Charging House Batteries From a Honda Portable Gen

[KeelsonGraham]

‘Scuse my ignorance.

I’m contemplating using a Honda 2000 portable gen to help charge the house batteries on long passages. Is this as simple as plugging it into the existing shore charging socket and letting it run, or is it more complicated than that?

 

[Graham376]

‘Scuse my ignorance.

I’m contemplating using a Honda 2000 portable gen to help charge the house batteries on long passages. Is this as simple as plugging it into the existing shore charging socket and letting it run, or is it more complicated than that?

That's what I've been doing for decades but others will come along and tell you it's a dangerous practice. Since uprating solar, we no longer have to use the Honda.

 

[pessimist]

That's what I've been doing for decades but others will come along and tell you it's a dangerous practice. Since uprating solar, we no longer have to use the Honda.

We used to do exactly the same. Ditto the solar.

 

[PaulRainbow]

That's what I've been doing for decades but others will come along and tell you it's a dangerous practice. Since uprating solar, we no longer have to use the Honda.

I dare say someone will come along and mention that doing so will possibly leave the onboard shore power system without an Earth, rendering the RCD inoperative. They may mention that the correct way to do it would be to connect the shore power Earth circuit to the water, fitting a galvanic isolator, so when connected to shore power there are no galvanic corrosion risks.

But, as you've been doing it for decades, that advice will obviously be wrong.

 

[Graham376]

But, as you've been doing it for decades, that advice will obviously be wrong.

Not wrong, just that I have an option of not bothering and taking the risk myself with no crew to worry about.

This will no doubt horrify our younger contributors but I grew up in an era where it was quite normal to plug multiway sockets into light bulb sockets hanging on fabric covered rubber flex, with wires connected to multiple devices. I managed to survive that

 

[PaulRainbow]

Not wrong, just that I have an option of not bothering and taking the risk myself with no crew to worry about.

This will no doubt horrify our younger contributors but I grew up in an era where it was quite normal to plug multiway sockets into light bulb sockets hanging on fabric covered rubber flex, with wires connected to multiple devices. I managed to survive that

We all get away with lots of things, even today Graham. I regularly see some shocking 240V installations that are potentially lethal, but have possibly been like it for years. It's just that one time, when you grandchild touches the live kettle that has developed a fault and he/she gets electrocuted..........

Many years ago i had a businesses that refurbished domestic appliances, in bulk. We used to connect 30 or 40 appliances (mostly fridges) at the same time to things called "safe blocks", see below. The spring loaded wire clamps were bare metal then and we used to bend them up to get more wires in (no fuses). One of the tests we made, early in the process, was for Earth leaks (in the days before RCDs), we'd walk along the row of appliances and touch a bare metal part of each one with the back of a finger, soon found any faulty ones. Don't think i fancy that method today. Later, we had a really posh system with lamps on the wall that lit up if there was an Earth leak.

 

[Wing Mark]

If a generator isn't earthed, no single fault should kill you.
So if you plug in a double insulated charger direct to the generator, then it's probably the carbon monoxide you should worry about first, if everything is dry and in good order?
If you plug into shore power, then the genny will be 'earthed' to the boat's green and yellow wire, which may or may not be connected to other metal things on board.
Does the genny have an RCD in its output?

 

[PaulRainbow]

If a generator isn't earthed, no single fault should kill you.
So if you plug in a double insulated charger direct to the generator, then it's probably the carbon monoxide you should worry about first, if everything is dry and in good order?
If you plug into shore power, then the genny will be 'earthed' to the boat's green and yellow wire, which may or may not be connected to other metal things on board.
Does the genny have an RCD in its output?

You sure about all of that ?

 

[PaulRainbow]

‘Scuse my ignorance.

I’m contemplating using a Honda 2000 portable gen to help charge the house batteries on long passages. Is this as simple as plugging it into the existing shore charging socket and letting it run, or is it more complicated than that?

With a portable generator i would not connect it to the whole 240v system on the boat. If you only want to charge the batteries, plug the battery charger directly into the generator (use an extension lead if you have to).

