House Bank Battery Help

[Catfish13]

Hello Everyone,

This is my 1st post and I really appreciate any input that you guys can give me.

I am adding a house bank to a 1984 38' Present Trawler. It currently has 4 group 27 batteries acting as start and house batteries. The alternators from each of the 2 engines charge the 2 port and the 2 starboard batteries. I want to use the 4 currently installed batteries and make them just the starting bank.

I am adding 8 CR-200 6 volt Crown batteries for the housebank. I have them installed and in series to make 12 volts. I have added a 3000 watt Aims charger/inverter to power the 110 volts when under way. I also have an 8 KW Kilo-Pak generator too. All of these power source will run through a manual transfer switch that has 0ff-1-2-3 to select each source. I would like to have the housebank completely separate from the starting batteries. I want to charge the housebank by running the generator to power the Aims charger and by shore power when it is docked.

Here is what I am having an issue with. When I connect the helm power to the house bank I still have the starting batteries powering the factory gauges from both helms. Plus the DC grounds are all grounded at the engines. Can I just keep the DC positives isolated from each other and leave the grounds connected so that the alternators and the Aims charger do not send power at the same time? Or am I going about this all wrong?

Thank u,
Catfish13

[btrayfors]

Catfish13,

A wiring diagram would help!

Basically, yes, connect all DC grounds together. The DC positive cables should go to the intended loads/charging sources.

Not sure what you mean by "connecting the helm"...what's on that circuit and why connect it to the house batteries?

Presumably, you want the new house batteries connected, through an appropriate switch and fuse, to the DC panel.

Bill