help on charging batteries in parrellel

Definition: Battery (n) A collection of cells in order to get a specific voltage

Thus, if you put 2,3,4,more batteries in parallel.. It's still ONE BATTERY for all purposes and intents (just bigger).

And that is how you treat it.

The only difference between charging one battery by itself and 2 or more in parallel is the maximum charge rate is equal to "Max charge for one battery" times "Number of batteries"

For example. A 12 volt battery made up of two GC-2 golf car batteries should charge at no more than 70 amps

Two pair would be 140 amps top charge rate

And three pair, 210 amps.

Now.. i can't charge that fast no matter how hard I try (biggest charger I have can hit 100, no more) But you get the idea.

NOTE: Ideally the charge rate should be about 1/3 the above figures. but that's going to take a long time to recharge.

An inverter doesn't have to be wired for its maximum output if you're never going to use its max output. That's when a 2KW inv mite be wired for 1KW output

Snowman9000 wrote:

I'm surprised the recommendation is not bigger.

This is for the battery interconnects in parallel not the wiring going to the inverter itself unless I missed something. For such a short distance and the fact each battery takes half the load, you don't need super large wiring for parallel interconnects.

If your batteries are in parallel, the positive terminals are hooked together and the negative terminals are hooked together...Makes no difference which batteries are hooked to the charger as long as it's hooked to one positive terminal and one negative terminal...If your wire connections are clean and tight, and the batteries are in good condition, both batteries will charge at the same rate.

I glad this post wasn't deleted as my search engine came right to it. It has helped a lot.

mena661 wrote:

Snowman9000 wrote:


24" x 2 cables, connecting two Group 27's.
They could be shortened to 18" and still fit.

Good luck on the storm.

I'd use #6. #4 if you have a 2kW inverter.

I'm surprised the recommendation is not bigger. Although it does make me feel better, because I have #4's in place, and no inverter. I was able to buy them for something like $7 each from NAPA, called starter solenoid cables, they come with 3/8" ends, ready to go.

I thought with an inverter the gauge would be more like 2/0 if not larger!

Snowman9000 wrote:


24" x 2 cables, connecting two Group 27's.
They could be shortened to 18" and still fit.

Good luck on the storm.

I'd use #6. #4 if you have a 2kW inverter.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
How many inches of interconnect cable are involved?


NOTE:

Getting trashed by a tropical storm. Would not be surprised if we lost internet connectivity.

24" x 2 cables, connecting two Group 27's.
They could be shortened to 18" and still fit.

Good luck on the storm.

dspencer wrote:
10" cables

#10 or if the price difference is negligible then #8.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
How many inches of interconnect cable are involved?


NOTE:

Getting trashed by a tropical storm. Would not be surprised if we lost internet connectivity.

10" cables