The bad side (and the very dangerous side) is that a relay is prone to over loading. The good side is, that it is easy to fit and requires no alterations to the standard engine system, but, it merely connects the domestic battery bank to the engine battery via a relay, which is energised when the engine starts. This system is both dated and extremely dangerous, unless understood and the correct relay used for the correct job, ie current limiting relays may be required for safety reasons. Simply check the temperature of the switch every so often by touching the back - it should be cold.Ģ) Split charge relay. When these switches fail they tend to melt the plastic case (if you are lucky). The spring in the switch can over-heat and loses its tension this leads to an exponential break down of the switch that manifests in heat. They also tend to suffer failure if large prolonged current is passed through them. Failure to operate it correctly will result in all batteries being discharged or not being charged correctly and possible damage to the alternator. The bad side is that it needs constant human intervention to ensure it works. The good side of this system is that it is easy to install. It is recognisable as a large circular switch with four marked positions on the switch. This method is very dated and not very common on boats. There are four various options employed by boat builders, below are the options with a short explanation giving both the positive and negative aspects.ġ) Rotary switch. Having introduced 2-3 battery banks onto your boat, the problem then is how do you charge them from one alternator source (or two alternators which I will discuss later). These tend to be the engine start battery, the domestic battery bank (please note that if you join three or four batteries together in your domestic battery bank it is still one battery), and the bow thruster battery.
Alternator InputsĪll boats have at least two battery banks, some have three.
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