Battery bank wiring

[Lesd]

Im looking to re-wire battery bank. At the moment have 5 x 110ah (12v) units on our domestic bank and looking to replace with 4 x 6v units. Can anyone point me to a diagram of how to wire these up ? I need to wire 2 x 6v batteries in series and then parallel the two set together and take all the feeds in and out from the end points ?

Things are complicated by having twin alternators, a smart bank relay system, inverter and solar panels but I figure these can go on where they came off.

Thanks

Les

[bottle]

Take two batteries and connect one positive of one battery to one negative on the other battery. Take the other two batteries and do the same.

 

You will then have two 12v batteries.

Edited September 18, 2012 by bottle

[by'eck]

Interconnecting multiple batteries to form one bank

[Ex- Member]

Interconnecting multiple batteries to form one bank

 

I used method 3 which does use more cable and connectors but gives perfect equalisation as long as all the connections from battery to posts are equal length pos & neg together. So once you've paired the 6v units into 12v batteries, use same length to pos+ and neg- posts, placed posts as close to the batteries as possible to keep connection cable as short as possible.

 

In my set up here I managed to keep each cable length at 18 inches.

 

 

To save a lot of faffing around though method 2 is as near as dammit good enough. I only did method 3 as it was a new installation and was easy to plan and achieve being a new set up. Depending on what type 6v batteries you use, you can orientate them in different ways if they're the type with battery posts more centralised sometimes saving a few inches on cable lengths.

 

 

[smileypete]

Im looking to re-wire battery bank. At the moment have 5 x 110ah (12v) units on our domestic bank and looking to replace with 4 x 6v units. Can anyone point me to a diagram of how to wire these up ? I need to wire 2 x 6v batteries in series and then parallel the two set together and take all the feeds in and out from the end points ?

Things are complicated by having twin alternators, a smart bank relay system, inverter and solar panels but I figure these can go on where they came off.

Thanks

Are the four batts in a row or in a square? Sketch of the layout and where you'd prefer to have the bank connections would help.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited September 18, 2012 by smileypete

[Justme]

Will 4 x 6v ?ah have enough ah capacity to replace 5 x 12v 110ah = 550ah total?

[Ex- Member]

Will 4 x 6v ?ah have enough ah capacity to replace 5 x 12v 110ah = 550ah total?

 

Our 6v batteries are 232 amps each so paired up x 6 batteries = 696 amps. 6v batteries seem to have higher amperage.

 

 

 

[Justme]

Our 6v batteries are 232 amps each so paired up x 6 batteries = 696 amps. 6v batteries seem to have higher amperage.

 

 

The op has four x 6v bats so even if they are the same ah as yours they now have 464ah.

[Lesd]

Thanks for the advice everyone. To answer the questions;

 

1. Our battery 'box' means the batteries are sitting in a row, long sides adjacent like the diags on Gibbo's site. There are 6 currently, 5 for domestic bank, 1 starter, all cheapo 110ah/12v units. I'm planning to replace those with 4 x 6v/220ah (T105s) plus a 110ah/12v starter battery.

 

2. The old bank is 5 years old and has been sulphated to a certain extent for a year or two but even at its much reduced 'size' has been sufficient for our needs. Its only recently started to really degrade so needs to be replaced. I'm pretty sure the new 440ah will be plenty as we are not huge power users.

 

I think I know how to combine the 4 new units to make the combined bank I need, I will need new longer linking cables so need to source these (anyone know anywhere in Hertfordshire that can supply the parts of make them up ?).I dont know how to draw and attached a diagram though.

My main worry is the complexity of the original wiring from the altermators, smart bank relays, inverter and solar panels....many wires, if I connect all of these at the same point on the 'opposite corners' then I may end up with too many cables for the battery post ?

 

Les

[Ex- Member]

Thanks for the advice everyone. To answer the questions;

 

1. Our battery 'box' means the batteries are sitting in a row, long sides adjacent like the diags on Gibbo's site. There are 6 currently, 5 for domestic bank, 1 starter, all cheapo 110ah/12v units. I'm planning to replace those with 4 x 6v/220ah (T105s) plus a 110ah/12v starter battery.

 

2. The old bank is 5 years old and has been sulphated to a certain extent for a year or two but even at its much reduced 'size' has been sufficient for our needs. Its only recently started to really degrade so needs to be replaced. I'm pretty sure the new 440ah will be plenty as we are not huge power users.

 

I think I know how to combine the 4 new units to make the combined bank I need, I will need new longer linking cables so need to source these (anyone know anywhere in Hertfordshire that can supply the parts of make them up ?).I dont know how to draw and attached a diagram though.

