Battery Wiring thru the battery select switch

[Leo Uhran]

I'm looking for the "correct" way to wire the house and the starter batteries thru the battery selector switch so the charger charges the banks properly. I think mine is wired incorrectly.

Current configuation: If the selector switch is on battery 1 setting or battery 2 setting the current charger does not charge (sends no power). It does charge only when set on "all".

So my understanding is once the house is chargedany extra spills over to the starter battery.? I don't know if this is the right way for it to charge.

Shouldn't each bank be controlled independently? I'm adding a Xantrex 20 smart charger that is capable of sending current independently to both batteries similtaniously in whatever amps is needed distributed how it see's fit ;e 5/15 or 10/10 or 0/20

How should the charger be wired to the two battery banks. I do want the charger to charge the starter and not rely soley on the alternator or am I incorrect in my thinking?

[kevin barber]

Are you sure that your old charger isn't hardwired directly to only one of the batteries?  That would explain the issue of only being able to charge battery #2 when you have your selector switch set to the "all" position.  When the switch is in the "all" position it is effectively re-wiring your batteries in parallel (both batteries are acting like on BIG battery)

If it were a two bank charger, it should be wired independantly and directly to each bank.  (Not wired into the batt selector switch)  This setup is nice, because each battery will get what it needs no matter what setting your switch is on.   Much less of a hassel.

But if do have a single bank charger, you can wire the charger to the "common" stud on the back of the selector switch.  This is probably also where you will also find the wire coming in from the alternator and the wire leading to your breaker panel.

If you go with the new Truecharge 20, each bank will be wired independantly.  It does an awesome job by the way.

I'm not sure if I am understanding your question about the alternator...  But there are several ways to wire it.  I can be wired directly to one battery, and then use a combiner to charge both batteries.  This is the best configuration because it doesn't require you to remember to switch anything back and forth.

Or you can leave it wired to the selector switch common,  then the alternator will only charge the bank that you have selected... Or just switch it to "all".  But NEVER switch it to OFF with the alternator running.  It can be easy to do messing around with that switch.

Does that answer your question?

[Leo Uhran]

Kevin , Thanks.

Sort of. The charger is only activated to charge when the selector switch is set on ALL. Nothing in setting 1 or 2.

It then only charges the battery 1 bank (house) once full, the residual goes over to battery 2 (Starter)

I'm going to have a marine electrical guy do this work. I was just trying to find out the correct way to have it wired.

It sounds like with my Zantrex 20 I'll need to wire each bank independently?

[kevin barber]

Yes-
Each bank will be wired with its own positive and negative wire coming from the charger.  Each bank can consist of one or more batteries wired in parallel.

Heres the installation instructions from xantrex's site...

//http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/462/docserve.asp