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Jerry_Amerson's avatar
Jerry_Amerson
Explorer
Jun 12, 2017

Battery switch causing heat up

I put a 60 amp battery switch in line on my ground side where my two 6 volt batteries connect, hot from one side and ground from the other with switch in the middle. When I was at the races my generator got low on oil and shut off and the batteries were switched on and they kicked in until they got low and the converter shut off AC. After I put oil in the generator and it cooled down I started it up and everything was back working and it was charging the batteries. I had just cleaned the posts on the batteries before we left for the races so I wasn't expecting the problem that I got. The two #6 gauge wires connecting the switch got so hot I couldn't hold on to either one, so I don't know if that switch has that much resistance or if it just couldn't handle the current. The other two main lines were not even warm. It could also be that I need to go to a heavier gauge wire. Any good ideas from you all would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jerry
Class C
  • time2roll's avatar
    time2roll
    Nomad
    Jun 13, 2017
    So you were running the air conditioner on an inverter?
    That would be about 120 amps through the switch rated for 60?
    If it only got warm you are lucky.

    How big is the inverter? How big is the fuse?
  • OLYLEN's avatar
    OLYLEN
    Explorer
    Jun 13, 2017
    If I understand correctly you put #6 wire between the two in series 6 volt batteries for what reason. But yes TOO light of wire, should be same as the other battery cables. And what are you trying to accomplish with the switch, Isolate the two 6 volts from each other?

    LEN
  • OLYLEN's avatar
    OLYLEN
    Explorer
    Jun 13, 2017
    If I understand correctly you put #6 wire between the two in series 6 volt batteries for what reason. But yes TOO light of wire, should be same as the other battery cables. And what are you trying to accomplish with the switch, Isolate the two 6 volts from each other?

    LEN
  • Sam_Spade's avatar
    Sam_Spade
    Explorer
    Jun 13, 2017
    Jerry Amerson wrote:
    and the batteries were switched on and they kicked in until they got low and the converter shut off AC.


    IF.....you really have enough battery capacity, along with a big enough inverter, to run your air conditioning......then neither your 60 amp switch nor the #6 cable is big enough.

    BUT....running A/C off of batteries would be a rare setup.
    Your A/C probably went off when the gen did.....but then what else would have been running to draw down the batteries ???
  • pauldub's avatar
    pauldub
    Explorer
    Jun 12, 2017
    I think your switch and the wiring are undersized. What gauge wire are these other main lines that you mention?
  • enblethen's avatar
    enblethen
    Nomad
    Jun 12, 2017
    If you really put a hot to one side and ground to the other, the switch is a big heating element.
    The positve should come in one side and out the other.
    or if installed in the negative, ground, side, it would come in one side and out the other.

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