System Wiring Diagram - Looking for professional feedback

[CarinaPDX]

I have to agree that the #2ga wire seems a bit light for your anchor windlass. The best thing to do is to find the windlass installation/owners manual and look for their recommendation. For my shorter installation I used 40mm² cable (IIRC #2 is about 35mm²) and I was at the max length for my small Horizon 1000 windlass with that size wire, on a shorter boat. A lot depends on how you use the windlass; mine is rated to draw far more than my 65A breaker would allow but I have never popped the breaker either. As long as you don't use the windlass to pull the boat forward, or try to brute force a stuck anchor, you shouldn't have a problem with the 2ga. But if you are getting anywhere near the 110A breaker trip then new wiring is a consideration.

Greg

[smac999]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Your setup has the DCP switch connected to two banks that have their own I/O switches from the individual battery banks. Let's assume both I/Os are ON.


From the link: The Blue Sea DCP switch can not provide isolation of a bad bank while using the other bank. Your only course of action is the COMBINE or PARALLEL feature.
r.

how many bad banks have you seen? I've installed 1000's of boat batteries and I've seen ~2 bad banks

the on off combine switch works awesome and I have installed 100's. it is my go to.

don't confuse a dead bank with a bad bank. combining a dead bank is just fine. 1000's of cars do it every single day with jumper cables.

if in the super rare case of a bad bank. you just use a wrench and disconnect it.

then with the the swtich in combine everything is running off the good bank

[Mike Banks]

Do not use deep cycle batteries as starter batteries--they do not have enough plate surface area to start an engine unless it is a very small one. Deep cycle batteries have thick plates and are designed for a low amperage discharge load over a long period of time--starting batteries are designed to deliver a high amperage current for only a short length of time.

[walbee]

Originally Posted by Bauerjj10

Last year I purchased an 84 Catalina 38. While the boat is in great shape the electrical system is needing an overhaul to support the new electronics I am putting on the boat. I have some electrical experience (Installed car stereo systems, wired my 240v hot tub, and some other small AC work on my home). I have been researching for the past few weeks online and purchased and am reading through Nigel Calders boat owners electrical manual, all while trying to design my system. I think I have come up with a system that will function well but am looking for a professional to provide any feedback based on my wiring diagram.

Things to note:
1. House battery bank I plan to use will be (3) 110ah deep cycle victrons.
2. Starter will be (1) 110ah deep cycle victron. (decided to use deep cycle so that I could integrate the voltage sensing relay, and not have to worry about charging issues with having a VSR connected to a deep cycle bank and a traditional starter battery)
3. I am upgrading my boats alternator to a balmar 100 amp with external regulator. (regulator not pictured on diagram)
3. I am familiar with the need to increase wire thickness based on length of wire and current I am putting through it.

4. The switch at the top of the diagram to the right of the breaker panel is a Blue Sea e-Series Dual Circuit Plus Battery Switch. So when turned on to position 1 it connects the two terminals on the left together, and the two on the right together.

Any help/tips/feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

*Edit*
1. Updated AC to Breaker fuse from 100A to 20A.

First, I like your wiring diagram presentation, could you provide the software tools used and OS used please.

Typically, things that one has learned/performed in a dirt home AC electrical system does not apply in a marine electrical system, AC or DC.

For a professional review of your design, consult Jeff Cote of Pacific Yacht Systems.
https://www.pysystems.ca/
PNW does design consultation. Jeff also has a YouTube Channel where you will find short Q&A videos as well as full length videos from boat show presentations he has given on all things marine electrical.

Check out Jim Healy’s web site for additional marine specific electrical knowledge.
https://gilwellbear.wordpress.com/home/
Jim is a member of the ABYC Electrical Committee and also writes a monthly Engineering column in the monthly MTOA publication.
Consider joining MTOA.net to ask questions. Jim often responds with clear and thought provoking information.

For 1&2 above. Consider combining the battery banks to simplify the design. This is not a right or wrong suggestion, just an idea. I don’t see a genset in the design so a reliable house bank monitoring system is prudent and configuration of the inverter’s Low Voltage cut off setting to ensure not drawing down the bank to a point where the starter cannot turn the engine over.

Check the bulk charge acceptance rate spec of the batts when sizing charging devices/machines. They are different between bat chemistries and manufacturers. Every 25 amp of alternator rating uses about 4hp from the engine. Dual vee belts or serpentine belts are recommended for high output alternators.

Check out the ABYC iOS app “ABYC Wire Sizer”

[Bauerjj10]

Originally Posted by Mike Banks

Do not use deep cycle batteries as starter batteries--they do not have enough plate surface area to start an engine unless it is a very small one. Deep cycle batteries have thick plates and are designed for a low amperage discharge load over a long period of time--starting batteries are designed to deliver a high amperage current for only a short length of time.

Thanks, however I've learned that deep cycle AGMs have thinner plates and are suitable to be used as cranking batteries according to Nigel Calders electrical manual.

[Bauerjj10]

Originally Posted by walbee

First, I like your wiring diagram presentation, could you provide the software tools used and OS used please.

Typically, things that one has learned/performed in a dirt home AC electrical system does not apply in a marine electrical system, AC or DC.

For a professional review of your design, consult Jeff Cote of Pacific Yacht Systems.
https://www.pysystems.ca/
PNW does design consultation. Jeff also has a YouTube Channel where you will find short Q&A videos as well as full length videos from boat show presentations he has given on all things marine electrical.

Check out Jim Healy’s web site for additional marine specific electrical knowledge.
https://gilwellbear.wordpress.com/home/
Jim is a member of the ABYC Electrical Committee and also writes a monthly Engineering column in the monthly MTOA publication.
Consider joining MTOA.net to ask questions. Jim often responds with clear and thought provoking information.

