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How to wire up new batteries???? HELP PLEASE?

lucyboatgirl
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lucyboatgirl Engager

lucyboatgirl

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Hi you lot,

looking for a help with batteries and I'm pretty much a rookie so any help would be really appreciated.

I have three batteries at different stages in their lives. I have been swapping them around as starter battery and leisure battery and taking them out to charge with my solar panel at different time so they are at different stages of life.

I was looking to build a battery box and put all three in there wired together to stop all this faffing around. so that I could just have my solar panel constantly charging all three at the same time. I have a couple questions about it.

1) Is this a bad idea to wire together three different batteries old and new together?

2) How do I wire them? Do i put them together in parallel to keep the voltage at 12v? does this increase the amp hours? (this is how i have understood it but I am not sure i have it right)

3) Is this a simple enough job that i could do or do i need to get an electric minded friend in? Is there a gauge of wire that i need to use when wiring the batteries together??

Any other help or warnings or advice you could give me would be appreciated. Thanks for your help everyone.

x x x x x

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rusty69 Veteran II

rusty69

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1.Not best practice, but acceptable if batteries in good condition with no short circuit cells. 

2. http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html

If you connect 12V batteries in parallel, the voltage will remain the same whilst giving you a bigger capacity. 

3. It is simple enough depending on your ability, but will likely involve making up new cables and crimping, which may be worth paying someone else to do. Cable size will depend on your max load/charging input. 

4.Nicknorman ,WotEver, TonyBrooks:)

5.It is usual to keep a separate battery for engine starting 

 

Good luck

Edited by rusty69
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WotEver Veteran II

WotEverDonate to Canal World

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1). No, not a bad idea unless one is totally knackered (in which case throw it away!)  You might want to put 2 in parallel and keep the 3rd for engine starting though; if you flattened them all how would you start your engine?

2). In parallel (+ve to +ve and -ve to -ve) and yes. 

3). Yes if you have the ability to crimp terminals onto 25mm2 cable. Yes, 25mm2. If you can't crimp them yourself then get them made up and just bolt them to the batteries yourself. 

Edited by WotEver
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lucyboatgirl Engager

lucyboatgirl

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Thanks you guys. really helpful.

and WotEver thank you for the suggestion of 2 in parallel and 1 backup! That is such a perfect idea! I was even struggling to find a way to construct a battery box to hold all three so im gonna keep one in another place spare for engine not starting problems!

Thanks for your advice. im gonna try it myself and look up some how to crimping videos online and teach myself how to do it.

Thanks again!!! you guys are the best x

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