R-29 Batteries and Electrical System

[Austintatious]

I am relatively new to boating, and to the R-29, so I have a few dumb questions about the electrical system on the R-29.

Unfortunately, last week the charger on Austintatious “fried” the batteries - they were dead and there was no water in them. Admittedly, they had not been checked since the boat was put back into the water in May (she is hauled for the winter here in NJ) but they were dry and apparently the charger didn’t cut off.

So here are the questions:
1) The boat has a “smart charger”, so shouldn’t it cut off when the batteries are fully charged?
2) The batteries are undoubtedly weakened, but they did come back after being refilled. Am I looking at replacing all of them? If I replace them, should I look at maintenance free batteries?
3) Would it make sense to turn all of the batteries off when the boat is not being used? (If so, I am not sure what happens to the refrigerator, bilge pumps, etc.)
4) The boat is kept on shore power; should the battery charger stay on at all times when “plugged in?”
5) What are the correct positions for the battery switches on the panel (port side, below the charger)? Should they all be on #1 and what position should the switch marked 1, 2, and 1+2 be placed in when in use (engine running), when docked (off shore power, on shore power).
6) If I use the Gen Set, do I need to reconfigure the power panel in any way or will power automatically be fed through the system.
7) What position should the inverter switch be in during normal operations (engine running), or at the dock.
8) Is there a wiring diagram available for the R-29?

I guess this is where an owner’s manual would be a big help.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Levitation]

A boat is not your car... You must maintain it on a set schedule or pay the price...
The smart charger is not smart enough to know when a cell has gone dry and the voltage drops... It just keeps trying to pump the voltage up to a set value...

For boat use, flooded batteries are preferred over sealed, waterless, gelled, or whatever... (My opinion and I'm stickin to it!) Batteries where you cannot open the caps and inspect the plates and check the specific gravity, only hide the developing problems from you - they don't prevent it...
Now, with flooded batteries you need to service them every 60 days during the boating season - PERIOD...
Open the hatch, wash the batteries down with fresh water, unhook whatever cables are in the way for pulling the caps and pull them...
Measure the SG of each cell and record it in your battery maintenance book... The pattern of SG will alert you early on when a cell is beginning to fail... Also make a note when you find a cell that is losing more water than the others... You may need to check that cell every 30 days...
Top off the water (use water from the grocery store) and put the cables back on...
Inspect the clamps... Any early corrosion needs to be scraped off, baking soda neutralized, add a smear of grease on the posts/clamps, and clamped back together...
I use the spray on battery protector (red) over the outside of the clamps that leaves your fingers and tools a mess but keeps the corrosion at bay... OTOH, smearing plain old wheel grease over the outside of the clamps works just fine...

Once your new batteries are installed you need to check the voltage output of the charger to be sure it is not defective and boiling the batteries dry... Likely it is good and you just let the batteries run out of water... Take care of your batteries and they will take care of you... Fail to take care and they will also...

 

[jpmockler]

Dan

Did you ever get answers to the other questions that you asked?

Jim

 

[LADYBUG TOO]

The wiring diagrams were recently posted on this website. They are pretty good but you need to recognize that there are subtle differences as the accessories evolved. Pat, Ladybug, Too

 

[ozoner]

A quick answer to #2... Yes, you almost certainly damaged the batteries - I'm actually amazed that they came back when you refilled. My SWAG is that you took half the life off of them at least. Boiling them dry sulphates the heck out of the plates, and warps them too.

For marine use, I really prefer AGM batteries over flooded (well, I prefer everything except the cost). One of the main ways that a battery dies - especially a marine battery - is the plates shorting out by touching; this is common in boats because of the pounding they take, and the main difference between a car battery and a marine battery is thicker lead plates to prevent warping and shorting of the plates. With AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat), the space between plates is completely filled with a fiberglass mat, so the plates CAN'T touch and short out.

Unfortunately, with the size and number of batteries in a 30 foot boat, you triple your initial cost buying AGM instead of flooded, so economic reality rears its ugly head.

I'll throw in a plug for a great product from Flow-Rite - their Qwik-Fill battery filling system http://www.flow-rite.com/battery-watering/qwik-fill. It allows you to fill and maintain all of your batteries in about 30 seconds, without popping off any caps or pulling the top off of any battery boxes. Squeeze the bulb, and you are done. Not affiliated with them in any way, other than being a very happy user. They make single battery systems, all the way up to systems that fill six batteries simultaneously.

 

[mspaugy]

So you have to add water to the AGM batteries also? Do you have to add as often as regular batteries?

 

[ozoner]

No, AGM batteries are completely sealed. You can even mount them upside down or sideways.

I currently have flooded batteries on my boat - I bought it that way. When they die, I will be replacing with AGM.

 

[mspaugy]

so can you get the AGM batteries in different shapes like the motorcycle glass mat batteries to fit in odd shaped areas?

 

[ozoner]

I imagine that anything is available with enough money 🙂 , but they usually stick to the same group sizes as conventional flooded batteries.

 

[mspaugy]

Thanks for the reply

 

[jpmockler]

Thanks for your input. I wish I had AGM batteries. I will probably replace the wet cell batteries with AGM when these wear out.

I like the Flow-Rite battery filling system. How many batteries do you have connected to it? It looks like each kit can handle 2 or 3 batteries.

 

[rwetjen]

Take care swapping battery types. It's not that simple. AGM and GEL batteries require a different charging protocol than flooded batteries. Charging AGM or GEL batteries with a flooded protocol will shorten battery life. Make sure that your battery charger is set to the proper protocol for each bank (house & starting). The larger issue is the charging system on the engine. The internal regulator on the enine alternator is fixed flooded starting battery protocol. You have to change to a P type alternator with an external regulator (Balmar, MasterVolt, etc.) that can be set to AGM or GEL protocol. This starts to get complicated, and expensive especially if you mix battery types for starting and house. Does your battery charger support different protocols on each charging leg or are all legs set the same? You can buy several sets of replacement flooded batteries for the cost of properly upgrading charging systems.

 

[SlackwaterJack]

I personnaly wouldn't worry about special charging for AGM's, Gel's yes because they accept a charge at a very slow rate. AGM's can recieve a charge at a very slightly faster rate than flooded batteries, and won't lose charge as fast when idle for long periods. While it would certainly be nice to be able to take full advantage of the AGM's capabilities by using a special charging protocol, it won't damage the AGM's to use the standard smart charger that is found in most boats. Gel's are a different matter and are very sensitive to damage from the wrong charger set-up...I don't know why they're even still available.
AGM's are also almost impervious to vibration damage, and therefore are especially good for trailered boats, and off-road vehicles.
The biggest concern with AGM's is their condition/age when sold. Unlike most flooded batteries, AGM's are stored and shipped fully charged, and if they are allowed to excessively idle-discharge (ie; sit on the warehoue/retailer's shelf for a year or two) before you buy it, it could be problematic. Avoid "sales" of old stock AGM's by checking the date of manufacture before you buy. I think a nice "fresh' AGM on a basic charger will probably give better service than a "stale" one on a uber-expensive charger.

Just my opinion ...your mileage may vary.