with a bank of 4 batteries I am thinking of fitting copper "bus-bars" cental to the batteries and having a link from each battery to the bus-bars, with the +ve link going via a fuse. The connections to the boat would then be from the new bus-bars. Hence the charging / power take off would no longer be form either end of the battery bank.
Can anyone see a problem with this, if so what?

Kevin

 

[pvb]

Can anyone see a problem with this, if so what?

It sounds unnecessarily complicated. Why not just wire the batteries in parallel with flexible cable? That way, there are fewer connections. I'd also caution against the use of exposed copper busbars - if something metallic got dropped on them, sparks might fly!

 

[pampas]

if you go down this route you MUST tin the straps after all the holes have been drilled, otherwise you open up a can of worms for the future.

At this point all the "Experts" will now come alive.

 

[Networks]

pvb - It is not that complicated and makes the adding of fuses easier (no fuses fitted by the manufacturer). Thats one thing I am not happy about, having all this power available and no fuses!
The bars would be shrouded.

Pampas - Now I had not thought of tinning the copper, good point.

 

[VicS]

Can anyone see a problem with this, if so what?

It is probably the most convenient way of getting the cable lengths to all the batteries the same and therefore ensuring equal volts drop all round.

An exposed +ve bus bar could be a problem .... insulated covers available ??

See the section on the Smartgauge website regarding connecting multiple batteries into a single bank

http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html

 

[pvb]

pvb - It is not that complicated and makes the adding of fuses easier (no fuses fitted by the manufacturer). Thats one thing I am not happy about, having all this power available and no fuses!
The bars would be shrouded.

For the domestic bank, you just need one fuse, in the positive cable to your main switch, as close to the battery bank as possible.

And it is fairly complicated, because you have more connections, and often that's where little voltage drops can occur.