Can anyone help I want to fit a second battery on my mh do I just take 2 leads from the battery thats there now or is there any other way to connect it and will it charge both batteries many thanks Peter
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as peter said but fit a fuse in both ends of the pos wire as close as possible to the batteries....:thumb:
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What type and size of fuse do you suggest & where is the best place to buy the necessary wiring etc.
HI
I did go to my local motoring shop but was not help and only had 3 amp wire and the in line fuse there had was only 3 amp wire on it but you are right it was a youg lad who helped me and i hate to say it he had more idea then i did . :thumb:
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Hi, again, i cant over emphasise just how important it is to use either a split charger or a DC disconnect, picture if you will how much smaller (and longer) your leads are from your primary battery to your "leisure" battery as compared to your primary battery to starter motor leads are.
Without a "one" way switch your starting battery will attempt to draw starting current amps not only from itself but from your secondary battery.......through your 6mm leads, result ? heat and a reduction from then on of those leads to "pass" charging current to your secondary battery, ultimately leading to a possible fire (but hey arent insurance companies understanding these days?) or just a terminal degredation of the system you installed.
Need more? another reason to "isolate" the two batteries is this : two 12 volt batteries wired in this way are regarded to be in parallel, usually containing 2 very different types of battery (1 for starting, 1 for deep discharge/low current, ie leisure), these 2 types of battery have differing chemistries and amonst other things differing voltages "at rest" or no load.
2 batteries wired in this way without isolation will constantly attempt to "homogenise" voltages, thus discharging themselves.
Another point worth mentioning is that the amp rating of a cable is dependent on many things, the length of the cable, the type of cable, where the cable is sited, voltage and whether its DC or AC current, generally for DC fine strand "tri rated" cable is a must.
So to be helpful, where do you get this stuff? ebay is good if you know what you are looking for, alternatively autoelectrician supplies, or a good domestic electricians suppliers.
for a basic system in a motorhome with 12 volt start and say a 110 amp hr leisure connected at less than 3 metres cable length 6mm tri rated is ok, more than 3 metres use 10mm, fuse at 25 amp at the starter battery end and again at 25 amp after the split charger,
How do i know this stuff? i have 2000 amp hrs @ 48 volt running a pure sine 4kw inverter running my farm and i install similar setups for friends, hope this helps.
Been out today playing with the mh and fitted second battery as advised including 2 fuses I checked that the lights worked and that the battery charger is charging is there any other test just to make sure all is working as should many thanks Peter