Sterling Battery Charger - Silly questions

[Loggo]

I have recently bought a boat eith a boatyard (possibly factory ?) installed Sterling charger (a 1220). I have printed an instruction leaflet from the manufacturers site but remain unsure about the following -

Can I assume that.

It will charge my batteries (one engine, one habitation) even when the battery isolation switch is off ?
It will be in order to leave it turned on even when I start my engine to give it a 10 minute tick over ?
That they built it without an off switch so it is working whenever I have shore power connected ?

These may see no brainers to most (all ?) of you but as someone who has never paid more that 30 quid for a charger from Halfords i am feeling that it's operation contradicts my previous understanding.

TIA

Laurie

 

[alan]

Sterling Battery Charger

No such thing as a silly question, only a silly answer!!!
Your questions are somewhat generic and not related in particular to a Strerling Charger, so I will give you my opinion/experience:

(1.) It is usual to fit them so that they will charge the batteries with the isolators in the off position. That is the charger is wired direct to the batteries; but it should be quite easy to trace the wiring from the charger outputs to their destinations. There should be one output for each battery/bank.

(2.) The output from the alternator will go to the batteries in parallel with the output from the charger and I would expect the charger to be protected against "reverse" current flow. I try not to start the engine with the charger connected but have done so when I have forgotten!!! with no adverse affects (my charger is not a Sterling though).

(3.) Yes.

Alan.

 

[VicS]

Not clear which charger you have, PC1220, PCU1220, PS1220 or 1220CE

However probably makes no difference

Yes you would expect it to be wired directly to the batteries so that charges them with the isolators off

I would have installed it with a switch in the power supply to it so that it could be switched off if not required.

I would switch it off before starting the engine but unless the instructions say so its probabaly not necessary.

DO NOT start engines for a 10 minute tick over. Start it and run it under load until fully warmed up or dont start it at all.

 

[Maurice55]

Exactly the same as Alan but mine is a Sterling and never suffered from starting the engine with shore power still plugged in.
If you are still not sure try calling Sterling technical, they have always been very helpful to me. Cheers.

 

[Loggo]

Many thanks. Wish I had asked here first. Everyone else I spoke to gave contradictory replies.

Still puzzled why there is no off switch but there you go.

 

[petlan]

I have recently bought a boat eith a boatyard (possibly factory ?) installed Sterling charger (a 1220). I have printed an instruction leaflet from the manufacturers site but remain unsure about the following -

Can I assume that.

It will charge my batteries (one engine, one habitation) even when the battery isolation switch is off ?
It will be in order to leave it turned on even when I start my engine to give it a 10 minute tick over ?
That they built it without an off switch so it is working whenever I have shore power connected ?

These may see no brainers to most (all ?) of you but as someone who has never paid more that 30 quid for a charger from Halfords i am feeling that it's operation contradicts my previous understanding.

TIA

Laurie

Leaving the charger on when running the engine may well ruin the regulator on the alternator. I managed to do that twice (slow learner)