For 1&2 above. Consider combining the battery banks to simplify the design. This is not a right or wrong suggestion, just an idea. I don’t see a genset in the design so a reliable house bank monitoring system is prudent and configuration of the inverter’s Low Voltage cut off setting to ensure not drawing down the bank to a point where the starter cannot turn the engine over.

Check the bulk charge acceptance rate spec of the batts when sizing charging devices/machines. They are different between bat chemistries and manufacturers. Every 25 amp of alternator rating uses about 4hp from the engine. Dual vee belts or serpentine belts are recommended for high output alternators.

Check out the ABYC iOS app “ABYC Wire Sizer”

Thanks for all the info. This is all good info, except I think I'm going to stick with a starter bank isolated from the house. If I need more power I could always combine them via the switch. For the wire diagram I used Adobe illustrator and clips/snip-its from product listings.

[Bauerjj10]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

I have to agree that the #2ga wire seems a bit light for your anchor windlass. The best thing to do is to find the windlass installation/owners manual and look for their recommendation. For my shorter installation I used 40mm² cable (IIRC #2 is about 35mm²) and I was at the max length for my small Horizon 1000 windlass with that size wire, on a shorter boat. A lot depends on how you use the windlass; mine is rated to draw far more than my 65A breaker would allow but I have never popped the breaker either. As long as you don't use the windlass to pull the boat forward, or try to brute force a stuck anchor, you shouldn't have a problem with the 2ga. But if you are getting anywhere near the 110A breaker trip then new wiring is a consideration.

Greg

listing.

Thanks Greg. So for all of the items I dug into the manuals and pulled the recommended Awg for the length of cable (round turn). For the windlass which is a Lewmar H3 12v it recommends 2awg wire for 50-80 ft, and my need is around 55ft. Do you think it would benefit to go one size up? I figured 2awg was good since I am on the lower end of the 50-80 scale.

Thanks

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by Bauerjj10

listing.

Thanks Greg. So for all of the items I dug into the manuals and pulled the recommended Awg for the length of cable (round turn). For the windlass which is a Lewmar H3 12v it recommends 2awg wire for 50-80 ft, and my need is around 55ft. Do you think it would benefit to go one size up? I figured 2awg was good since I am on the lower end of the 50-80 scale.

If the manufacturer recommends it then I would go with it. I just checked with ABYC spec, and 2ga is good for 10% voltage drop up to 100A. It is unlikely that you will ever draw that much, and your breaker trips at 110A so drop will never be much more than 10%. That is certainly acceptable for such a DC motor, particularly since it is only used intermittently. You can worry about something else now .

If you were at all concerned about using your deep cycle batteries to start your engine then just check the engine's recommended Cold Cranking Amps and compare to your batteries' CCA ratings. It is extremely unlikely that it would be a problem.

Greg

[mitiempo]

My thoughts:

The Victron 75/15 maxes out its 15 amp output with 220 watts of panels - this should be changed to the 100/30 controller.

With the 2 on/off switches shown (house bank isolation and start on/off) there is no need for the dual circuit switch - the more connections you have the more voltage drop and simple is always better. I would either use the dual circuit switch and forget the other 2 or mount the 2 switches in an acceptable place and eliminate the dual circuit switch.

I see you've changed the inverter cables to 4/0 - is this correct?

The 20 amp fuse in the inverter AC - first it should be a breaker and second 20 amps is not large enough for 30 amp pass through. Also its not clear if this in AC to or from the inverter - you need both.

I have always found Lewmar's wiring recommendations to be very light and I always use larger cables. I will be wiring a windlass in the next few days with 2/0 for a 30 + 30 foot run, similar size windlass.Motors are always happier with larger cables.

Instead of the MRBF triple fuse holder use a 4 stud bus - the MRBF holders work well this way and you'll have room for the solar.

[walbee]

Originally Posted by walbee

First, I like your wiring diagram presentation, could you provide the software tools used and OS used please.

Typically, things that one has learned/performed in a dirt home AC electrical system does not apply in a marine electrical system, AC or DC.

For a professional review of your design, consult Jeff Cote of Pacific Yacht Systems.
https://www.pysystems.ca/
PNW does design consultation. Jeff also has a YouTube Channel where you will find short Q&A videos as well as full length videos from boat show presentations he has given on all things marine electrical.

Check out Jim Healy’s web site for additional marine specific electrical knowledge.
https://gilwellbear.wordpress.com/home/
Jim is a member of the ABYC Electrical Committee and also writes a monthly Engineering column in the monthly MTOA publication.
Consider joining MTOA.net to ask questions. Jim often responds with clear and thought provoking information.

For 1&2 above. Consider combining the battery banks to simplify the design. This is not a right or wrong suggestion, just an idea. I don’t see a genset in the design so a reliable house bank monitoring system is prudent and configuration of the inverter’s Low Voltage cut off setting to ensure not drawing down the bank to a point where the starter cannot turn the engine over.

Check the bulk charge acceptance rate spec of the batts when sizing charging devices/machines. They are different between bat chemistries and manufacturers. Every 25 amp of alternator rating uses about 4hp from the engine. Dual vee belts or serpentine belts are recommended for high output alternators.

Check out the ABYC iOS app “ABYC Wire Sizer”

1. If the alternator circuit is planned to be fused, as the drawing depicts, suggest installing a Alternator Protection Device.

Example: https://www.sterling-power-usa.com/a...iondevice.aspx

2. Connect bilge pumps to un-switched circuits.