Automatic battery combiner and charging question.

[kenojim]

I have two 12v batteries,..
1 House and 1 for minn Kota TM.
I have a yandina combiner 100 that automatically allows outboard alternator to charge TM battery as well as house battery.. No manual switches it's all automatic.
I left boat in garage all week with TM battery connected to 5amp battery charger / maintainer.
The 5 amp kick isn't enough to keep the combiner switch closed, so it cycles or gets in to a cycle of sharing the charge then switch opens.
The switch opens and closes maybe 2 or 3 times every 15 minutes.
Since then the combiner has not worked properly. When on the water and outboard running the combiner chatters loudly.. Sounds like a deck of cards being shuffled aggressively...
Green light also won't stay on and red "overload" light comes on and stays on even when no charge being applied to both batteries.
Anyone else run in to this? Did I burn up the switch with just a 5amp charger? Would a 10amp stronger charge of made a difference?
I'm going to replace the combiner with a new one, was thinking of putting a manual 12v switch on the TM side hot wire to force the batteries to stay separated while being charged by battery charger...
Appreciate any thoughts

 

[dingbat]

I have two 12v batteries,..
1 House and 1 for minn Kota TM.
I have a yandina combiner 100 that automatically allows outboard alternator to charge TM battery as well as house battery.. No manual switches it's all automatic.
I left boat in garage all week with TM battery connected to 5amp battery charger / maintainer.
The 5 amp kick isn't enough to keep the combiner switch closed, so it cycles or gets in to a cycle of sharing the charge then switch opens.
The switch opens and closes maybe 2 or 3 times every 15 minutes.
Since then the combiner has not worked properly. When on the water and outboard running the combiner chatters loudly.. Sounds like a deck of cards being shuffled aggressively...
Green light also won't stay on and red "overload" light comes on and stays on even when no charge being applied to both batteries.
Anyone else run in to this? Did I burn up the switch with just a 5amp charger? Would a 10amp stronger charge of made a difference?
I'm going to replace the combiner with a new one, was thinking of putting a manual 12v switch on the TM side hot wire to force the batteries to stay separated while being charged by battery charger...
Appreciate any thoughts

Combiners work off voltage, not amperage.

Typically they combine when charge voltage is above 13.3 volts and opens when the charge voltage drops below 13.0 volts

Sounds like you have a voltage problem. What voltage is your charger putting out?

 

[kenojim]

Combiners work off voltage, not amperage.

Typically they combine when charge voltage is above 13.3 volts and opens when the charge voltage drops below 13.0 volts

Sounds like you have a voltage problem. What voltage is your charger putting out?

It's the Noco 5 genius charger, 75 total watts.
75/5= 15
So should be 15 volts. But it advertises itself as a 'smart' charger so maybe it scales back the volts when battery is near fully charged?

 

[dingbat]

It's the Noco 5 genius charger, 75 total watts.
75/5= 15
So should be 15 volts. But it advertises itself as a 'smart' charger so maybe it scales back the volts when battery is near fully charged?

Forgot the 80% efficiency rating.
How about (75*0.8)/12.7= 4.72 amps, max.

Does it do the same while charging off the motor?

Did you install a Zap-Stop as suggested?

I run a Blue Seas ACR which adds a time component to the open/close criteria to eliminate/minimize relay chatter.

Your chatter would suggest yours has no time criteria or the unit is damaged.

According to the manual the red light is a thermal overload or voltage less than 10V is being supplied

https://defender.com/assets/pdf/yandina/204578_yandina.pdf

 

[kenojim]

Before this issue if the TM battery was discharged and the outboard was running the switch would stay closed (green light on).. Until the TM battery was charged. .. And if never experienced the red overload light coming on. It seemed to work perfect for almost 2 seasons.
Since I had left the noco charger connected all week,
now the combiner misbehaves, chatters, and green light goes on then off then red overload light comes on and stays on.
The red light will stay on indefinitely.. (or so it seems, it's been on days now).. I turn key on and dash voltage meter says 12.5V present on house battery.
I got a new combiner hoping that is the problem and yes thinking of a manual switch to force separation of batteries when desired.

 

[dingbat]

Since I had left the noco charger connected all week,
now the combiner misbehaves, chatters, and green light goes on then off then red overload light comes on and stays on.
The red light will stay on indefinitely.. (or so it seems, it's been on days now).. I turn key on and dash voltage meter says 12.5V present on house battery.
I got a new combiner hoping that is the problem and yes thinking of a manual switch to force separation of batteries when desired.

What is the point of a combiner if you still need to play with switches for it to work?

What battery is the charger connected to?
I can see issues if the charger is connected to the house battery.

Mine could care less about pulse charging because of the dwell on the sense line

Did you install the zap stop diode as instructed?
AC on your charge current (compromised rectifier) could raise havoc w/o the diode

 

[kenojim]

Haven't installed anything yet, wanted some info so I get it right this time.
The charger is always connected directly to TM battery.
Yeah I get the point of why a switch with an automatic combiner, but
The TM battery is only good for a couple hrs of steady use, it's nice to know on the water I can just kick over the outboard and even just let it idle and it recharges the TM battery. But if I burned up the combiner by leaving charger connected and having it cycle closed and open constantly then my thinking was a manual switch would prevent that.
Thanks for the good info BTW..
It's appreciated