battery connection question

[scratcher]

start battery connected as usual to motor side 150a/hrs, deep cycle 120a/hrs connected to house side with 160 watts solars with reg. vsr connection between both batteries. When motor runs, triggers vsr, both batteries charged, when solar works, triggers vsr, charges both. Problem is that when left on mooring, pulls in both batteries but regulator rises to 15.5/16v overcharging deep cycle bat,having to constantly top up with water.Is it bad to connect two different type of batteries together or is one battery leaching from the other. thanks

[daddle]

You can parallel different batteries while charging. You need to limit the charge conditions to the lesser of the two. Any significant Amount of charging makes the batteries "see" only the charger, not each other.

16 is too high.

[rebel heart]

What kind of batteries and how often are you filling up?

[donradcliffe]

Your problem is with the solar regulator, which should be limiting the voltage to somewhere between 13.2 and 14.0 volts, depending on stages and battery types. It it ain't adjustable, replace it with something that works.

[scratcher]

the regulator does work when it charges the deep cycle only???

[noelex 77]

I agree with others that those voltages are too high. There is some risk to your electronics as well as your batteries.

If wired correctly there is no reason why the voltages should be going higher when you parallel another battery.
Try tracing the wires and drawing a wiring diagram.

[Andina Marie]

If one battery is lead acid, the high voltage won't hurt it, in fact can do some good.

If you can't solve the solar regulation problem, the Yandina Combiner100 VSR has a built in regulator for sealed batteries that will limit the voltage being passed to 14.2 which is lower than the "gassing" voltage. You would have to connect the solar to the lead acid battery and let the Combiner100 charge the house battery but that is a minor change.

[Kettlewell]

It sounds like the solar charge controller isn't working properly. It is letting full voltage from the panels go to the batteries. Generally, solar charge control devices are called "controllers," while the term "regulator" is used for the device that controls the output of your engine alternator.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by scratcher

start battery connected as usual to motor side 150a/hrs, deep cycle 120a/hrs connected to house side with 160 watts solars with reg. vsr connection between both batteries. When motor runs, triggers vsr, both batteries charged, when solar works, triggers vsr, charges both. Problem is that when left on mooring, pulls in both batteries but regulator rises to 15.5/16v overcharging deep cycle bat,having to constantly top up with water.Is it bad to connect two different type of batteries together or is one battery leaching from the other. thanks

We need more specifics. The only thing we can say is that 15.5 - 16V is far to high for normal charging. Possibly the way it is wired and what/whre it is "sensing" but we need more specifics...

[scratcher]

the regulator is wired with two terminals to solar panels, two to batteries, and two labelled load not connected. As I turn all power off to fuse panel when leaving boat, does a regulator require a load to work properly.the only load left on perminately is auto bilge pump with I prefer connected straight to house battery, thanks