2 x 12 volts or 2 x 6 volts batteries?
Hi, I am about to replace my house batteries. I was reading that connecting 2 x 6 volts in series will double the voltage but not the amps. Connecting 2 x 12 volts in parallel will keep the same 12 vo...
Forum Discussion
In general terms (all else being equal): 12V batteries have double the voltage but half the amp-hrs
The net effect is two of either are about the same for overall voltage and amp-hrs.
In reality all things are not equal. As mentioned, 6V batteries are typically true deep cycle batteries and will provide more overall amp-hrs.
The available amps (think cranking amps from car batteries) is generally not relevant to house batteries. Even a big inverter pulling 3600watts is only going to draw around 300amps, which should be no problem for a pair of 6V deep cycle (I'm talking amps not amp-hr which is a much different measurement and of course, 300amps cannot be sustained for any significant length of time for any reasonably sized battery bank before it goes dead). For normal house loads, the amp draw is typically under 20amps (often less than 5amps) so CCA ratings are pretty much irrelevant.
If you have DC loads that require more than a single battery 6V is really the way to go.
The net effect is two of either are about the same for overall voltage and amp-hrs.
In reality all things are not equal. As mentioned, 6V batteries are typically true deep cycle batteries and will provide more overall amp-hrs.
The available amps (think cranking amps from car batteries) is generally not relevant to house batteries. Even a big inverter pulling 3600watts is only going to draw around 300amps, which should be no problem for a pair of 6V deep cycle (I'm talking amps not amp-hr which is a much different measurement and of course, 300amps cannot be sustained for any significant length of time for any reasonably sized battery bank before it goes dead). For normal house loads, the amp draw is typically under 20amps (often less than 5amps) so CCA ratings are pretty much irrelevant.
If you have DC loads that require more than a single battery 6V is really the way to go.
