[RE-wrenches] Marine battery bank switch

[SunHarvest]

Decided to check clearance in the back of the switch and curiously found a hairline crack in the casing. Decided to check for continuity between the "1" and "2" settings and sure enough, there was intermittent continuity. Kind of wondering why the thing didn't catch on fire...

As always, thanks for the responses guys.

Eric Stikes
SunHarvest Solar
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dan Fink 
  To: RE-wrenches 
  Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2012 5:20 PM
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Marine battery bank switch


  Eric;


  If you set the switch to "1+2" (sometimes labeled "both") then you are paralleling the banks. Set at "1" or "2" it's is not, unless there is another sneaky + current path that you missed. Be sure *everything* positive goes to the main + buss bar, which is then switched between the banks by the big red switch.


  Also, you might check behind the switch -- there's not much room back there, and it's easy for the + lugs to move and possibly touch while you are torquing the lugs.


  -- 
  Dan Fink,
  Executive Director;
  Otherpower
  Buckville Energy Consulting
  Buckville Publications LLC
  NABCEP / IREC accredited Continuing Education Providers
  970.672.4342 (voicemail)



  On Thu, Oct 11, 2012 at 4:23 PM, SunHarvest <eric at harvesthesun.com> wrote:

    I recently installed a Blue Sea 4-way marine battery switch to switch between two battery banks, one new bank and one old bank. I was hesitant to connect the negative home-runs from both banks onto one common bus (connected directly to a ground rod), which then connects back to the DC load center at the inverter. But that's how I was advised to wire it by an electrician friend. 

    It appears now that the newer bank was performing quite a bit better prior to being connected to the marine switch (and neg lead to the neg bus) and the old bank is now performing better than before. I think my electrician buddy was incorrect and that even the positive leads being on a switch and neg lead on a neg bus, the banks are still, to some extent, effectively paralleled and that the new bank is being pulled down by being indirectly connected to the old bank.

    Thoughts and advice on how to correct the wiring if needed?

    Sorry to ask such a simple question, I'm just a little rusty on off-grid.

    Thanks guys.

    Eric Stikes
    SunHarvest Solar




   



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