Inverter..do it yourself job???

The inverter/charger itself will ONLY charge the batteries when you're plugged in to shore power. Nor can you use an inverter to run the battery charger. You simply can't take power off the batteries and use it to charge the batteries, it won't work (though some folks do try).

Your engines should be capable of charging your house bank as it is now, via either selector switches or combiners; it has nothing at all to do with the inverter/charger. If you simply add the new batteries to the existing house battery then they'll get charged too.

I don't know what kind of charger you have now. If it's a multi-bank charger and is already connected to the house bank, chances are it's big enough; I can charge all SIX of my T-105s AND the starting battery with a single 30 amp charger, though admittedly it takes a while.

Personally I think charging with selector switches is trouble waiting to happen. Sooner or later someone will forget and leave the switch in the wrong position, and either everything will end up dead or something simply won't get charged. That's why I think combiners are a good idea; they're automatic and reduce the potential for a screwup.
 
quote:
Originally posted by stmbtwle

The inverter/charger itself will ONLY charge the batteries when you're plugged in to shore power. Nor can you use an inverter to run the battery charger. You simply can't take power off the batteries and use it to charge the batteries, it won't work (though some folks do try).

Your engines should be capable of charging your house bank as it is now, via either selector switches or combiners; it has nothing at all to do with the inverter/charger. If you simply add the new batteries to the existing house battery then they'll get charged too.

I don't know what kind of charger you have now. If it's a multi-bank charger and is already connected to the house bank, chances are it's big enough; I can charge all SIX of my T-105s AND the starting battery with a single 30 amp charger, though admittedly it takes a while.

Personally I think charging with selector switches is trouble waiting to happen. Sooner or later someone will forget and leave the switch in the wrong position, and either everything will end up dead or something simply won't get charged. That's why I think combiners are a good idea; they're automatic and reduce the potential for a screwup.

Click to expand...

Oh I get that. Using batts to charge batts is like using a credit card to pay off another credit card...you still wind up in debt.

I just thought the alternators would charge all batts while underway is all. I have a Proline charger (something like that)..I believe its a 20amp charger...

I guess the only advantage of getting the inverter/charger is faster charging when plugged up...
 
I like the credit card analogy!!

You thought correctly. The alternators WILL charge all the batteries when underway IF they're all connected together. Several ways to do that; simply adding the new batteries to the existing house battery is the easiest. You run the inverter along with everything else (except the engines) off the new "house" bank, and charge it the same way you always did. That's the way I do mine and it works just fine.

You're also correct the inverter/charger will give you a faster charge when plugged in; but it's YOUR call whether you need that quick charge or not.
 
Reading Wayne's post up there..
"I'm going to get q volt meter and confirm whether or nt my batts are 24v or 12v."
Now you are starting to talk sexy, I like it.

If you want to impress your neighbors, stop at a Home Depot or Lowes, and buy a Kill A Watt. The coolest $25 you will ever spend. Plug in the Kill A Watt, and plug your refrigerator, toaster, microwave, tv, what ever, into it, and it will tell you exactly how many watts it draws. Go through your boat with this, and you will know how much power you are drawing. Then go test your neighbors refrigerator. Shake your head and grimace and say "Oh, nothing."
 
I'll add to this by saying batteries are like water reservoirs, they have to get filled somehow! 12 volt batteries in boats get recharged somehow after you have lowered the amp hour storage capacity by using them.

How?

While at dock and plugged into shore power you likely have an automatic charging system that should be auto charging and keeps them topped up. While underway you likely have all batteries or should have them all hooked into your engine's charging system powered by the marine alternator. You could also have a third way that recharges them while at anchor which could be a solar panel setup or even a wind turbine feeding back into the system.

I have my engine and house batteries both being charged by the boat while under way and they cannot pull voltage out of each other's system via a battery isolator. If the house were to ever run down to zero my starting batteries would still start the engine and could then recharge the house. The isolator is like a splitter with the main alternator charging wire going into it and the 2 other terminals going to each battery bank with one way diodes inside of it that prevent voltage from going back to either battery bank. If either bank goes dead I can turn a manual switch and jump the other bank.

The bottom line is don't have all your batteries allocated to be used for everything, keep your starting bank isolated for safety!
 
Agree the Kill-a-watt is a handy little beastie. It'll tell you things about your appliances you didn't know you needed to know. WELL worth the investment. http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html

"The bottom line is don't have all your batteries allocated to be used for everything, keep your starting bank isolated for safety!"

AMEN BROTHER!!!! How you do it is your business; some use switches, some use isolators, some use combiners. But it HAS to be done or sooner or later you WILL be stranded. Which device is "best" is a subject for a different thread. Who wants to start it? We'll need LOTS of popcorn!
 
Your set up is very similar to mine. I have 2 house and one starting. The starting batt does nothing but start the engine. I can listen to music and relax while at anchor because I know my starting batt isnt being used. I have two batt switches that allow me to determine which batts is on and off.

