Perko Battery Switch Powers Panel Even When Off?

[Yachtsman1304]

Ok, I am sure I must have done something very simple wrong....however. The short version is that I replaced both batteries in my 2000 Glastron GS249. Now, I have 12v power at my house distribution panel no matter what the Perko 1-2-both-off battery switch is at. I believe before I replaced the batteries that when the switch was on OFF, everything but the auto bilge and the fridge were off.

The switch has three reds coming from it (one to battery one, one to battery two, and one to the starter). What I am I missing? From what I see, my house panel is hooked directly to the positive of my # 2 battery. Am I losing my mind? There is a short jumper that goes from negative to negative on the batteries to hook them in parallel. If the house panel is hooked to the positive on the battery, it is bypassing the switch. What is the purpose of the switch then? This does appear to be a factory setup and not some cobble job....I think.

Now, anything at the helm is dead as can be unless the battery switch is at 1/2/both. It starts and runs like a champ. Another thing (probably unrelated) is that the volt meter at the helm shows almost 18 volts. A volt meter on the battery while running shows normally expected readings. Ugh...

Any assistance would greatly enhance my mental stability at the present time.

Thanks all.

 

[duped]

If your house panel is wired directly to the battery, as you have deduced, the switch won't turn it off. It may have been wired like that deliberately so the 12v cabin lighting and such still works when the boat is moored. Not how I would do it, but it wouldn't surprise me.

The switch in this case would only be useful in selecting which battery starts the engine, and would also allow you to combine the house and starting battery in case of an emergency.

If you want to have the house panel switched, you can just take its positive cable off of the battery and put it on the common terminal of the battery switch. This is how I have my 30 footer wired. I don't want anything on when I leave it in the slip besides the bilge pumps which are wired direct to each of the batteries. Less risk of battery drain and less risk of fire in case something happens. If you do that, make sure your pumps are still right from the float switch to the battery, or you'll turn them off when you turn the batteries off and leave the boat. (If moored)

 

[duped]

Didn't see your edit...first thing, I would take a meter at the back of the volt gauge and see what you're actually getting there.

 

[alldodge]

Ok, I am sure I must have done something very simple wrong....however. The short version is that I replaced both batteries in my 2000 Glastron GS249. Now, I have 12v power at my house distribution panel no matter what the Perko 1-2-both-off battery switch is at. I believe before I replaced the batteries that when the switch was on OFF, everything but the auto bilge and the fridge were off.

The switch has three reds coming from it (one to battery one, one to battery two, and one to the starter). What I am I missing? From what I see, my house panel is hooked directly to the positive of my # 2 battery. Am I losing my mind? There is a short jumper that goes from negative to negative on the batteries to hook them in parallel. If the house panel is hooked to the positive on the battery, it is bypassing the switch. What is the purpose of the switch then? This does appear to be a factory setup and not some cobble job....I think.

Now, anything at the helm is dead as can be unless the battery switch is at 1/2/both. It starts and runs like a champ. Another thing (probably unrelated) is that the volt meter at the helm shows almost 18 volts. A volt meter on the battery while running shows normally expected readings. Ugh...

Any assistance would greatly enhance my mental stability at the present time.

Thanks all.

If your house battery goes from battery # 2 directly to the panel then you cannot turn it off with the switch. For the most part this is the way it works. the down side is if you keep it on both, you can drain both batteries. If you keep it on both until you stop your charging both batteries.

The one line going to the starter also goes to your alternator and will charge both batteries when the engine is running. What you need is either an isolator or an ACR (Automatic Charge Relay).

This is your current setup


You could use this setup to keep things isolated and change both when engine is running. An addition would be to also install a 2 bank charger to keep things up to snuff when plugged in

 

[Yachtsman1304]

Thanks duped. I must have been imagining things when, before my battery change, I thought my system acted as yours. I did not change anything on the switch. So, the way mine is set up, my switch is really only acting as a combiner. Correct? Maddening I tell you.

 

[Yachtsman1304]

Thanks for the diagram AllDodge. I do have a charger hooked to shorepower. I guess I am just looking for confirmation that something is not wired terribly wrong. As I said, all I did was put two new batteries in and then things did not work the way I "THOUGHT" they did before my...improvement. I mean I changed nothing at the switch, so this was how it HAD to have been before. Both batteries each have a group of positive wires attached to it and one battery has all the negatives. The battery I have as a starting battery is wired to the negative of the other battery. It seems pretty simple..or so I thought.

 

[duped]

Yeah, since you didn't touch anything at the switch it should be exactly how it was before with regards to what is switched. If you reversed the polarity of one of the batteries or something you would have noticed that right away!

 

[Yachtsman1304]

No sparky sparky today thank goodness.