BEP Horizontal Battery Distribution Cluster with VSR

[Gixer]

Does anyone have one of these fitted?
Horizontal Battery Distribution Cluster for Single Engine with Two Battery Banks | BEP

Do you have any feedback?
It looks like a very simple solution to me as I'm looking to do away with my 1/2 both switch and getting a VSR.

 

[CPD]

Yes. Fitted about 8yrs ago, no issues at all.

 

[MarkCX]

Same here. Mines a square cluster, but basically the same. 10 years+ and perfectly happy.

 

[CLB]

Don't have a BEP one, but made my own, that looks almost identical, using eBay bits. 3 x battery switches for £10 ea and a 140a VSR for circa £25.
£55 all in compared to circa £200 for BEP and after around two years service, so far so good.

 

[MarkCX]

I would agree. The BEP brand doesn’t add much to what you can put together yourself. Would have done the same if the choice had been there when I got mine.

 

[Aurai]

10/10 from us, though we have learned to clean the terminals each spring, though we are a wet boat, shall we say.

 

[PaulRainbow]

For something as mission critical as main isolator switches, i'd only fit good quality, branded equipment.

BEP switches are good, but i would not fit the cluster, at circa £180 it's pricey. Three BEP701 switches are £22 each = £66 plus a Victron Cyrix VSR at £43 comes to a total of £109

Also, the BEP wiring instructions are wrong. The emergency switch parallels the batteries, not the loads, so you cannot use the emergency switch with one isolator turned off, powering the domestic and engine circuits. This can of course be corrected.

 

[Gixer]

Thanks for the swift responses. I've found a new one for sale for £112 which is a good price as they seem to be about £150.
When I price up a VSR £40, Battery switches £17x3, it looks to be worth it.

EDIT: sorry £112 was the wrong one, they are £150

 

[VicS]

Thanks for the swift responses. I've found a new one for sale for £112 which is a good price as they seem to be about £150.
When I price up a VSR £40, Battery switches £17x3, it looks to be worth it.

EDIT: sorry £112 was the wrong one, they are £150

ITYWF that as supplied the BEP clusters allow both battery banks to be paralleled but they do not allow the downstream circuits to be paralleled and a defective battery bank left isolated.
It is often suggested on the forums that th y are reconfigured to allow this.

An isolating switch in the VSR negative connection, to disable the VSR when one bank is defective , completes the alteration..

Somewhere I had a diagram that shows how to reconfigure the square block of 4 but I think it's fallen foul of Photobucket's antics. IIRC PaulRainbow has posted a diagram for reconfiguring the "4 in line " that you mention

You can add a VSR to a 1,2 both system. This allows you to select which battery you want to use and the VSR takes care of the charging

 

[Caladh]

Where did you find the £150 one from and is that + VAT ?

 

[Gixer]

Sorry £157
BEP Battery Dist Cluster 2 Batt Horiziontal (716-H-140A-DVSR) (8-90075)

 

[VicS]

ITYWF that as supplied the BEP clusters allow both battery banks to be paralleled but they do not allow the downstream circuits to be paralleled and a defective battery bank left isolated.
It is often suggested on the forums that th y are reconfigured to allow this.

An isolating switch in the VSR negative connection, to disable the VSR when one bank is defective , completes the alteration..

Somewhere I had a diagram that shows how to reconfigure the square block of 4 but I think it's fallen foul of Photobucket's antics. IIRC PaulRainbow has posted a diagram for reconfiguring the "4 in line " that you mention

You can add a VSR to a 1,2 both system. This allows you to select which battery you want to use and the VSR takes care of the charging

Found it

This is how the cluster is configured as supplied ( the top LH switch parallels the battery banks)



and when configured like this the top LH switch parallels the downstream circuits. allowing all circuits to be powered by either battery

 

[Gixer]

There really is more to this than first meets the eye.
I now know why Poey50 warned me about asking these questions
Thanks VicS for the detailed reply.

 

[Carib]

Umm... what does it do please?

 

[Gixer]

Umm... what does it do please?

Its basically three isolator switches with a VSR joined together to manage the flow to two battery banks.

 

[Pete7]

Also, the BEP wiring instructions are wrong. The emergency switch parallels the batteries, not the loads, so you cannot use the emergency switch with one isolator turned off, powering the domestic and engine circuits. This can of course be corrected.

They also recommend connecting solar to the engine start battery. Wrong, well I think so. If you do, then the engine battery is charged up then the VSR connects to the house bank with a clunk and a charge flows into the house bank. If the house bank is deeply discharged, it will pull the engine battery down below the cut out voltage of the VSR which disconnects with another clunk. A couple of minutes later the voltage has risen on the engine battery and the whole process starts again with another clunk.

This is really annoying after a while, but easily solved by moving the solar to the house bank.

 

[PaulRainbow]

They also recommend connecting solar to the engine start battery. Wrong, well I think so. If you do, then the engine battery is charged up then the VSR connects to the house bank with a clunk and a charge flows into the house bank. If the house bank is deeply discharged, it will pull the engine battery down below the cut out voltage of the VSR which disconnects with another clunk. A couple of minutes later the voltage has risen on the engine battery and the whole process starts again with another clunk.

This is really annoying after a while, but easily solved by moving the solar to the house bank.

Indeed, i always connect solar to the domestic bank.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Its basically three isolator switches with a VSR joined together to manage the flow to two battery banks.

It is exactly 3 switches and a VSR connected together. The switches are joined by small connectors, which come with separate switches anyway. So all you get for the disproportionate price is some copper strips that join the emergency switch to the isolators, incorrectly. Better to fit your own switches, with a couple of link cables and fit the VSR in a convenient place. IMO Victron VSRs are better and better value.

 

[Gixer]

It is exactly 3 switches and a VSR connected together. The switches are joined by small connectors, which come with separate switches anyway. So all you get for the disproportionate price is some copper strips that join the emergency switch to the isolators, incorrectly. Better to fit your own switches, with a couple of link cables and fit the VSR in a convenient place. IMO Victron VSRs are better and better value.

You’ve already convinced me to buy the victron one ?. If I’m not going to use it for engine start as I will have a battery connecting switch can I use cables just to take the amps of the starter motor?
You should get beer tokens for all the advice you give..

 

[Caladh]

You also convinced me to avoid the BEP VSR. Looking at the Victron Cyrix-ct offering I'm not sure about which model 140amp or 230amp version of the battery combiner I need and what the advantage of the bigger one is.