Comments on new DC system needed

[Quadrille in JB]

We recently upgraded to an O'day 34 that's in excellent shape. I had just completed installing 1-360 W Sunpower PV panel, a Victron 100/30 controller, 6-105 Ah AGMs, a refrigerator and watermaker on our previous boat but after a summer of cruising in the Bahamas decided that we would like something a little roomier. So..4 weeks later we were the proud owner of our new (to us) boat. Fortunately the old boat sold in 9 days, I think mostly due to the condition and the new 12VDC upgrades.

Now I need to upgrade the 12VDC system on our new boat. It has a 3.5 KW Next Gen genset, a 1000W inverter, a 12VDC/10 amp charger and a refrigerator. There are currently 2-100 ah flooded batteries in the system.

I have already purchased 2-360 W Sunpower panels along with 2-Victron 100/30 controllers. But everything else is up for discussion. The system will need to provide power for 2-AB condensing units (~7 amps ea), a PUR Powersurvivor water maker (4 amps), a 1000 or 2000 W inverter powering a fan (~6 amps), an Autohelm 4000 autopilot (?? amps), various LED lights (<10amps), a VHF, and a Garmin 741xs chart plotter with radar (??amps)

I can get the Sunpower panels if anyone needs them. They can be very hard to get due to Sunpower's policy on only having one of their certified installers design and install the system.

I have attached a drawing for your consideration. Please feel FREE to correct any of my mistakes of oversights. I'm looking for your input so I'll only have to do this once.

I'm not sure which side of the shunt the negative inputs from the Victron 100/30 controllers should be on.

Thanks for your inputs in advance.

[Colin A]

I'm a bit confused by the aux batt switch. I guess first is it an on-off switch or an off 1-2 switch? Is it there to disconnect the solar/inverter?

On the main battery bank will this be the primary engine start with the single AGM as a back up or will the single AGM be the engine start? either way you may want to up the 100 amp fuse on the main bank for engine starting reasons.

You may want to add in high amp bus bars for the pos and neg battery leads as you have alot of connections on the batt switch.

[Sailmonkey]

I really dislike 1-2-all switches, so my addition would be on-off switches, with a combine switch and an echo charger for the start battery.

Remove any possibility of screwups this way.

[smac999]

too much stuff going on at the battery swtich. run the charger,alt, solar, and inverter direct to house bank with own fuses. MRBF's work great. or to a bus bar. that single 100a is way too small. it needs to start the engine. the charger alone should be 150a. fuse everything with their own fuses. so if something blows only one thing stops working. not everything. for the solar use a breaker like a blue sea 187. to act as fuse and swtich. and get rid of the funny 1-2-all aux there.

get rid of the 1-2-all swtich. you want to seperate the house and engine loads. the blue sea add a battery kit with switch and acr work great there. though some seem to not like on sail boats.

why are you getting a 100a charger and seperate inverter? consider an inverter / charger.

[Quadrille in JB]

Originally Posted by Colin A

I'm a bit confused by the aux batt switch. I guess first is it an on-off switch or an off 1-2 switch? Is it there to disconnect the solar/inverter?

On the main battery bank will this be the primary engine start with the single AGM as a back up or will the single AGM be the engine start? either way you may want to up the 100 amp fuse on the main bank for engine starting reasons.

You may want to add in high amp bus bars for the pos and neg battery leads as you have alot of connections on the batt switch.

The aux batt switch is a 1-2-all switch that would enable disconnecting the solar array and/or the inverter. I agree the main bank fuse needs to be upsized for starting. The single AGM will be the normal start bank that can be switched to the main bank in a pinch. I've already ordered 5/16" stud high amp bus bars from Bay Marine.
thanks for your input.

[Quadrille in JB]

I really dislike 1-2-all switches, so my addition would be on-off switches, with a combine switch and an echo charger for the start battery.

