running two chargers
Here is a technical question. Let's say you want to charge your house batteries on your RV quicker. If you have two 12 volt batteries in your battery bank would you charge that battery bank quicker ...
Forum Discussion
3 answers. one is a caution.
In the manual for my Prosine 2.0 Xantrex suggests a maximum charge rate of 30% the C/20 amp hour rate. so if you have say one pair of 110 amp hour GC-2 batteries in series (still 110 amp hours since in series you add voltage) that would be 33 amps max charge. Or less for most battery types. Or more for LIFELINE AGM only.
Second answer: If you have enough battery it will not HURT and no damage will happen but I stress for 50 amps you need around 175 Amp Hours of battery capacity at the c/20 rate. or a whole bunch more at the Wal*mart rate (long story told elsewhere about how wal*mart cheats on their capacity ratings)
Third answer.. MOST LIKELY OUTCOME. is only one device will charge the other will go into standby so you won't double charge rate.. That applies to "Smart chargers"
How parallel power sources work.
I see folks arguing that even in a parallel setup. such as I run, all batteries must be "identi9cal" which mine are NOT..
They give all sorts of myths as to why this is.
"The smaller battery will reach full charge and signal the converter to stop charging": True for batteries in SERIES, not in parallel.
"the smaller battery wi9ll "Draw down" the larger one.. No, not unless it shorts out.
NOTE even if they are all identical. Short out will draw down non shorted batteries.
Now with batteries in SERIES each battery in a single chain (usually 2 GC-2's) must be identical to its partner.. But adjecent pairs need not be.
Why is this that you7 can parallel different size batteries.
When discharging the battery with the higher voltage will provide all or nearly all, the power till the voltages match then each battery will prov9ide a share equal to the size rati9os. so if you had two batteries one 100 amp and one 50 one would provide 2/4 (the 100 amp) and the other 1/3 (the 50)
And charging. the battery with teh LOWER voltage will suck nearly all the power till it reaches the same voltage as the other then. See above.
Once equality (State of charge) is reached, they will remain in lock step. and when one readches full (or empty) the other is there as well.
Now with multiple CHARGERS. the onhe with the higher voltage (they are almost never exactly the same) will provide the lion's share of the charge, up to all of it, while the other one goofs off and does nothign.
In the manual for my Prosine 2.0 Xantrex suggests a maximum charge rate of 30% the C/20 amp hour rate. so if you have say one pair of 110 amp hour GC-2 batteries in series (still 110 amp hours since in series you add voltage) that would be 33 amps max charge. Or less for most battery types. Or more for LIFELINE AGM only.
Second answer: If you have enough battery it will not HURT and no damage will happen but I stress for 50 amps you need around 175 Amp Hours of battery capacity at the c/20 rate. or a whole bunch more at the Wal*mart rate (long story told elsewhere about how wal*mart cheats on their capacity ratings)
Third answer.. MOST LIKELY OUTCOME. is only one device will charge the other will go into standby so you won't double charge rate.. That applies to "Smart chargers"
How parallel power sources work.
I see folks arguing that even in a parallel setup. such as I run, all batteries must be "identi9cal" which mine are NOT..
They give all sorts of myths as to why this is.
"The smaller battery will reach full charge and signal the converter to stop charging": True for batteries in SERIES, not in parallel.
"the smaller battery wi9ll "Draw down" the larger one.. No, not unless it shorts out.
NOTE even if they are all identical. Short out will draw down non shorted batteries.
Now with batteries in SERIES each battery in a single chain (usually 2 GC-2's) must be identical to its partner.. But adjecent pairs need not be.
Why is this that you7 can parallel different size batteries.
When discharging the battery with the higher voltage will provide all or nearly all, the power till the voltages match then each battery will prov9ide a share equal to the size rati9os. so if you had two batteries one 100 amp and one 50 one would provide 2/4 (the 100 amp) and the other 1/3 (the 50)
And charging. the battery with teh LOWER voltage will suck nearly all the power till it reaches the same voltage as the other then. See above.
Once equality (State of charge) is reached, they will remain in lock step. and when one readches full (or empty) the other is there as well.
Now with multiple CHARGERS. the onhe with the higher voltage (they are almost never exactly the same) will provide the lion's share of the charge, up to all of it, while the other one goofs off and does nothign.