What I would like to do is add another 12v batt to my house bank. Is that easy to do?

quote:
Originally posted by Gnarley

I'll add to this by saying batteries are like water reservoirs, they have to get filled somehow! 12 volt batteries in boats get recharged somehow after you have lowered the amp hour storage capacity by using them.

How?

While at dock and plugged into shore power you likely have an automatic charging system that should be auto charging and keeps them topped up. While underway you likely have all batteries or should have them all hooked into your engine's charging system powered by the marine alternator. You could also have a third way that recharges them while at anchor which could be a solar panel setup or even a wind turbine feeding back into the system.

I have my engine and house batteries both being charged by the boat while under way and they cannot pull voltage out of each other's system via a battery isolator. If the house were to ever run down to zero my starting batteries would still start the engine and could then recharge the house. The isolator is like a splitter with the main alternator charging wire going into it and the 2 other terminals going to each battery bank with one way diodes inside of it that prevent voltage from going back to either battery bank. If either bank goes dead I can turn a manual switch and jump the other bank.

The bottom line is don't have all your batteries allocated to be used for everything, keep your starting bank isolated for safety!

Click to expand...
 
Not a problem, if the existing battery is pretty new. If it's an older battery it won't help the performance of the new one and should be replaced. Batteries ideally should be the same type and age.

That aside, simply connect the new battery to the existing one in parallel (pos to pos and neg to neg).
extend-runtime-solar-battery-bank-1.1-120X120.jpg

You can connect SEVERAL batteries like this if you want, and the voltage will stay the same. The batteries will charge together and will discharge together, as one big battery.
 
Very helpful! I can do that part myself. Im going to buy an extra batt this evening. Tomorrow morning I'm heading to West Marine to pick up the inverter and I will also get pos and neg batt cables to connect the extra battery in parallel as you described. This will bump up my house bank/amp hours a bit.

The electrician said it will take him a day to hook everything up. I'd like to take a weekend out on the boat to really test things out...see if I have enough power to watch a movie, pop some popcorn etc on the boat. Great alternative to a portable genny.
quote:
Originally posted by stmbtwle

Not a problem, if the existing battery is pretty new. If it's an older battery it won't help the performance of the new one and should be replaced. Batteries ideally should be the same type and age.

That aside, simply connect the new battery to the existing one in parallel (pos to pos and neg to neg).
extend-runtime-solar-battery-bank-1.1-120X120.jpg

You can connect SEVERAL batteries like this if you want, and the voltage will stay the same. The batteries will charge together and will discharge together, as one big battery.

Click to expand...
 
I can think of better places... try DonRowe.com. All they sell is inverters, and their prices are actually reasonable!!! They'll have it to you in a couple days.

Don't put yourself down... You can do it ALL if you choose to. Bear in mind someday you might have to REPAIR that system, and it helps if you know what you have (which you will if you installed it).

Boats are really NOT that complicated. They have MANY of different systems, but each system by itself is not that big a deal. Take 'em one at a time and they're manageable.
 
Wayne, you sure you don't have two starting batteries and one house bank? If that is really the case, you need to fix that. One dead battery leaves you with two cold motors.
But your new voltage meter will make this one a snap to figure out. Just disconnect your shore cord, and read the voltage at all three batteries with both motors turned off. Start one motor, and read all three batteries. Turn that motor off, start the other one, and read the three batteries again.

IMPORTANT!!! If you have battery switches, never switch from one position to another with the engine running. In MOST cases, you will fry the alternator because that device requires a 12v reference voltage to keep from cooking the diode packs. Just turn off the motors before changing the battery switch positions.
 
West Marine price matches with online websites. I saved 150 bucks on this inverter simply because I found a cheaper price online. I get in store pick up from West Marine plus their return policy.
quote:
Originally posted by stmbtwle

I can think of better places... try DonRowe.com. All they sell is inverters, and their prices are actually reasonable!!! They'll have it to you in a couple days.

Don't put yourself down... You can do it ALL if you choose to. Bear in mind someday you might have to REPAIR that system, and it helps if you know what you have (which you will if you installed it).

Boats are really NOT that complicated. They have MANY of different systems, but each system by itself is not that big a deal. Take 'em one at a time and they're manageable.

Click to expand...
 
West Marine price matches with online websites. I saved 150 bucks on this inverter simply because I found a cheaper price online. I get in store pick up from West Marine plus their return policy.
quote:
Originally posted by stmbtwle

I can think of better places... try DonRowe.com. All they sell is inverters, and their prices are actually reasonable!!! They'll have it to you in a couple days.

Don't put yourself down... You can do it ALL if you choose to. Bear in mind someday you might have to REPAIR that system, and it helps if you know what you have (which you will if you installed it).

Boats are really NOT that complicated. They have MANY of different systems, but each system by itself is not that big a deal. Take 'em one at a time and they're manageable.

Click to expand...
 
