Battery Bank Question.

[Dodger1234]

First off I'm an electrical idiot so the question may be a little simplistic.:redface: I want to install a 2 bank charger for my cranking battery and the deep cycle battery up front. I have a battery switch with the 1-2-all-off positions. The question is can I hook the charger up to the connections on the switch instead of running all the cable? So when it is in storage and in the off position the battery charger can still work since its leads go to the 1 and 2 positions on the switch.
Thanks for helping the electrically impaired!!
Dodger1234.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Battery Bank Question.

That's how the charger is intended to be used whether you have a switch or not. Whether you connect directly to the batteries or to the switch makes no difference. Electrically they are the same point.

 

[Splat]

Re: Battery Bank Question.

Agreed.

Infact that's how I have my charger installed, its tied right into the switch terminals. Saved me a lot of running extra wire.

Bill

 

[Dodger1234]

Re: Battery Bank Question.

Thanks Guys!!

 

[Wee Hooker]

Re: Battery Bank Question.

Another related question from the electricly chalanged. If I had a similar set-up ( 1 #24 starting battery & 1#31 DC battery tied into a 1+2 battery switch, could I charge both batteries at once using a single bank/land based charger? i.e once one battery hits full charge is there any ill effects of leaving it paralleled in the charging loop as the other tops off? ( Using a 10A, automatic charger)
Preffer not to add a VSA so alternitive is to chage one than manually switch to the other. :-(

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Battery Bank Question.

Yes you can use a single charger to charge both batteries at once. That's what happens when you have a battery switch set to BOTH with the engine running. While it's best to have two batteries of the same type and capacity, neither battery will be damaged since the charger or the engine charging system looks at those two batteries as one great big battery. You would connect the POS lead of the single charger to the COM terminal on the switch and the NEG lead to the NEG terminal on either of the two batteries. Set the battery switch to BOTH.