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Simultaneously charge 3 car batteries

  • 12-10-2010 5:49pm
    #1
    Skuxx
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭


    Not sure if this is the right forum mods but said I'd stick it up here anyway, please move if ye want!!

    Anyway I have 3 car batteries connected up together in my boat, one for engine starting and 2 for electrics, just wondering is there anyway to put a charger on one of them that will keep them all charged?? What way to they need to be linked up??

    They are all linked together somehow because the alternator manages to keep them charged when the engine is running but over the winter the engine won't be running!
    I had a charger on one and over a period of about 2 weeks the 2 batteries that didn't have the charger directly on them went dead!!

    Any help would be great!


Comments

  • #2
    Alanstrainor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,157 ✭✭✭✭Alanstrainor


    I don't know where to put this either, perhaps the Sailing & Boating forum?

    But anyway, could you not just use one of those booster packs to charge up the one connected to the engine when you need to start it when the season starts again? And then let the alternator do it's work? Or am i missing something.


  • #3
    Skuxx
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭Skuxx


    Alanstrainor wrote: »
    I don't know where to put this either, perhaps the Sailing & Boating forum?

    I was thinking there but its not really a boating issue ( i know, not a motoring issue either) just thought there would be more traffic here!
    Alanstrainor wrote: »
    But anyway, could you not just use one of those booster packs to charge up the one connected to the engine when you need to start it when the season starts again? And then let the alternator do it's work? Or am i missing something.

    Its probly a bit too long to leave them dead, they'd be useless by next march/ april!


  • #4
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,280 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    use a split charge relay (commonly used to charge a 2nd battery in a caravan) to charge them , as for winter, your best bet would be to take the batteries out of the boat and have a trickle charger at home plugged into a timer, trickle charge them for a little bit each day and just keep them topped up with water


  • #5
    mayo_lad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 563 ✭✭✭mayo_lad


    alan1990 wrote: »
    Not sure if this is the right forum mods but said I'd stick it up here anyway, please move if ye want!!

    Anyway I have 3 car batteries connected up together in my boat, one for engine starting and 2 for electrics, just wondering is there anyway to put a charger on one of them that will keep them all charged?? What way to they need to be linked up??

    They are all linked together somehow because the alternator manages to keep them charged when the engine is running but over the winter the engine won't be running!
    I had a charger on one and over a period of about 2 weeks the 2 batteries that didn't have the charger directly on them went dead!!

    Any help would be great!

    why don't you take them out of the boat so that they don't go dead since they wont have a power sorce draining the charge


  • #6
    Del2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,102 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    You can use google and get this


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  • #7
    SilverBell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 431 ✭✭SilverBell


    mayo_lad wrote: »
    why don't you take them out of the boat so that they don't go dead since they wont have a power sorce draining the charge
    Not sure about the OPs boat, but some of them batteries are well hidden on the bigger boats. Unscrew them, then get them out on to deck, onto the walkway, then carry them to wherever you are going for a trickle charge. PITA. I see what alan1990 wants to avoid.

    If you have mains power to charge one battery, then maybe get another charger and run it to the other battery and try parallel charging. But this has its risks. See here.

    http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=166308&page=1

    2 weeks seems to be very fast for a battery to go dead. Have they an unknown drain on them or are they shot?
    Otherwise keep the primary battery charged up and rig it so the others will be re-charged upon running the engine. Another possibility is a solar charger/conditioner.


  • #8
    mrbig
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 150 ✭✭mrbig


    I depends on how its wired,


    You would normaly have two types of battery, starting battery and a house battery.
    the starting battery would have higher cranking amps and the house battery would be a deep cycle type (slower discharge) , its not a good idea to leave any battery for extended periods without charging or discharging.
    Charging them all in parallel is not a great idea as the different types draw different amounts of current and the charge regulator can only reasonbly cope with one type.
    You could ues a wind generator to charge the house battery and use a trickle charger from this to charge the starting battery.


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