Battery Isolation Keys

[Androo]

Question about battery isolation keys...

 

The battery isolators (two red keys). Is one for leisure isolation and the other for engine isolation?

 

I also have another red isolator key (Master Isolator Key?) not sure..

 

Help appreciated

 

Androo

[Guest]

Question about battery isolation keys...

 

The battery isolators (two red keys). Is one for leisure isolation and the other for engine isolation?

 

I also have another red isolator key (Master Isolator Key?) not sure..

 

Help appreciated

 

Androo

Most boats seem to have two islators: one for the domestic bank, and one for the starter bank. I have seen one or two boats that use a simple isolator to act as a split charging device, so maybe that is what the third one is?

[Androo]

Most boats seem to have two islators: one for the domestic bank, and one for the starter bank. I have seen one or two boats that use a simple isolator to act as a split charging device, so maybe that is what the third one is?

 

The thing is, with the 3rd key if I turn it either way it disengages just like the other two.

[Rojja]

Question about battery isolation keys...

 

The battery isolators (two red keys). Is one for leisure isolation and the other for engine isolation?

 

I also have another red isolator key (Master Isolator Key?) not sure..

 

Help appreciated

 

Androo

 

Hello Androo,

It <might> be an 'emergency' switch to connect the two banks together, say, to get out of trouble in case one of the banks gets discharged. If so, it could also be used to enable charging both banks from just one charger.

 

This information is probably worth less than you paid for it.

Roj.

[Androo]

Hello Androo,

It <might> be an 'emergency' switch to connect the two banks together, say, to get out of trouble in case one of the banks gets discharged. If so, it could also be used to enable charging both banks from just one charger.

 

This information is probably worth less than you paid for it.

Roj.

 

Not sure..like I said earlier..The thing is, with the 3rd key if I turn it either way it disengages just like the other two.

 

Which means, if it has been isolated there is no power..

[Ex- Member]

We have 2 fitted one's a spare, the one for the domestic bank is a much larger different type switch.

 

Not sure..like I said earlier..The thing is, with the 3rd key if I turn it either way it disengages just like the other two.

 

The switch will feel the same connected or not.

Edited March 17, 2009 by Julynian

[sociable_hermit]

Are they all in the same place? Just wondering if you have one master switch to use in an emergency, which is easier to get to (high level, perhaps?) and turns everything off.

 

If they each seem to do something different, and none of them turns everything off as I've suggested above, then it's a question of turning one battery isolator on at a time and then gradually turning everything on and off inside the boat, until you find out which switch does what.

[Androo]

Are they all in the same place? Just wondering if you have one master switch to use in an emergency, which is easier to get to (high level, perhaps?) and turns everything off.

 

If they each seem to do something different, and none of them turns everything off as I've suggested above, then it's a question of turning one battery isolator on at a time and then gradually turning everything on and off inside the boat, until you find out which switch does what.

 

If someone could tell me how to post an image I could show the position of the said keys

 

All 3 keys are in a similar position

Edited March 17, 2009 by Androo

[Ex- Member]

Sign up to photobucket

 

http://photobucket.com/

 

Take your photo's get them on the comp and save them in a file somewhere you can easily locate and remember.

 

Go to your photo bucket account home page, on the top you'll find

 

 

Upload Images & Video

 

Click on

 

Choose files

 

This will now go to your comp's main drive. Locate your photograph and double click or click upload.

 

Photobucket will take a minutet to load it up. It will appear on your photo bucket home page.

 

Hold the cursor over the photo, a drpo box will appear.

 

At the very bottom is the

 

IMG code

 

Left click then right click to copy. Now paste into your posting, it will look like this.

 

[imghttp://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w163/julian190e/DSCF7815-1.jpg[/img]

 

When you post your picture will appear.

[sociable_hermit]

Well that rules out the "emergency shut off" theory, then.

 

Unless it's possible to see all of the wiring to / from / between (?) them, I'm not sure a photo would help.

 

I'd try isolating two of them at a time to leave a single one turned on, and then go through the boat checking what works (engine, nav lights, water pump, interior lights, shower tray pump, sockets etc.). Write down which items work with isolator 1 on, then repeat with isolator 2 on and the others off, and then with 3 on and the others off.

 

1 on, 2 off, 3 off

1 off, 2 on, 3 off

1 off, 2 off, 3 on

 

The easiest way of testing the lighting circuits would be to turn all the lights ON and then all of the isolators off, and then simply try each isolator in turn. Now it's dark you should be able to see pretty quickly which isolator does what!

 

If as a result of this it would appear that the isolators work in combination, you could work through all the possible combinations. I think there are 3, if you remove 'single isolator on' (first stage of checking) and 'all isolators on' (pointless) options.

 

Multi-isolator combinations:

 

1 on, 2 on, 3 off

1 off, 2 on, 3 on

1 on, two off, 3 on

 

Keep a note of everything and be methodical. It will take time, but less time than taking the boat to bits to examine the wiring runs.

 

Alternatively, try to work it out from the way they're wired to the batteries and/or each other.

[Bagpuss]

Isn't it just a job a tracing where the cables go? Switching stuff off will help, but getting down the back and following wires to where they go is a must!

[PeterF]

Question about battery isolation keys...

 

The battery isolators (two red keys). Is one for leisure isolation and the other for engine isolation?

 

I also have another red isolator key (Master Isolator Key?) not sure..

 

Help appreciated

 

Androo

 

Do you have an inverter, sometimes these have their own isolation switch in the 12V DC feed rather than being taken from the 12V distribution panel / bus bar thingy.

 

Just a thought.

[sociable_hermit]

Isn't it just a job a tracing where the cables go? Switching stuff off will help, but getting down the back and following wires to where they go is a must!

I've had far too many years of Alfa Romeo ownership to trust logic like that! Unless you can see the entire wiring run, cable colours etc. shouldn't be trusted. The moment a wire disappears, you're guessing. However, seeing if something a. works, or b. doesn't, is normally pretty useful, and establishes a firm base from which to begin deeper and more intricate studies

Edited March 17, 2009 by sociable_hermit

[mikevye]

I posed a similar question regarding isolation switches. I think the biggest fear/problem is an isolation switch being turned off for any reason and the engine started mistakenly and knackering the alternator. The alternator cable goes to the isolator switch and then from the same pole to the battery uninterrupted on Hakuna. When the isolator is turned off the rest of the system is safe and so is the alternator but the battery will need to be disconnected if the alternator needs to be removed.

[Smelly]

I've had far too many years of Alfa Romeo ownership to trust logic like that! Unless you can see the entire wiring run, cable colours etc. shouldn't be trusted. The moment a wire disappears, you're guessing. However, seeing if something a. works, or b. doesn't, is normally pretty useful, and establishes a firm base from which to begin deeper and more intricate studies

 

Surely the isolators will be pretty close to the batteries though?

[sociable_hermit]

Undoubtedly, but I rather suspect all of the individual wires disappear into a sheath of electrical insulation tape 'wrapping' by the switches and then reappear by the batteries, by which stage you can't tell which is which.

 

Just a hunch, mind

 

Any similarity to my own boat is entirely coincidental.

[Androo]

Do you have an inverter, sometimes these have their own isolation switch in the 12V DC feed rather than being taken from the 12V distribution panel / bus bar thingy.

 

Just a thought.

 

Peter,

 

You were spot on! the key is to isolate the invertor..

 

Thanks to all

 

Androo

[PeterF]

Peter,

 

You were spot on! the key is to isolate the invertor..

 

Thanks to all

 

Androo

 

 

Glad to be of help, I have 3 keys on mine so it was worth a shot.

 

Peter.