Battery Switch-gctid392363

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When leaving my 2008 289 in slip for few days with shore power connected, do you recommend turning batter(s) off or leave on? Thanks

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You should turn 'em off

If the shore power should fail, your fridge will kill your battery if left uncharged.

Then you have no power for your bilge pump,,,,,and then if it rains a lot,,,,trouble

[2850Bounty Supporting Member Find all posts View Profile Close 2850Bounty]

Ditto Sarah's comments.

If connected correctly, turning your MBSS "OFF" will not affect the O/B charger interface, nor the main bilge pump float switch power connection.

Any AC items, such as the frig, will default to AC when present.

Again, if this is wired up correctly in the first place!

[Iproff Guru Find all posts View Profile Close Iproff]

LazyCrusr wrote:
You should turn 'em off

If the shore power should fail, your fridge will kill your battery if left uncharged.

Then you have no power for your bilge pump,,,,,and then if it rains a lot,,,,trouble

If you do not have separate circuits for the fridge. Then you could follow this advice.

I have a separate AC and DC switch for my fridge so I can turn all DC power off without opening a hatch and turning the MBSS to off. I have my bilge pumps connected to the generator battery that is only used to start the genny (1) my house bank is (2) and it powers all lights and my fridge and the stand alone freezer. I leave the MBSS on (2) all the time so even with a power failure my house battery would be run down in 3 days but my bilge pumps would be fine.

For some of us it is a real hassle to get at the battery switch in the bilge, much easier to leave it on all the time.

Ken

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A true dual voltage Marine Refrigerator does not require separate external switches for switching from source to source.

The refrigerator's transformer/inverter unit automatically switches between source voltages, defaulting to AC power when available.

When done correctly, our main bilge pump float switches are wired to our "Largest Battery Bank".... usually the HLBB.

Leave the smaller batteries alone.

When wired correctly, the MBSS need NOT be "ON" for the float switch to be powered....., nor for the O/B battery charger to function.

Lastly..... I could never suggest that an MBSS to be located within an engine bay! :thumb

Take the time to re-locate the MBSS(s) to a much more convenient location (from outside of the engine bay) where it/they will be readily accessible in the event of an emergency.

This will not prevent anyone from the typical "open the hatch for engine inspection"!

If it does, we are not being diligent with our safety checks.

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[Iproff Guru Find all posts View Profile Close Iproff]

2850Bounty wrote:
A true dual voltage Marine Refrigerator does not require separate external switches for switching from source to source.

1- The refrigerator's transformer/inverter unit automatically switches between source voltages, defaulting to AC power when available.

2- When done correctly, our main bilge pump float switches are wired to our "Largest Battery Bank".... usually the HLBB.

Leave the smaller batteries alone.

3- Lastly..... I could never suggest that an MBSS to be located within an engine bay!

1- I agree with you on this but the more expensive boats give you a way to turn the 12vdc off on the panel, it is a very nice way to wire the fridge.

2- Sea Ray did not do it this way on boats they wired them to the generator battery and not the house bank. If you have the same size batteries in a twin they were wired to position 1. By connecting it to the generator battery or position (1) when you run the house bank down you still have power for the bilge and starting but either way will work just fine.

3- Manufactures put them in there and I sure wish mine was not but I have no intention of moving them, way to costly and not easy at all. Many have moved their MBSS from the bilge as this was the standard location for many years.

Ken

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Iproff wrote:
1- I agree with you on this but the more expensive boats give you a way to turn the 12vdc off on the panel, it is a very nice way to wire the fridge.

2- Sea Ray did not do it this way on boats they wired them to the generator battery and not the house bank. If you have the same size batteries in a twin they were wired to position 1. By connecting it to the generator battery or position (1) when you run the house bank down you still have power for the bilge and starting but either way will work just fine.

3- Manufactures put them in there and I sure wish mine was not but I have no intention of moving them, way to costly and not easy at all. Many have moved their MBSS from the bilge as this was the standard location for many years.

Ken

1.... Although not a Searay, my older 2850 boat must have been one of the more expensive Bounty's, because it does offer a means for turning OFF the 12 vdc to the refrigerator, as do most all. In fact, either 12 vdc or 120 vac power to the refrigerator can be turned ON or OFF at either panel via a breaker.

However, I'm not required to switch this on/off due to the refrigerator's auto-transfer and "default" feature.

So......, I'm not quite understanding you point regarding a dual voltage marine refrigerator.

2... Arnie's boat is a 2008 model 289 .... not the more expensive Searay.

None-the-less, I guess that I'm not following you as to why a float switch would NOT be powered from the largest battery bank.... typically the HLBB.

Isn't the whole idea to give an emergency bilge pump the longest run-time possible?

When I do the math, I usually find that our HLBB's provide more AH's than do our cranking banks!

3... Seems as though we agree on NO MBSS in an Engine Bay!

I know that you said that you have "no intention of moving them, way to costly and not easy at all"..... but perhaps someday you can afford to.

That would be great for you, and will offer you a safe and quick means of emergency shut-down, should you ever need to..... and I hope that neither of us ever does!

Side note: IMO, when a vessel manufacturer installs an MBSS within the engine bay, it indicates very poor planning, a cheezy short-cut and a cost savings.

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