Battery Combiners?

[surfingminniwinni]

Is anyone using a Battery Combiner? I like the idea, of not having to switch battery switches etc: A combiner seems like the ideal solution, according to the adverts. What are your experiences?

Thanks.

[Sandero]

I don't switch batteries. I have a separate start bank and a large house bank. The alternator charges the house bank and the house bank charges the start via an Echo charge. The switch I use is a Ble Seas 8080 which allows me to combine house and start for the purpose of starting should the start bank be too weak.

This is a very simple system, and you don't have to manage charging because it's done with a smart 3 stage charger. All charging sources are connected to the house bank.

[Ziggy]

There are several models of automatic charging relays on the market. I installed one a few years ago. They work very well.

[CSY Man]

Got one for sale on ebay right now:

expired link

[S/V New Sensation]

My previous boat I added a start battery and charged the house batteries from the alternator and 110 charger with the start battery charged by an echo charger and it worked well. On my present boat I added a start battery and when I went to buy the echo charger the salesman at Fisheries recomended I try a BEP voltage sensitive reley or combiner as he felt they worked well but would save me money since I was using flooded batteries on in both banks. So far has worked great and it did cost less but I wouldn't hesitate to use the echo charger again either.

[clearsea]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

There are several models of automatic charging relays on the market. I installed one a few years ago. They work very well.

If you have a multibank shore power charger, how did you wire that in with the ACR? The ACR sends a red wire to each battery positive terminal. The multibank charger sends one red wire to each battery positive terminal. Can the ACR and charger live together OK?

[CharlieJ]

I use ACR's exclusively over the ubiquitous, and often mis-positioned, 1-2-BOTH-OFF switch. ACR's have matured from the Xantrex Pathmaker, to the Blue Sea 7600, 9112, 7610, and finally, to the robust ML series, and are now reliable, emission quiet units. In the case of the ML series 7620, there is even a built in manual over-ride.

So, to directly answer surfing..., I endorse the use of these units.

To clearsea: These units work by sensing voltage at the two heavy connection points. When voltage exceeds a ceiling level for a certain amount of time, this indicates the prescence of a charging source and the combiner combines. Likewise, when the voltage drops below a floor for a certain amount of time, this indicates a load without a charging source present and the combiner opens. Although it is ok to route output 1 from your charger to one bank and output 2 to the other bank, this is unnecessary.

There is, of course, much more to this subject and I suggest that you use the Resource tab at Blue Sea Systems (Resources - Blue Sea Systems) to learn more about these devices.

[Sailabel]

We've used the older Pathmaker for 4-years and it has worked fine for us. We have one large house battery bank plus a separate starting battery. When cruising, we don't touch the battery switches to isoloate the batteries... the Pathmaker takes care of that, and when we start the engine (or if the solar panels or wind generator 'top off' the house bank) the Pathmaker allows the starting battery to also charge.

When at dock with shore power, we turn the unit off and the starting battery charges off the echo charger.

[motion30]

Originally Posted by Sailabel

We've used the older Pathmaker for 4-years and it has worked fine for us. We have one large house battery bank plus a separate starting battery. When cruising, we don't touch the battery switches to isoloate the batteries... the Pathmaker takes care of that, and when we start the engine (or if the solar panels or wind generator 'top off' the house bank) the Pathmaker allows the starting battery to also charge.

When at dock with shore power, we turn the unit off and the starting battery charges off the echo charger.

I have a pathfinder That is disconected, if I decide to use it what are acceptable settings?

[surfingminniwinni]

Thanks everyone, I installed a Projecta Electronic Relay yesterday, it seems to work fine.
It has a push button on the unit to combine batteries if Starting battery dies.

Thanks for advice.

[Sailabel]

Hi Motion30- as I recall, we maintained the default settings. The default settings are available in the users manual, which can be obtained here: http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/92/docserve.aspx The mistake we made when installing the unit, was to have the starting battery being the 'primary' battery that would always be charging. With a larger house bank, the starting battery would charge fairly quickly, then the combiner would connect the house bank... with a subsequent drop in voltage in the combined setting... which would then automatically disconnect, reconnect, and repeat.... Have the house bank as the primary... when it comes up to voltage, then the starting battery is brought in-line, with no dramatic drop in voltage. Since doing that, the unit works great.

Also, we installed the remote panel- so we can turn the unit on and off, as well as combine the batteries for starting if needed- all from our main electrical panel.

Regards...

[LtBrett]

I used to use a combiner so I could charge my three banks from any source, but I disconnected it when I installed a three bank charger. My combiner senses voltage on two leads, combining them whenever either lead has over 13.2 v. When I get around to it, I plan to reinstall the combiner by tapping into either the ignition or the alternator. That may be the solution clearsea is looking for. The combiner would only combine when an engine is running, not when a battery is charging from the charger.

Brett

[Rick]

Although I like the PathMaker Magnum Energy has a new 25Amp solid-state combiner that is adjustable and works on 12V or 24V systems as well. You might investigate that one. I've tested it to over 40A peak loads. It will work in either direction so that it doesn't matter which lead is connected to a source or a load.

You can set it up so that a start battery will be connected when your charge source goes to float from acceptance it will connect keeping the start battery on float.

[Highlander40]

Having two engines allows me to charge the house bank from the port engine and charge the starting bank from the starboard engine.
For emergency there is a parallel switch.

[redcobra]

Anyone use the Balmar Digial Duo Charge device as their ACR.