House batteries

[daddysgirl]

Billysurf,

In your picture, both the battery cables come off the same end of the set of batteries.

That is sure death.

Get one of the cables connected to the far end battery post.

Electricity can be thought of as lazy, takes the shortest route.

In your set-up, the near battery is doing an unfair share of the work, getting an unfair amount of re-charge, and the far battery will be the first one to die an untimely death.

Google "wiring a battery bank" if you want to hurt your head, or just move one of the cables, if you don't.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

HELP Warrior!!?

I have 4 new house batteries. The PD4590 power center is connected to the top battery. ( http://www.progressivedyn.com/all_in_one_pd4500_1.html) It has automatic built in charge wizard. The inverter is connected to the bottom battery. At this point (everything torn apart inside) neither is ever is used, though I'll be using the AC soon. Should I move one of the PD4590 connections to the bottom?

I also have a 55AMP Converter Charger that is disconnected from everything since I got the power center. I'm still mulling over the best use for it, but these connections are more important.
Thanks in advance.

[buswarrior]

apologies to the OP

daddysgirl, you want your battery bank set up all by itself. There is only 1 place (ok, 2, positive/negative) to connect anything else to the bank.

HUGE, COSTLY, MURDER is committed by far too many busnuts, on their batteries.

And it is way too easy to make mistakes re-connecting all those wires during maintenance and swapping time, if they go direct to battery terminals.

Nobody thinks they can forget now... you WILL screw this up later, none of us is immune from aging...

Establishing a remote connection point with a short piece of cable, where all those other things can stay "permanently" attached, and then a single cable to the strategic battery terminal is a good design goal. also, isolates all those expensive cables from the immediate battery corrosive acid environment.

Google and read more than a few articles on building a battery bank, the patterns will quickly emerge. There are CRAP directions on the internet in places, reading a bunch of different sources will expose the bad ones...

Fair reporting warning: Nobody admits on here that they MURDERED a set of batteries in a year or two, or less, and they won't tell you they have been doing it over and over... you may hear about the accolades for Sam's Club warranty.... why would that be needed? wink wink wink...

Make no mistake, the best of us, with a healthy dose of OCD, keep boring golf cart batteries healthy for over a decade.... no need for a warranty... spend your ca$h, or do some reading and save some ca$h...?

I would also recommend to spend big ca$h on marine tinned cables, proper lugs crimped by a jobber, and reap many years of reliable service?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[daddysgirl]

apologies to the OP

daddysgirl, you want your battery bank set up all by itself. There is only 1 place (ok, 2, positive/negative) to connect anything else to the bank.

HUGE, COSTLY, MURDER is committed by far too many busnuts, on their batteries.

And it is way too easy to make mistakes re-connecting all those wires during maintenance and swapping time, if they go direct to battery terminals.

Nobody thinks they can forget now... you WILL screw this up later, none of us is immune from aging...

Establishing a remote connection point with a short piece of cable, where all those other things can stay "permanently" attached, and then a single cable to the strategic battery terminal is a good design goal. also, isolates all those expensive cables from the immediate battery corrosive acid environment.

Google and read more than a few articles on building a battery bank, the patterns will quickly emerge. There are CRAP directions on the internet in places, reading a bunch of different sources will expose the bad ones...

Fair reporting warning: Nobody admits on here that they MURDERED a set of batteries in a year or two, or less, and they won't tell you they have been doing it over and over... you may hear about the accolades for Sam's Club warranty.... why would that be needed? wink wink wink...

Make no mistake, the best of us, with a healthy dose of OCD, keep boring golf cart batteries healthy for over a decade.... no need for a warranty... spend your ca$h, or do some reading and save some ca$h...?

I would also recommend to spend big ca$h on marine tinned cables, proper lugs crimped by a jobber, and reap many years of reliable service?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

Thank you!
The bank was connected by the shop that installed the inverter, 15 years ago. I share the OCD thing, but because I know there are many things I don't know...or won't remember, I take pictures of everything before I touch it
And I "murdered" the 2 8D start batteries within two months of dad passing. I am compelled to admit it.

However, in this case, when I replaced all 4 house batteries I reconnected them just as in the picture (and this is what makes me angry) even though I was thinking about the efficiency or lack thereof...of the entire bank.
I never use the inverter, but I will do some research.

Dad and I set up the main line ( was 30 amp...now 50 amp) so there could never be any chance of accidentally connecting to two power sources. The generator has its own connection; the inverter has its own connection and when I'm plugged into the house (or a campground) the main line goes into the plug on the side of the house (or campground).
I have no desire to change that basic...but I'll keep it in mind as I research.
THANK YOU...again

[Billysurf]

We are now looking into a new battery system after much research.  We'd like 3 or 4 AGM batteries in parallel and a smart converter/charger.  Here is our current setup (only one 12v cheap battery at the moment, we had 3 but one exploded).  What can we keep and what should go and what should replace what.  We have a voltmeter now but would like some in couch meter that we could keep an eye on as well.

[Zephod]

Fortunately, my electricity usage is way less than everybody else's. Sure, I have a fridge and a microwave plus other 120v appliances - for when I'm plugged in.

My electricity usage from solar is limited to a charging panel for my phone/tablet and a pair of circulation fans. I also have one extraction fan that might shortly be joined by a companion. All that is running off 35W of vertically oriented solar panels. I will make provision to plug in a free standing panel that I can prop up beside the bus. That's probably going to be a 50W or less panel.

Batteries - I have a few small SLA batteries that turned out not to be so great. The one I use for charging my phone/tablet is excellent - that derives its charge from the solar panels. I've got a 35AH Harbor Freight battery that should provide for all of my electrical needs once it's coupled in.

I was going to go under the bus today to install the wiring I need but the rainbands surrounding hurricane Irma put paid to that idea.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bevans6]

The old fashioned transformer based Parallax converters are know for boiling batteries and catching on fire, so switching to a new smart converter is a great idea.  There are retrofit kits to replace the charger section of the Parallax and retain the AC breakers and DC distribution sections, and I used the 35 amp version in my truck camper.  Here:  http://www.bestconverter.com/MagnetekParallax-630073008300-Upgrade-Kits_c_64.html.  All I can say is it worked perfectly for me, relatively easy swap.

Brian

[Billysurf]

What needs to be retrofitted, the converter/charger or power inverter?

[bevans6]

I said the Parallax converter needs to be upgraded, if you read my post.  Your inverter is fine, for what it is.  Odd coincidences, I have a very similar old Parallax converter charger that failed and I upgraded with the unit I linked to in my post, and I also have a very similar inverter that I got for backup purposes.

[eagle19952]

i would scrap it all and start from scratch 

[Billysurf]

I said the Parallax converter needs to be upgraded, if you read my post.  Your inverter is fine, for what it is.  Odd coincidences, I have a very similar old Parallax converter charger that failed and I upgraded with the unit I linked to in my post, and I also have a very similar inverter that I got for backup purposes.

SORRY!  Missed that!  Ok, I called them, and they to gte this:  http://www.bestconverter.com/Parallax-5555355-to-Boondocker-Upgrade_ep_25-1.html

Thanks for your help!