Wayne,

First off congrats on the new inverter, hope the installation goes as planned and you are very happy with it. I am a it troubled by your statement about price matching with online web sites. You seem like a good guy, so I'm going to assume you had good intentions, but I want to make you aware of the lay of the land.

This site is associated with BoatFix.com, one of those online web sites. They are very competitive on price and provide outstanding service. For example BoatFix.com has a 2000W inverter with built in 100A charger for $930. I'm not sure what you paid. If they are simply used as a service to determine the lowest price, they will soon cease to exist. I'm not sure what business you are in, I'm in construction, but can you imagine how you would feel after determining the best price for your service and another guy, who was willing to charge you far more if you didn't know better, came in and matched your price and "stole" the business from you. As an estimator, I can tell you that I don't like it.

You are always free to shop where and how you like, but please consider the knowledge you receive here free of charge and try to give BoatFix.com a shot at your business. You might also consider paying the annual fee to get anchored up (see link at top of page) to help support this site so that, and others, can continue to get good knowledge from experienced boaters.
 
Not to worry...Les charges only $45.00/hour for advice on his site when something is purchased elsewhere...at 74 reply's... that should be just under $2000.00 for advice..or the other option is to pay 20 bucks for the anchor...(g)...
 
Never in my wildest dreams did I think price matching could be construde as being low down, sinister or underhanded from a consumers prspective. I call it smart shopping. Really your animous should be directed at west marine. They're the ones win he price matching policy. If I'm in the store staring at the item I need why not whip out the iPhone and confirm whether or not it's the best price? For what it's worth I purchased 2 zinc kits from boatfix but that was because they had them in stock as well as had the best deal available for that particular item. Looking for the bes deal is just smart shopping.
quote:
Originally posted by AbsoLoot

Wayne,

First off congrats on the new inverter, hope the installation goes as planned and you are very happy with it. I am a it troubled by your statement about price matching with online web sites. You seem like a good guy, so I'm going to assume you had good intentions, but I want to make you aware of the lay of the land.

This site is associated with BoatFix.com, one of those online web sites. They are very competitive on price and provide outstanding service. For example BoatFix.com has a 2000W inverter with built in 100A charger for $930. I'm not sure what you paid. If they are simply used as a service to determine the lowest price, they will soon cease to exist. I'm not sure what business you are in, I'm in construction, but can you imagine how you would feel after determining the best price for your service and another guy, who was willing to charge you far more if you didn't know better, came in and matched your price and "stole" the business from you. As an estimator, I can tell you that I don't like it.

You are always free to shop where and how you like, but please consider the knowledge you receive here free of charge and try to give BoatFix.com a shot at your business. You might also consider paying the annual fee to get anchored up (see link at top of page) to help support this site so that, and others, can continue to get good knowledge from experienced boaters.

Click to expand...
 
Wayne...I like your name...
The problem might lay with the fact that you posted saying that you used an on-line Marine parts supplier to get a cheaper price from another supplier...You posted that on a site that belongs to an online Marine parts supplier...It's obvious that the Online supplier was offering a cheaper price...
To me West Marine is using the public to do there shopping around for cheaper prices...if they price match, why don't they just lower their price to meet the price of others instead of trying to gouge the shopper?...
 
Wayne,

Wiener hit it right on the nose. Looking for the best deal is good shopping, but you didn't do that. You looked for the best deal and found it at a retailer that priced it at the most competitive price they could sell at, but you didn't buy it from them, you used them to get it from West Marine at the same price. If that retailer hadn't had that good price, you would have bought it at a higher price. Now what reward did that guy with the low price get, nada ... Big Blue got the business and after that little guy is gone, their prices will come right back up again.

I don't have any animus towards you or West Marine, I often shop there because I don't plan ahead enough and want the parts NOW. What I would ask is: Would you have gone ahead with this project without the information you got from the experienced boaters here? Does that information carry any value? Do you think you have any moral obligation to either support the web site by becoming an anchored member or perhaps from purchasing from the affiliated supplier?

You are under no actual obligation and it really doesn't matter to me either way. I get no financial gain from this board, in fact I have to actually work to monitor this forum. However, when the California Delta forums closed the doors, I approached Les about hosting a forum for our area and agreed to moderate. Les was nice enough to provide this space for us and I try to support him whenever I can. You may save a few pennies here and there, I hope it is worth it and you don't find yourself without this resource because Les couldn't afford to keep it going any longer.
 
Well put, Absoloot. I think supporting the forums by anchoring and buying from Boatfix is the least we can do to help keep this resource going. (And thanks for your efforts in establishing and maintaining the SF Bay and CA Delta Boaters Forum.)

Wayne, supporting these forums by buying an anchor costs only $20 per year and less if you prepay for a couple years like many of us do. It's much less than the money you've saved here already, without even buying any parts. The information provided on these forums by those with experience has great value. I, for one, would hate to lose this resource.

And, as an added bonus, the anchor gets you into the Non-Boating Related (NBR) forums which are almost as habit forming as boating and nearly as entertaining. Come check it out!
 
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