Wet Cells and AGMs

[slowshoes]

I know your not supposed to mix wet cell and AGM batteries in a single bank, but what about having one bank of wet cell and a separate bank of AGM's.

I currently have 4 T-105's (which I love) but I'd like to add a second bank of AGM's. I just don't have the room for another bank of wet cells but I could easily add a second bank of AGM's, specifically Mastervolts Slimline batteries.

I have a Xantrex 3 stage charger that can charge 3 different banks of batteries and eack bank can be independently configured for wet cells, AGM's of gel batteries. I would have both banks going to a standard bank 1, bank 2, both and off battery selector switch. I know I couldn't set the switch to both when motoring due to the different charge acceptance rates between wet and AGM,s but couldn't I just charge bank 1 until the battery monitor shows a full charge, then throw the switch over to bank 2 until that bank is charged?

At anchor, I currently charge the batteries using a portable generator to run the charger, along with a small solar panel and, rarely, the engine. I have plans to buy larger solar panels and possibly a wind generator to eliminate (hopefully) all off my current noisy methods of charging.

So can anyone tell me if it would be ok to mix battery types in this way? Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.

shoes

[btrayfors]

That could work OK, provided you followed the procedure and watched over things carefully. However, it's far from optimum. Main problem is the need for intelligent human intervention at different points. IMO, it's much better to have a setup which requires little or NO human intervention. That way, you can't make a mistake!

Also, you'd not be able to run the batteries as one large bank, so would lose the advantages of having a larger battery bank.

Isn't there room for just two more T-105s? That would give you 675AH...same as on my boat with 6 T-105s, 4 of them on one side and two on the other, with a BIG connecting cable.

Bill

[slowshoes]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

That could work OK, provided you followed the procedure and watched over things carefully. However, it's far from optimum. Main problem is the need for intelligent human intervention at different points. IMO, it's much better to have a setup which requires little or NO human intervention. That way, you can't make a mistake!

Also, you'd not be able to run the batteries as one large bank, so would lose the advantages of having a larger battery bank.

Isn't there room for just two more T-105s? That would give you 675AH...same as on my boat with 6 T-105s, 4 of them on one side and two on the other, with a BIG connecting cable.

Bill

I'm with you on having the one large bank - that's a big disadvantage of having two different type of batteries. I was always focused on another 4 t-105's when measuring for another bank and that is definitely not goning to happen. Maybe I could squeeze 2 in - I don't think so, but I'll remeasure tommorrow and see.

I could definitely put them in my cockpit locker, but I already have so much stuff in there that can't go anywhere else. It wouldn't be ideal from a weight standpoint either. That's what I like about the Slimlines - they would be nice and low and on the boat's centerline.

shoes