House Batteries

[Freestyle]

New port batteries are not holding a charge and now battery charger has shut down. I have not started trouble shooting with the voltage meter.

Port batteries serve house side and quite importantly, the solenoid to activate the toilet flush on the heads. While working on the battery problem, I would like to run the house from the starboard side.

Other than the engine parallel switch at the helm, is there a way to service the port (house) side with the starboard bank?

Boat is 1986 54MY for discussion purposes. Battery selector switches in each ER are newer and only have ON/Off and I don't see a 1/2/both selection option.

I can see the benefit of idiot proofing this so the house service can't drain all of the starting batteries but would like to work around if possible.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Bruce
Freestyle
1986 62 CPMY (54MY with Ext.)
Tampa

 

[MadHatter53]

A quik temp solution would be a set of heavy jumper cables after disconnecting main dc feed.

 

[oscarvan]

FIRST you have to ask the question: Why is Port bank dying? Does the charger serve both? Because whatever the problem is will now affect the other bank too if you combine them and you may end up dead in the water.... (Don't add the healthy side to the sick side!)

You say not holding charge? That's a bad battery issue and you say they are new. Or are they not being charged? What charges the SB side.... same charger?

Me thinks you need to isolate things, not combine them, and narrow down the problem first. Buy a porta potty and stick it in the shower. Fraction of the cost of a battery.

 

[Pascal]

You could install a 1-both-2 battery switch, connect the feed to the electrical panel to the switch along with the wire coming to the port battery bank, And add a wire going from the starboard bank to the new switch

This sounds easy but depending on how the existing wiring is set up, it may not be.

In a bind you could also add a short jumper around the parallel solenoid but whatever is wrong on the port bank will affect the starboard bank... emergency only

I ve never liked how Hatteras used one of the starting bank for house duties. When I redid my wiring during the repower I added a dedicated house bank

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Just find the problem and fix it. The work around is not going to be easy as the cables are 4/0 and pricey.

You probably have a bad battery or a bad connection at the batteries. Or you have a bad charger.

What kind of batteries are these?

 

[Lmcruiser]

Not sure how your boat is wired but last year I had battery and charger problems. After new batteries and charger repair one bank was not charging even though charger was working fine. After some trouble shooting and my encouraging the repair tech to check it turned out somehow during the project the 60 amp ANL fuse from the charger to that bank was blown. New fuse then fixed that problem. I have a Sentry 60 amp charger and 2 banks of 3 group 31 batteries instead of 8-Ds.

 

[Freestyle]

the 60 amp ANL fuse from the charger to that bank was blown.

Where do I find the 60 amp ANL fuse?

It sounds like we have the same setup and failure fact pattern.

Thank everyone else for their responses. All are well thought out.

Bruce

Freestyle
1986 62 CPMY (54MY with ext.)
Tampa

 

[MadHatter53]

In a bind you could also add a short jumper around the parallel solenoid but whatever is wrong on the port bank will affect the starboard bank... emergency only Pascal


I thought the parallel switch was for starting purposes only?

Have you put a meter on the charger or batteries when it’s on ?
I have heard that some chargers won’t charge a dead or almost dead battery and one bad battery will bring that whole bank down.

 

[Pascal]

Yes the parallel solenoid is only for starting of the other side bank is dead.

In an emergency if you need to power the house, putting a jumper (same wire gauge as the main cable) will power the house. Not ideal but having a boat with no working bulge pumps is even worst...

Having only two banks with house using a Starting bank is a set up you see on small Boats... should not be like that on a hatteras

 

[SKYCHENEY]

The fuse is in the aluminum cabinet in the engine room with the battery switches on it. Open that up and you will see the fuses.

 

[oscarvan]

The fuse is in the aluminum cabinet in the engine room with the battery switches on it. Open that up and you will see the fuses.

Haven't had the need to find said fuse yet, but I no longer have the cabinet.....One big battery switch on the wall in each engine room......