Another battery question with diagram

[crawdaddy282]

Here is a diagram of my battery set up. I want to increase the volts and still double the the amount hours. I can’t seem to wrap my mind around how to connect all 5 batteries to do this? (Parallel/ series)
I have 6 batteries total but 1 is dedicated to the generator. Is that normal?
I’ve looked at diagrams online but can’t find a 5 battery set up like this.
I have issues with re-starting the engine after it has run for a short while which is why I think I want/need(?) to increase the voltage… the strange part is it will re-start after sitting for about an hour and it fires right up after sitting on the hard over winter. The batteries are about a year old. Maybe it has nothing to do with the battery but that’s the direction I’m leaning. Old Detroit diesel 6V53.
Thanks for the suggestions

[Pete7]

What voltage is the engine and is the rest of the boat the same voltage?

What voltages are each of those 5 batteries?

Pete

[crawdaddy282]

I’m not sure the voltage of the engine?
The shore power is 50amp cord.
I’ll have to learn more about the whole electrical system to answer in full…
The batteries are marine/rv deep cycle:
SRM-31 675CCA 845MCA
The strange part is the fact that the engine won’t start after running for a little bit…
I can do more research and get better answers to your questions to assist me and will respond back with specifics.

[smac999]

Sounds like you need to hire someone to take a look at the boat.

If the battery is dying while running it could be an alternator issue. The engine should have it’s own battery that never drains.

[StuM]

> I want to increase the volts


They are 12 Volt batteries. "Increasing the volts" by putting any in series will destroy just about everything electrical on your boat. (Assuming that everything is 12V as 99% of boats are)


Apart from that, we would need to know a lot more about your charging sources and existing wiring to hazard a guess at what is causing your engine start problems.


According to your diagram, none of the batteries are actually connected anywhere.

[thomm225]

Putting the batteries in series will double, triple, etc the voltage and you don't want that.

Putting them in parallel, the voltage will remain the same and you will have more battery power over a longer period of time but as other have said your problem probably isn't the batteries.

When you say it won't start back up immediately do you mean it will crank over and not start or that it will not turn over?

BTW nice diagram but it doesn't tell much about your system setup.

[Spot]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Putting the batteries in series will double, triple, etc the voltage and you don't want that.

Putting them in parallel, the voltage will remain the same and you will have more battery power over a longer period of time but as other have said your problem probably isn't the batteries.

When you say it won't start back up immediately do you mean it will crank over and not start or that it will not turn over?

BTW nice diagram but it doesn't tell much about your system setup.

The question about the engine above is important. You could be looking at anything from a weak starting battery to low fuel flow to faulty solenoid wiring or something more substantial happening in the engine as it heats up.


12V systems, 12V batteries, either 1 per system or parallel.


It might be worth getting all 6 charged and tested to make sure you don't have battery condition as a variable.

[flyingfin]

You need to hire a marine electrical tech quickly

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by crawdaddy282

I’m not sure the voltage of the engine?
The shore power is 50amp cord.
I’ll have to learn more about the whole electrical system to answer in full…
The batteries are marine/rv deep cycle:
SRM-31 675CCA 845MCA
The strange part is the fact that the engine won’t start after running for a little bit…
I can do more research and get better answers to your questions to assist me and will respond back with specifics.

Shore power has nothing to do with the engine batteries.

Clean all of the connections and make sure they’re tight before you do anything else.

And I recommend you don’t do anything else until you’ve got a through understanding of what you have now.

[Randy Bogardus]

+1 for sailmonkeys “take”....I spent months studying 12 v electrical before I could ask an informed question. Tons of on line resources available.

[cal40john]

Setting up a charging system for that would be interesting.

Some google sources say the starter motor could handle increased voltage, but the solenoid would burn out, not to mention all your other electrics as someone already mentioned.

Basically not a good idea, figure out what's really wrong.

As a kid I would put two slot car transformers in series to make the cars go faster. We found out we could only run the the cars for a few seconds before the plastic holding the magnets and windings would melt into a solid blob. Once around the track then swap out cars.

[FionaJC]

As others have said, be careful.

I suggest you do nothing and ask someone more qualified than yourself, we all have expertise in our own chosen area and to dabble in areas that are unknown is dangerous.

If you dabble in areas unknown to you;
You could destroy everything electrical on your boat in an instant.
You could destroy your boat by starting a fire in slightly less time than an instant..

[oleman]

There are many installations of Detroit powered vessels that operate on 28 VDC. The genset could have its' own battery because it runs on 12 VDC. You need to determine what you have. Get service manuals for your vessel or hire a professional to help you.

boatdiesel.com has a forum on Detroits. They are more oriented to commercial boats.


Good luck with your vessel and welcome aboard!

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by oleman

There are many installations of Detroit powered vessels that operate on 28 VDC. The genset could have its' own battery because it runs on 12 VDC. You need to determine what you have. Get service manuals for your vessel or hire a professional to help you.

boatdiesel.com has a forum on Detroits. They are more oriented to commercial boats.


Good luck with your vessel and welcome aboard!

28v?

Hatteras is infamous for their 32v systems....but 28v?

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Shore power has nothing to do with the engine batteries.

Clean all of the connections and make sure they’re tight before you do anything else.

And I recommend you don’t do anything else until you’ve got a through understanding of what you have now.

Correct.


While there is a ton of boat electrical material on the internet, plowing through it is not easy.


I recommend Charlie Wing's Boat Electrical Systems.


You seem to have a complete misconception of batteries and voltage. I think you'll agree that this is electricity 101 basics that you need to learn. Buy and read a good book. Like Wing's.


Otherwise, here's a long group of information that I've assembled and shared many times:


Electrical Systems 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5977.0.html


Good luck.