 

[rotrax]

I have had a portable genset since 1977, a Kawasaki 800. Antique by todays sophisticated offerings, but it provided - and continues to so do with its current owner - enough voltage to charge the boats batteries using the onboard charger. Problem with the Kawasaki was too many decibels, hence flogging it and getting a more up to date version, a Kipor 2600.

I had no problem using this to provide 240v for the boats services. It was on a GRP deck, plugged into the Shorepower inlet with a good condition lead, checked and maintained regularly.

Technicaly it might be bad news, but until I see reports of electrocutions from portable gensets used on boats, I remain unconvinced of it as bad practice.

As others have pointed out, carbon monoxide poisoning is a far greater issue.

 

[starfire]

We all get away with lots of things, even today Graham. I regularly see some shocking 240V installations that are potentially lethal, but have possibly been like it for years. It's just that one time, when you grandchild touches the live kettle that has developed a fault and he/she gets electrocuted..........

Many years ago i had a businesses that refurbished domestic appliances, in bulk. We used to connect 30 or 40 appliances (mostly fridges) at the same time to things called "safe blocks", see below. The spring loaded wire clamps were bare metal then and we used to bend them up to get more wires in (no fuses). One of the tests we made, early in the process, was for Earth leaks (in the days before RCDs), we'd walk along the row of appliances and touch a bare metal part of each one with the back of a finger, soon found any faulty ones. Don't think i fancy that method today. Later, we had a really posh system with lamps on the wall that lit up if there was an Earth leak.

I still use one, must have scrapped several that were broken (too many wires! Or got trodden on)

Handy if you want to power up independently things like aircon blower motors that have got a bit damp, leave the earth wire out place it in a plastic box for health & safety...

 

[pandos]

Not wrong, just that I have an option of not bothering and taking the risk myself with no crew to worry about.

This will no doubt horrify our younger contributors but I grew up in an era where it was quite normal to plug multiway sockets into light bulb sockets hanging on fabric covered rubber flex, with wires connected to multiple devices. I managed to survive that

And if you blew the fuse wrap it in a bit of wire???

 

[PaulRainbow]

And if you blew the fuse wrap it in a bit of wire???

M6 bolts with the heads cut off or mig welding tips are a perfect fit for 13a fuses

 

[mikegunn]

With a portable generator i would not connect it to the whole 240v system on the boat. If you only want to charge the batteries, plug the battery charger directly into the generator (use an extension lead if you have to).

Paul, like others here I've always been in the practice of feeding my Honda genny's output into my boat's shore power inlet. Why do you consider that to be an unsafe procedure? This is not a critisism of your opinion but a desire on my part to avoid doing something stupid through ignorance.
Mike

 

[Graham376]

And if you blew the fuse wrap it in a bit of wire???

In those days, fuses were a bit of wire so just go up a bit in gauge or use a hairpin

 

[KeelsonGraham]

Thank you for the inputs. I think I’ll just go ahead and plug into the shore socket.

 

[Koeketiene]

Question: why would you use a portable genset to charge house batteries rather than run the engine and have the alternator charge your batteries?
Would a genset charge your batteries faster then the engine or are they more economical?
Just wondering.

 

[wingcommander]

Question: why would you use a portable genset to charge house batteries rather than run the engine and have the alternator charge your batteries?
Would a genset charge your batteries faster then the engine or are they more economical?
Just wondering.

Running the engine with no load just to charge batteries ain't doing the engine any favour. A sure way to glaze yer cylinder walls.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Thank you for the inputs. I think I’ll just go ahead and plug into the shore socket.

That's the beauty of internet forums, you get a varied range of responses and you can choose whichever one you want, even if it is incorrect or dangerous.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Running the engine with no load just to charge batteries ain't doing the engine any favour. A sure way to glaze yer cylinder walls.

OP said "help charge the house batteries on long passages "

I'd rather run the engine, in gear, motor sailing, for an hour than have a genny running on deck. Batteries get charged faster (usually), a bit more boat speed and usually a free tank of hot water.