Bev;
When I bought my first “real” boat (the C&C 25 that I still own) and was chartering in Chesapeake Bay in the early 90s, the practice you follow was the normal and preferred method of maintaining your batteries. On odd number days start with battery 1, switch to “all” for charging when the engine was running (assuming you had a “Make-before-break” battery switch so you would not blow out the diodes in the voltage regulator), and then switch back to battery 1 as the house bank when the engine was turned off. On even number days, same process using battery 2. But at the time, house loads were small. Refrigeration was a rarity. Ditto radar. No TVs. No microwaves. Just some lights and an FM radio. And boats had just two batteries – usually deep cycle 24s or 27s. As things changed and more “stuff” got installed on boats, the practice became having a large house bank and a smaller starting bank. For example, my 38 has 460AH of house and 95AH of starting battery, and the house bank will meet my needs for about 3 days at anchor. The norm changed to use the start battery just for starting the engine and the house bank for when the engine was off. Charge on “all” or just switch to the house bank for charging. That gives lots of AHs for running the “stuff” on the boat, and ensures you have a fully charged battery for starting the engine. The current best practice and preferred method has continued to evolve as more electronics and comfort gear continues to be a part of boating. Now the norm is more in line with what Edd Schilly just did in his rewiring. Big house bank. Small start battery. Start battery wired direct to starter for starting. Alternator wired directly to the house bank for charging, with an echo charger or ACR between house and start banks to recharge the start battery after the house bank is recharged. And you only use the 1-2-all switch (or a battery combiner) to combine the batteries if you need to start the engine using the house bank for some odd reason. The practice you follow still works just fine if you use your boat for day sailing or short trips, have 2 equal size batteries, and have the discipline to follow the process. My 25 has 2 group 27 deep cycle batteries and only a few lights and an electric head – and that is the process I still us. If you are a cruiser and spend more time on the hook with a boat having a significant amount of “comfort” gear, you should probably consider adding to the house bank and following one of the newer charging protocols. Rick Brass Imzadi C&C 38 mk 2 la Belle Aurore C&C 25 mk1 Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Bev Parslow via CnC-List Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2015 6:46 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: Bev Parslow Subject: Stus-List House/starting batteries. House/starting batteries I have been in the habit of using battery one to start the 2gm diesel and then using the same battery for a house battery. Then the next day battery two to start the engine and then using that one as a house battery. This way each battery is being used to start the engine and also recharge the batteries. I have been told that this is incorrect. Am I correct or not?
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