does anyone have a diagram, I have three isolators below the switch panel the right one is for the nav panel, the middle is labelled for the engine, soooo whats the left one for?
Quote from: kenneth mcgrew on July 25 2017, 16:58
does anyone have a diagram, I have three isolators below the switch panel the right one is for the nav panel, the middle is labelled for the engine, soooo whats the left one for?
Turn off the left isolator, see what you now cannot switch on, and there's your answer.
Quote from: Salty on July 25 2017, 18:46
Turn off the left isolator, see what you now cannot switch on, and there's your answer.
No, that's using common sense, much better to ask on t'interweb surely?
I've turned it off and everything works as far as I can see, I would assume it is a link from the leisure to the starter battery but cant be 100% sure hence asking if its obvious
thanks for the help :tbu
If your boat is an ex charter vessel, then it's quite possible that the switch you are referring to may be there to provide starting current from the house or domestic batteries via the engine start battery for use in event of the starter battery having lost its charge for whatever reason. I have such a switch on my boat which I installed myself for just such purpose, and where it was requested to be installed by the charter boat coding surveyor.
On my boat that switch remains normally in the off or disconnect position so that the domestic batteries are not accidentally discharged through a duff or flattened engine battery. I will look out the wiring diagram I made for it and post it here later on, or you can find it yourself in a posting elsewhere within the forum, though I can't remember offhand what the heading was for that thread.
PS. I've found the wiring diagram, sorry if it appears upside down, something to do with using an iPad!!
The switch I fitted is a battery isolater type and is located on the wood panel below the edge of the starboard settee. It requires a key to operate it, and that key, on my boat, was screwed to the woodwork under the seat of that settee in order that charterers did not turn the switch to the on position other than by a deliberate action to do so. It was also accompanied by a notice advising it was only to be used for emergency starting of the engine, and then to turned to the off position once the engine was running.
Thanks,
there must also be a cable to each from the alternator then without having to have the isolator "on"?
Quote from: kenneth mcgrew on July 26 2017, 11:14
there must also be a cable to each from the alternator then without having to have the isolator "on"?
You should find that there's a diode splitter of some sort.
Quote from: kenneth mcgrew on July 26 2017, 11:14
Thanks,
there must also be a cable to each from the alternator then without having to have the isolator "on"?
Yes, there is, but these were deliberately left out of my wiring diagram which shows only the existing heavy cabling, and the additional cables up to the isolator switch and its connection to the engine start battery. This was in order not to confuse where there were no changes made to the existing battery charging system.
Here's another wiring diagram showing main three switches, don't remember where I got it from, and the switches may not be in exactly the same order as yours, but that's only a matter of adjusting the wiring to suit. It doesn't do anything that my original diagram doesn't, just that it shows the wires for the charging system. I'd wanted to avoid including the charging system where on my boat it remained exactly as originally installed, it didn't need any changes, and it's inclusion on my diagram would only serve to over complicate something that didn't need complication.