Remove any possibility of screwups this way.[/QUOTE]

I agree, 1-2-all switches can lead to screw ups. I always label them carefully. I already have the Guest 1-2-all switches but I'll look for some high amperage on/off switches. Do you have any suggestions as to brand?
I've purchased a battery combiner for the start bank and 2 ProNautic 50 Amp chargers. I assume that I can parallel the chargers.
thanks for taking the time to look at my proposed setup. I'll probably start installing the AGMs next week and I'll keep you all up to date.

[Quadrille in JB]

too much stuff going on at the battery swtich. run the charger,alt, solar, and inverter direct to house bank with own fuses. MRBF's work great. or to a bus bar. that single 100a is way too small. it needs to start the engine. the charger alone should be 150a. fuse everything with their own fuses. so if something blows only one thing stops working. not everything. for the solar use a breaker like a blue sea 187. to act as fuse and swtich. and get rid of the funny 1-2-all aux there.

get rid of the 1-2-all swtich. you want to seperate the house and engine loads. the blue sea add a battery kit with switch and acr work great there. though some seem to not like on sail boats.

why are you getting a 100a charger and seperate inverter? consider an inverter / charger.[/QUOTE]

I agree, the 100 amp fuse is way too small; I'll upsize it. I've ordered 2-650 amp bus bars to tie all of the heavy loads and supplies to. I've got on/off DC breakers for everything but the main bank fuse. And, I'll get rid of the aux batt switch. It was overkill and could be confusing. That's how I wired my last boat so I could disconnect the solar or inverter if I wanted. But I never used that switch. And I'll use a 1-2 switch to combine the main bank with the start bank. There is already a decent inverter installed in the boat.
Thanks for taking the time to review my scheme.
I'll post the corrected schematic soon and keep you all up to date.

[Quadrille in JB]

Thanks for all of the creative comments and suggestions.
I have a couple of questions. I'm sure I'll have more in the future.

Where should the negative output from the Victron 100/30 controllers connect?
On the battery side of the Victron 702 shunt or on the other side?

As I said above I've ordered 2-50 amp ProNautic smart chargers; will I have any problems with paralleling them? The price came out better by ordering 2-50 amp chargers than 1-100 amp charger and I will have redundancy if one fails.
thanks again.
Bill

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Quadrille in JB

I already have the Guest 1-2-all switches but I'll look for some high amperage on/off switches. Do you have any suggestions as to brand?

https://www.bluesea.com/products/600...th__Knob_-_Red

We have these on our boat.

[Quadrille in JB]

Thanks
I'll order several of the Blue Seas on/off battery switches

[Quadrille in JB]

As promised, here is an updated drawing consolidating most of your suggestions. I have eliminated the Aux Battery 1-2-All switch and protected the controllers, the inverter, and the 100 A charger with switchable DC breakers. I decided to keep the main 1-2-All switch for the following reason: if the bank is too low to start the engine, or if the start battery is too low, I don't want to combine a low bank with a semi-healthy one as it could possible pull it too low for an engine start. I've encountered this before. I'll clearly label the switch to avoid confusion. Everything has been received or is on order to be delivered by Monday. The yard and welder has the boat scheduled to pull this Friday so hopefully I can post some resulting pics next week. Lots of work to do; fab tower, mount and wire solar panels, radar, antennas, relative wind sensor, dingy blocks, outboard lift and storage boom and bracket. Install battery bank, chargers, monitor, controllers, new buss bars, battery combiner, and associated wiring. This should keep me busy for a while.

[smac999]

the 200a main fuse is likly still too small. and might blow while cranking. especilly if you have other loads on at the time.

personly I would not fuse the wire between the battery and bus bar as long as it's close, and big. and fuse every wire leaving the bus bar. that way you don't have a single point of failure. and evey fuse can be the correct size. the alternator should be fused there, and the combiner should be fused at both sizes. the house feed should be fused there. I would also fuse the engine battery to switch. the battery charger fuse should be 150 not 200. all fuses should be near bus not half away along wire. you probbaly know, just hard to draw everything close.