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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Eric,<br>
It still doesn't make sense to me. Unless you have a complete
circuit, the banks are not in parallel, and your switch on the
positives prevents a complete circuit of both at the same time.
Common negatives should not be an issue - after all, in a standard
off grid system, the DC - and the AC neutral are common to the
same ground rod and thus equipment bonding. A Trimetric TM2025 has
a second battery voltage sense function that requires the
negatives be common; mine tells me the voltage of my main 24V
system and my 12V generator starting battery, and all works well.<br>
<br>
So I question your perception that one is stronger and the other
weaker. How do you perceive this new difference, and could it
simply be a error in perception? One issue with a switch on two
banks is that you can't use a single amp-hour meter, such as a
TriMetric. So I would tend to place less value on subjective
perception without the metrics to back it up. <br>
Allan<br>
<br>
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<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><b>Allan Sindelar</b></font><br>
<small><a href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com"><font
color="#000099" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><u>Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</u></font></a></small><font
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic
Installer<br>
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional<br>
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
Founder and Chief Technology Officer<br>
<b>Positive Energy, Inc.</b><br>
3209 Richards Lane (note new address)<br>
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507<br>
<b>505 424-1112</b><br>
<a href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/"
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On 10/11/2012 4:23 PM, SunHarvest wrote:<br>
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<div><font face="Arial" size="2">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. </font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">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.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Thoughts and advice on how to
correct the wiring if needed?</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Sorry to ask such a simple
question, I'm just a little rusty on off-grid.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Thanks guys.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Eric Stikes</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">SunHarvest Solar</font></div>
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