Solar / ac battery charging cocktail

[tokoloshe]

"Border Terrier" has a 3 battery (300ah) house bank and a 75ah engine battery using a common negative and "1, 2, 1+2" isolator switch.

Battery charging is currently supplied via a solar panel and Sunsaver Duo controller and the very occasional alternator input.

Now that summer is over, I am considering fitting a 20 amp AC marine charger.

Is it acceptable to combine the wiring from the solar and AC charger between the solar controller and the battery banks?

 

[neil1967]

If you're saying what I think you're saying, then the answer is no. The marine battery charger (assuming it is more than just a dumb 12v supply) should be connected directly to the batteries (or to the appropriate busbars/splitters etc), and not via any intermediate controllers.

Neil

 

[VicS]

"Border Terrier" has a 3 battery (300ah) house bank and a 75ah engine battery using a common negative and "1, 2, 1+2" isolator switch.

Battery charging is currently supplied via a solar panel and Sunsaver Duo controller and the very occasional alternator input.

Now that summer is over, I am considering fitting a 20 amp AC marine charger.

Is it acceptable to combine the wiring from the solar and AC charger between the solar controller and the battery banks?

If you're saying what I think you're saying, then the answer is yes. but only if the wiring is appropriately sized and fused at the battery connections

However IMHO it would be better to connect a dual output charger directly to the batteries ( or at least to positive and negative bus bars.) with appropriately sized cables and fuses.

If you are suggesting using the solar controller to divide the output from a single output charger, as neil thinks, then NO

 

[tokoloshe]

From VicS
" However IMHO it would be better to connect a dual output charger directly to the batteries ( or at least to positive and negative bus bars.) with appropriate sized cables and fuses."

That confirms my thoughts. Many thanks.