I leave my boat for a month at a time. I am on shore power. My bilge is hot wired. My charger is turned on. When I leave the boat should
I switch to 1 or 2 or both or off. Also when the engine is running I assume the switch should be set to both. I would like a definitive answer please and the reason as to why this is the answer. Thanks, Bill
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Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
Bill I don't think you will get a definitive answer. So much depends on your wiring and what devices you have . I leave the boat with the house on powering the frig and AC running the battery charger, dehumidifier and as necessary a heater. I have a low voltage shutoff for the frig. My start and windlass batteries are kept charged by two blue seas ACRs (automatic charge relay) that can feed them up to 40A whenever the house batteries are being charged (either from battery charger or alternator). You can see my Battery layout in the most recent the issue of Mainsail (which is free with paid membership here)
You'll note I didn't mention off/A/B/Both here at all. I think these are a holdover from times past and belong in the same bin as loran, HF radios and non-self tailing winches. Maine Sail has a great explanation on this here.
If you managed to read at least several pages ( it was on 12 or 13 last I checked) of the post referenced above you'll see it doesn't take that much to get to a three switch config. You'll need one on:off battery switch, a ACR or Echo Charger and a few short battery cables. Probably less than $150 and 2 hours of work. Once done you can leave the boat with switches off, battery charger on and come back after a month to two fully charged batteries.
Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor.
Commodore
Thanks for the response. The small west marine dehumidifier is the only thing I run when away. Of course it's on AC. All D.C. Switches are off. No frig. No anything. Bilge pump is off but as I mentioned hot wired. The battery charger is on. If I keep the battery switch set to off will the batteries still charge? I believe my set up is the standard wiring etc. for the 95 mk 2. So once again I submit my original two questions? Thanks
Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
I set to all, this makes all batteries charge.
Sail La Vie 1999 Catalina 36 MKII, M35B-17031, Coyote Point, San Mateo, CA
About Sail La Vie
Not to belabor the point but I will. Will the batteries charge via the AC charger even if they are set to OFF? Additionally when the engine is running should they be set to BOTH ON.
Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
Sorry. If you want to keep things as they are and charge both batteries you need to place the switch to oall. If you have invested in expensive AGM or newer battery technology you need to alter the way things were wired from the factory. Technology moves on and even if batteries look exactly like the did 22 years ago there a big leap in Battery chemistry. Once you've used a boat wired for the 3 switch system you won't want to go back.
Again in sorry if I offended you
Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor.
Commodore
No offense taken. I'm assuming in your last response "oall" means both batteries on. Also if the charger is running and the batteries are off does this present any kind of problem which is how it is currently set (I'm 4 hours away from my boat) Thanks Les, Bill
Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
Issues depend on where the charger connects, to the common or to the house batteries. "ohall" is a new word combining both and all. ;)
Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor.
Commodore
Called my neighbor at the marina. He went below and switched to ohall or both depending on your country of origin. Thanks Les, Bill
Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
(My two cents.) I always leave my battery switch on the house bank, which in my boat is #2. It's that simple.
#1 is my backup starting battery, and the only time I would ever need to switch to it is if the house bank goes so flat it won't start the engine. I cannot remember when I last switched from #2, but it must have been many years ago. 10 years ago, maybe.
My charger charges both batteries on shore power.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Breitz: The downside of putting your switch on both (or "oall") -- especially if its not needed for charging -- is that you might forget its on that position. The adverse consequence of forgetting will arrive the day that you run down your house batteries while off the dock at anchor or sailing, because at that point you'll discover that you ran down your start battery as well (because you left the switch on "both"), and you suddenly realize you have no way to crank over the diesel.
While I don't have any empirical data on this, my sense is that most modern chargers are set up with the capacity to charge both banks independently. I'd suggest you check the wiring from your charger, and determine if it is already wired to charge both banks; if it is, then there is absolutely no benefit to putting the switch on "both" while you are plugged in to the dock. (The other way to accomplish this is with an auto combining relay ("ACR") that hooks the two banks together whenever it senses that the house bank is getting sufficient charging voltage).
