Battery Switch location

[5teve]

In the process of sorting out a low voltage issue I am redoing batteries and wiring.

End result will be an 8 battery bank for house (approx 800ah total - probably 400 usable without damage - Agm Dual Purpose batteries)
1 crank for each engine (1000cca Bosch)
1 crank for genset

3 output 60amp charger - set to 60amp to house - 10amp to each of the engine cranks (will auto adjust house output as it becomes available)

My question relates to the battery switches for the engines. They are currently next to the saloon doors in a cupboard outside on the starboard side - easy to access - downside is that they use a huge amount of cable to get to the switches and then back to the engine - I recon the port engine (one with voltage issues) is running close to 8m of cable to the starter.

Is there any best practice for location of battery switches? I have a hatch to where the genset is (under rear deck) that is used for storage, batteries etc (very large hatch and area). I was thinking of mounting them in this storage area close to the batteries but reachable from above - this does mean however that I have to open the hatch if there is any incident to turn them off.

Its either that or I take a deep breath and buy some 95mm2 cable and leave them in the position they are in!

What would you do?

Steve

 

[simonfraser]

'I was thinking of mounting them in this storage area close to the batteries but reachable from above - this does mean however that I have to open the hatch if there is any incident to turn them off'

as long as that is easy to do, why not. mount them high up, not under the fenders etc.

 

[pmagowan]

I think bep do a remote switch. This allows for short cables and a switch wherever is suitable IIRC

 

[5teve]

'I was thinking of mounting them in this storage area close to the batteries but reachable from above - this does mean however that I have to open the hatch if there is any incident to turn them off'

as long as that is easy to do, why not. mount them high up, not under the fenders etc.

Well yes that was what I was thinking - but then thought what happens if there is an engine fire - the storage is to the rear of the engines - so opening the hatch would cause issues - apart from the engine vents are huge anyway so oxygen would still be getting in... this was why I asked the collective experience here..

I think bep do a remote switch. This allows for short cables and a switch wherever is suitable IIRC

This I like - a lot more expensive than the blue sea switches but the blue sea remote switch looks like it would do the trick and allow me to shorten the cables to almost nothing (couple of meters maybe!).. thanks for the great suggestion...

Steve

 

[inception]

Generally speaking we are looking for installation to be as close as possible to the batteries AND the battery starter cable has to be as short as possible. what you should consider is to mount the switches in a "dry" location. Hence, often we see the battery switches in the saloon and not in the engine bays/hatches etc. More importantly it has to be protected from getting abused or damaged.

8m cable run to a starter motor is certainly not a best practice! are you sure? what's the make of the boat? are you using split charging?

 

[5teve]

Generally speaking we are looking for installation to be as close as possible to the batteries AND the battery starter cable has to be as short as possible. what you should consider is to mount the switches in a "dry" location. Hence, often we see the battery switches in the saloon and not in the engine bays/hatches etc. More importantly it has to be protected from getting abused or damaged.

8m cable run to a starter motor is certainly not a best practice! are you sure? what's the make of the boat? are you using split charging?

Its a locally built boat manufacturer called Leeder

Batteries are mounted in boxes under the rear deck (Western Australian Boats have large rear decks and smaller accommodation) so from the battery box (starboard) up to the switches, then back down again and forward to the engines which are mounted roughly half way along the hull - Hull length 45ft

Saloon mounting is not viable due to the distance from the batteries to the saloon.

The remote switches seem to fit the bill nicely.. I can get the cables short and the switches can be mounted ON the battery boxes.

No split charging as yet as there is 3 alternators - but will be adding a split charge system between one engine crank and the house as the 3rd alternator is on a very dodgy bracket that I dont trust!

Steve

 

[Forty_Two]

I installed the BEP remote battery switches. Really does minimize the cable run which is great. Had no problems in 17 years use.

I love being able to isolate things quickly at the helm if there was to be an issue. It makes it easy to always isolate before leaving (apart from chargers). I made my own control panel to suit my helm.