Connecting batteries

[tim]

Hi,
My domestic battery bank comprises 2 batteries. I've fitted 2 bus bars to tidy up the wiring so I don't have lots of different wires (wind charger, bilge pump) hanging of the battery posts.

What would be the best practice: -
1. Join the batteries at the bus bars, or
2. Join the batteries on the battery posts?

Thanks,

Tim

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[snowleopard]

the cables connecting the batteries together are not protected by fuses so must be kept as short as possible. that usually means a direct connection between the batteries. it would be ok to connect via the bus bar if it is very close to the batteries and the cables can be kept well away from each other.

a friend lost his boat as a result of the main battery cable shorting - it does happen!

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[philip_stevens]

Connect them at the batteries via a 1/2/both/off switch. This way, you can have one on duty and one on standby, and should not flatten both batteries at the same time.

Another plus for using a switch, is that if one totally fails, you have not got the other battery going down in sympathy.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards,
Philip

 

[andyball]

Depends how far away from the batteries really. If close straight to busbar ok, if further you're running two wires where one would do & be neater.

Try to incorporate a fuse as close to the batteries as possible, & rate the fuse to blow before the thinnest piece of wire/busbar after the fuse would get so hot as to cause a fire in the evnt of a short circuit/spanner dropped on busbar/wrist watch etc shorting out.

Better than a fuse is a suitably rated circuit breaker, some have a built-in switch (like domestic mcb's) & can be used as isolators too.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by andyball on 25/01/2004 12:14 (server time).</FONT></P>