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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>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...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>As always, thanks for the responses
guys.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Eric Stikes</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>SunHarvest Solar</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=danbob88@gmail.com href="mailto:danbob88@gmail.com">Dan Fink</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 11, 2012 5:20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Marine battery
bank switch</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Eric;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2
face=Arial></FONT><BR></DIV>-- <BR>Dan Fink,<BR>Executive
Director;<BR>Otherpower<BR>Buckville Energy Consulting<BR>Buckville
Publications LLC<BR>NABCEP / IREC accredited Continuing Education
Providers<BR>970.672.4342 (voicemail)
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><BR><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Thu, Oct 11, 2012 at 4:23 PM, SunHarvest <SPAN
dir=ltr><<A href="mailto:eric@harvesthesun.com"
target=_blank>eric@harvesthesun.com</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR>
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class=gmail_quote><U></U>
<DIV bgcolor="#ffffff">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>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><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>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><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Thoughts and advice on how to correct the wiring if
needed?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Sorry to ask such a simple question, I'm just a little
rusty on off-grid.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Thanks guys.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Eric Stikes</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>SunHarvest Solar</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR> <BR></DIV>
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