Use 2 Shore charger outputs or just one with combiner ?

[macbeth]

I have a shore charger that goes up to 20amps. It has two separate outputs. i.e. one output could go to Battery1, the other to Battery2. I'm not sure, but I think the two outputs charger levels will fluctuate depending on the need ?

I also have a Battery combiner (West Marine type).

What's best:

1) Use a charger output to each battery. (Combiner will be the background doing what ????)

OR

2) Use one charger output to one Battery and let the combiner do the charge distribution ?

Thanks - it's puzzled me for years !

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by macbeth

I have a shore charger that goes up to 20amps. It has two separate outputs. i.e. one output could go to Battery1, the other to Battery2. I'm not sure, but I think the two outputs charger levels will fluctuate depending on the need ?



I also have a Battery combiner (West Marine type).



What's best:



1) Use a charger output to each battery. (Combiner will be the background doing what ????)



OR



2) Use one charger output to one Battery and let the combiner do the charge distribution ?



Thanks - it's puzzled me for years !

I'm pretty sure that your shore power charger won't affect your alternator power supplied battery combiner.
That's how it's connected, only combines batteries under alternator power. If you run your engine at the dock ,be sure to switch off the shore power to the charger.
Shore power chargers such as you've described have 2 charger outputs.


Sent from my iPad SV Cloud Duster

[twinboat]

I put both shore power charger leads, together, on the house battery. I also have my alternator and solar output there.
I do this because the house batteries are the ones that need the most charging.

I use the combiner, to charge my start battery.

This setup has worked fine, for 6 years.

Sent from my VS880 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

I'm pretty sure that your shore power charger won't affect your alternator power supplied battery combiner.
That's how it's connected, only combines batteries under alternator power. If you run your engine at the dock ,be sure to switch off the shore power to the charger.
Shore power chargers such as you've described have 2 charger outputs.

WADR, that's just plain wrong.

Combiners are not "...alternator power supplied battery combiner...& ...only combines batteries under alternator power."

Combiners are relays that close when charging sources OF ANY KIND are present.

Use ONE shorepower source to the house bank and let the combiner do its thing for all charging sources.

Read your charger manual to find out if one output can provide full amperage or if you need to jumper the outputs together.

You might want to go to the Yandina website and read their FAQs, and RTFM, too.

Good luck, but with electrical stuff, luck should have nothing to do with it.

[Andina Marie]

It makes very little difference how your 2 output shore power charger is connected. Within a short time of starting to charge the Combiner will put the batteries in parallel anyhow. Choose the simplest and shortest mechanical connection

[cabo_sailor]

Many years ago I installed a Heart inverter/charger. That left me with a perfectly good Proamp 40 charger.

I left them both installed. The Heart goes to the house bank and the Proamp goes to the engine bank. A selector switch lets me switch back and forth in case of failure of one or the other.

Waste not want not

Rich


Sent from my iPhone using Quantum Entagelment

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

WADR, that's just plain wrong. ............

I'm sure people mean well, but giving advice when you know little or nothing about the subject does more harm than good.

[smac999]

you need to connect both. each one is probably limited to 10 amps each.


I would put each to one battery. then if the combiner ever fails you'd still have both batteries charging.

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by smac999

you need to connect both. each one is probably limited to 10 amps each.

Depends on the charger - Xantrex, Victron, Promariner Pronautic P only require one battery connection. Some Promariner chargers require both. They can be connected to the same battery though.

[alx]

As others have said, it depends on the charger. Basic chargers apply the same "program" to each output - if your charger does this, you may only need to use a single output (unless one output can't provide full amps).

If your charger does individual programs, it may be worthwhile to hook each battery up separately. Many combiners (e.g. Blue Seas ACR) have a "Start Isolation" wire you typically connect to the ignition, to hold the connection open during engine start and avoid voltage drop in the house circuits while cranking the engine. Some chargers provide a connection for this SI feature to hold the combiner open while charging.