My boat has the “big red switch” with only one battery. I want to go to a 2 battery setup with a house battery and a cranking battery. My current battery is a standard lead-acid cranking battery that runs everything. I can get a new Optima yellow top for a great price but was wondering if I could mix the 2 batteries with “the switch” or do they need to be the same type battery. My concerns are when I have the switch set to ‘both’ will I damage either battery or something else.
Ranger Bay 2000
Yamaha F150
Molon Labe!
Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. - Anatole France (paraphrased)
Riley, you will always be in my heart, I will always love and remember you. Thank you Lord for the 8 years.
RIP my Puppy Dog 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013
Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. - Anatole France (paraphrased)
Riley, you will always be in my heart, I will always love and remember you. Thank you Lord for the 8 years.
RIP my Puppy Dog 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013
As I understand it, you should never have the switch set to both unless one battery won’t start the boat. I’m no expert but I would think you could mix them but only run on one at a time. If you need to change over to the other battery turn off the motor and switch it to number 2 and restart.
Select “Search” from the menu bar at the top of the page and search for “Battery Switch”. There has been numerous posts regarding dual battery setups. Unless you use a voltage sensing relay (VSR) or an isolator system, I recommend installing a battery switch for dual batteries (1,2, all, off) and run the boat with only one battery at a time (start and run with one battery then switch to the second battery halfway through the day). This guarantees proper charging of the batteries, prevents discharging of both batteries if one goes bad, and the safety of having a charged battery always at the ready. You can run different battery types with this setup.
As I understand it, you should never have the switch set to both unless one battery won’t start the boat. I’m no expert but I would think you could mix them but only run on one at a time. If you need to change over to the other battery turn off the motor and switch it to number 2 and restart.
The only time that I would have the switch on 1+2 would be when the motor is running to allow it to charge the batteries or if the cranking battery was dead. I have used the search feature but could not find my specific question. Most search results centered around how, why, or if a 2 battery should be done. I just can’t afford 2 Optima batteries so I want to use a standard lead-acid battery for starting to save a little money.
Ranger Bay 2000
Yamaha F150
Molon Labe!
Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. - Anatole France (paraphrased)
Riley, you will always be in my heart, I will always love and remember you. Thank you Lord for the 8 years.
RIP my Puppy Dog 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013
No! You run and charge 1 battery at a time! Run and charge number 1 battery for 1/2 day and then run and charge number 2 battery for the 2nd 1/2 day! Only have it on both, if both battries are low and you need the power of both to start the motor. The idea behind that is that if you have 1 battery going bad it can drain the good battery. Keep them seperate.
quote:The way that switch works it will connect both batteries in series if you switch it to both. Under no circumstances should you try to keep it on both after you have the motor cranked
When the switch is turned to “both” the batteries will be connected in parallel, not series. This still makes it a 12 V system, but the amperage available will be the sum of the two batteries. No damage will occur. However, one battery will always not be fully charged and if one goes bad it will discharge the other negating the benefit of having a second battery.
quote:The way that switch works it will connect both batteries in series if you switch it to both. Under no circumstances should you try to keep it on both after you have the motor cranked
When the switch is turned to “both” the batteries will be connected in parallel, not series. This still makes it a 12 V system, but the amperage available will be the sum of the two batteries. No damage will occur. However, one battery will always not be fully charged and if one goes bad it will discharge the other negating the benefit of having a second battery.
I thought that I read where by switching to 1+2, you could use the motor to re-charge a battery that had been discharged running electronics for a long period of time. If not, then basically the only purpose for the switch is to make 2 separate batteries easily available for cranking, electronics, etc. as opposed to just swapping leads to another battery or using jumper cables?
You can charge both batteries at the same time when the switch is on “both”. The system will work fine. However, the follow will/can occur.
If one of the two batterie reaches full charge before the other, the alternator will think the system is fully charged and reduce output leaving one battery undercharged.
A low charged battery or one having a bad cell with discharge the other battery.
Most battery disconnect switches can be switched between batteries while the engine is running as the contact make before they break. So if you have a low battery you could start on the good one then switch to charge the low battery. The problem is when the switch is turned to off when the engine is running. This can cause damage to the alternator. Some switches have a protection feature to prevent this.
You can charge both batteries at the same time when the switch is on “both”. The system will work fine. However, the follow will/can occur.
If one of the two batterie reaches full charge before the other, the alternator will think the system is fully charged and reduce output leaving one battery undercharged.
A low charged battery or one having a bad cell with discharge the other battery.
Most battery disconnect switches can be switched between batteries while the engine is running as the contact make before they break. So if you have a low battery you could start on the good one then switch to charge the low battery. The problem is when the switch is turned to off when the engine is running. This can cause damage to the alternator. Some switches have a protection feature to prevent this.
Thanks. I installed a Blue Sea Add-A-Battery ACR switch and second battery today in place of my 1,2,1+2 switch and single battery setup. This should give me some peace of mind because I’ve been 15-20 miles from the boat landing with a dead cranking battery, nobody in sight, getting dark, and no cell phone signal. Not a good feeling.
Ranger Bay 2000
Yamaha F150
Molon Labe!
Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. - Anatole France (paraphrased)
Riley, you will always be in my heart, I will always love and remember you. Thank you Lord for the 8 years.
RIP my Puppy Dog 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013
