Battery Charger Question

[blakels]

It's almost time everyone!

While reconnecting my batteries I noticed that both the outputs from the dual charger were going to the starboard battery. I assume this means that my port battery was only being recharged while the engine was running from the alternator. The wires were all taped to the main cables and it appears the have always been this way. I cut one of the wires out and moved it to the port battery. Both batteries now have charger output voltage when it is on.

Has anyone ever seen this before or know why it would be done?

[shrew]

So many questions.

Originally Posted by blakels

While reconnecting my batteries I noticed that both the outputs from the dual charger were going to the starboard battery. I assume this means that my port battery was only being recharged while the engine was running from the alternator.

Assuming that the port battery was the only battery connected to the alternator, then yes. Certainly the charger was only charging the Stbd battery in this configuration. That is, unless the batteries are connected across the positive terminals.

Originally Posted by blakels

The wires were all taped to the main cables and it appears they have always been this way.

Could you elaborate on 'taped'? That doesn't follow any electrical code of any kind.

Originally Posted by blakels

I cut one of the wires out and moved it to the port battery. Both batteries now have charger output voltage when it is on.

Could you elaborate on 'cut'? The charging leads should have been connected with a ring terminal.

Originally Posted by blakels

Has anyone ever seen this before or know why it would be done?

1) You shouldn't charge 2 batteries with a single alternator (at the same time). You would want to install a charging circuit for something like that.

2) You shouldn't be charging the same battery with both an alternator and a battery charger (at the same time).

Your battery charger would require that it be powered by AC either by shorepower or a generator. Either the Previous Owner (PO) was wiring to prevent that condition, or he was afraid of that condition and wasn't clear on how things worked. After all, you would need to have either the main engine AND shorepower running at the same time. OR the main engine and a generator running.

Moving each charging circuit to its own battery would be the proper solution.

[blakels]

When I say taped I mean taped to the main cables like a harness. They have standard eyelets on them that go on the threaded posts. And when I say cut I meant to cut the tape to separate it so it would reach the other battery. The systems are completely separate so there is no way the port battery was being charged un less the engine was running.

I do not have a generator. I have an inverter which has it's own third battery and a built in charger to maintain it.