My main worry is the complexity of the original wiring from the altermators, smart bank relays, inverter and solar panels....many wires, if I connect all of these at the same point on the 'opposite corners' then I may end up with too many cables for the battery post ?

 

Les

 

hi Les

 

 

That's another reason I chose method 3 as you can use an isolated dedicated post away from the batteries with easy access.

 

 

 

I made the posts myself using 10mm brass studding & Brass nuts. It's set in the floor in such a way that I can connect new connections under the floor which I have made easily accessible. You can also make the post taller in a larger enclosure and stack connections on it. The cable with the fuse attached is readied for the solar panel Outback charger to be connected, the charge leads from the generator I'll attach under the floor where I've left a long stub in readiness.

 

 

 

[Lesd]

I found this diagram on Trojan's website, this is how the guy there told me to wire them. Does this makes sense ?

 

http://www.trojanbattery.com/Tech-Support/TechologyLibrary/ConnectionsDiagram.aspx

 

Julynian, thanks for the additional info, thats a very tidy install, I wish my builder had produced something similar. For now at least Im stuck with the batteries sitting in a row toward the back of the swim under the deck. At a later date I may well look to reconfigure things in a similar fashion to you but its going to be too big a job to take on at this stage.

[Ex- Member]

I found this diagram on Trojan's website, this is how the guy there told me to wire them. Does this makes sense ?

 

http://www.trojanbat...onsDiagram.aspx

 

Julynian, thanks for the additional info, thats a very tidy install, I wish my builder had produced something similar. For now at least Im stuck with the batteries sitting in a row toward the back of the swim under the deck. At a later date I may well look to reconfigure things in a similar fashion to you but its going to be too big a job to take on at this stage.

 

 

Yes that's how to wire 2 x 6v batteries to make 1 x 12v battery = 1st diagram. Basically your set up being 12v, you have to look at it like now having 2 x 12v batteries. You don't necessarily have to reconfigure the battery bank to wire like method 3.

 

To wire your batteries to positive+ and negative- posts will only require 4 lengths of cable. You can set your posts into plywood blocks and situate them near the battery bank, possibly centrally to it so to keep cable lengths as short and equal as possible. You can leave your battery bank like it is and save yourself a lot of hassle. A photo of your current set up would help. It's best to avoid multipul connections direct to the batteries.

 

 

[Lesd]

Well I've managed to install the new batteries over the weekend and this morning. Now on charge.

I've got a couple of items to sort out this week;

 

1. Make up some 'bus bar' or terminal posts to take the multiple cables that wont fit on the smaller posts on the Trojans (I have a temporaty 'bolt' arrangement in place at the moment)

 

2. I need to have some new 70mm link cables made (I had to bolt two of my existing links cables together for the new longer configuration with the 6V cells).

 

Can anyone recommend a decent high current bus bar that I can purchase and bolt to the side of my battery box for mutiple cables ?

Can anyone recommend a supplier of for the link cables ? (BSP I've PM'd you as I think you had some made a while back ?)

 

Thanks

Les

[GUMPY]

Feed me beer and provided i have the cable and crimps in the lockup you may get some built

 

Will item 230400356291 on ebay be man enough its what I used on the barge

Edited September 24, 2012 by idleness

[Lesd]

Feed me beer and provided i have the cable and crimps in the lockup you may get some built

 

Will item 230400356291 on ebay be man enough its what I used on the barge

 

Thats good of you, I know a place near you that sells a decent pint of Abbott, will pm you !

I noticed Blue Sea do a 'post' that may be simpler than a bus bar for the amount of cables we're talking. I'll have two high current feeds direct I think.

 

Les

[blackrose]

This was a diagram posted previously on the forum that I saved Les.

 

I think it was posted by Gibbo or Smileypete.

 

 

Edit: Ah, just read your last post... too late!

 

Give me a shout if you need some large crimping pliers. Mine do terminals up to 70mm2.

Edited September 25, 2012 by blackrose

[Lesd]

This was a diagram posted previously on the forum that I saved Les.

 

I think it was posted by Gibbo or Smileypete.

 

 

Edit: Ah, just read your last post... too late!

 

Give me a shout if you need some large crimping pliers. Mine do terminals up to 70mm2.

 

Thanks Mike, believe it or not thats how I've wired them up. I've got the inverter/alternators direct to the battery posts like the diagram and the smaller items via a short 70mm link. I just need a proper 'post' on the end of that short link similar to Julyians set up. Julian/idleness is hoping to help me by making up a couple of new link cables as I had to bolt two shorter ones together at the weekend. If I get stuck I'll give you a yell.

 

Les