As to whether you need to put it on "both" to charge both banks when you are running the diesel, again it really depends on how your boat is wired. Following the diagram in Mainesail's excellent write-up (linked to in Les' post #2 above), we redid the wiring in our Mk1 5 years ago so that the alternator output feeds directly to the housebank, and then added an ACR to make sure the starter battery gets charged as needed. See this link for a more detailed explanation and a diagram: www.catalina36.org/comment/60852#comment-60852 . The beauty of this setup is that -- unless something goes seriously wrong -- one never has to bother with the switch again, because the charging becomes all automatic. Like Larry, we just leave the switch set to the house bank (#1 on our boat) and forget it until the end of the season.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Thanks all.
Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
Huh. My PO must have done something odd, because I leave my batteries off and they still charge. The charger has wires going to both banks. It doesn't go through the switch.
Hummina
1987 Catalina 36 MKI
#741
Bayfield, WI. Usually.
Nothing in the slightest "weird" about that. The charger shouldn't need to go through the switch -- it would be weird if it did.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
In reading all these posts- it is evident that there are a lot of electric system nuances with each boat. My batteries will not take a charge from the AC charger unless the selector switches are in the on position.
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
Since your not running anything, and the bilge is hot wired, suspecting the switch has no bearing on the bilge pump, I'd keep the main switch in the Off position. I turn the shore power off as well when I'm not at the boat. Less chance of fire. I'm at the boat most weekends during warmer months, and once a month during the winter. When I get to the boat, even once a month during the winter, the charge is still good.
Robert Trinkle
Troubador, 1995 C36 MKII #1433, SR/WK
Universal M35A
Kinsale Harbor Marina
Kinsale, VA
[quote=rtrinkle]Since your not running anything......, I'd keep the main switch in the Off position. I turn the shore power off as well when I'm not at the boat. [/quote]
Again I'll say it depends on how it's wired. Chargers (at least on older boats) I believe were installed by owner or dealer. And may have been changed out with different wiring. If charger is wired to the common stud (like most alternators are from the factory, he would need to leave the switch on to keep batteries. If the charger has multi outputs wired to each battery or wired to one set and an ACR installed it can be off.
If the charger is wired to only one battery set. How are the two electric bilge pumps wired ?? Both to one battery or better one going to each set of batteries. Does the charger go to the battery with the bilge pumpsconnected.
With so so many different combos it is impossible to give a best answer without seeing the high level wiring diagram
Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor.
Commodore
Les,
I completely agree with you. The best way to know is to trace and diagram the wiring for charging and engine. When I first got hull 1433, the charger was directly connected to the house batteries, It used the a/b/both switch to parallel them. Since My hull number is close to his, I assumed his would be the same, but the only way to be sure is to diagram the system. My bilge pump is also "hot wired", as in connected to the same poll on the 4 way switch as the house batteries.
Bill also said he turns everything off when not at the boat. IMHO, I would turn the shore power off as well, just as a safety measure. Keeps stray electricity from going to water, saves on electricity, and helps prevent fire, if the charger, plug, or cables go bad while away from the boat for a month. Also, if he has lead acid batteries, keeps from cooking the water. I have a friend who lives on his boat, and did not realize the 30 amp plug on his boat was bad, and almost caught fire, if I had not smelt the electrical smoke, it I'm sure it would have damaged his boat. No need to run angry electrons if you don't have to.
If the bilge pump runs enough to deplete his batteries in a month, I would be more worried about leaks, than the batteries.
However, as you said, the only way to know your configuration, is to trace the cables, and draw a high level diagram. I did, and update it whenever I make a change. I feel it is the smartest thing one can do for the electrical system.
Robert Trinkle
Troubador, 1995 C36 MKII #1433, SR/WK
Universal M35A
Kinsale Harbor Marina
Kinsale, VA