Is it ok to leave your battery switches on if you are plugged into shorepower and have your battery charger on? I would like to run my refrigerator which is on my DC side so I have to turn the battery switches on for it to run. I would turn everything else off like the radio, Garmins, etc. Also, if it is ok, does it matter if the battery switches are on 1,2 or both?
Battery Switches on if plugged into Shorepower?
- Thread starter Cregeis
- Start date
It is probably OK but need more information to be sure. Are we talking two engines one engine which is the house batteries most refrigerators are AC and DC and will run on AC preferably DC if AC is not present. Assuming your battery chargers are demand type all you need is your house battery powering the house load and the battery chargers on if they are hooked up to all your batteries should be fine. But you have not provided enough information to make a definitive analysis.
I have a new 2021 GW 335 with twin engines and the standard battery charger that comes with the boat. The refrigerator breaker is on the DC side only. Thanks for your help!
It is generally OK to leave switches on. You only need to leave the house battery on . Turn on one switch to see if the fridge gets power. If not, the other switch controls the house loads.
Assuming you charger is a decent smart model, all should be fine.
One negative of leaving shore power ON ( any shore circuits, either 120v AC or DC) is that there is a greater chance of damage from a lightning strike. Of course that is always a risk, it's just a little greater since a power surge can travel through the shore power service.
Assuming you charger is a decent smart model, all should be fine.
One negative of leaving shore power ON ( any shore circuits, either 120v AC or DC) is that there is a greater chance of damage from a lightning strike. Of course that is always a risk, it's just a little greater since a power surge can travel through the shore power service.
Fowl Hooked
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I also run my DC only fridge pretty much all of the time on my 2005 265 Express and so I leave the switches on while in the slip and on shore power. I did replace the original onboard charger years ago, I don't recall the model but it was a 'smart' charger. Have been doing this for quite a few years now with no issues to date.
SkunkBoat
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You have a DC only refridgerator? You are sure it is DC only? I ask because I know a guy who didn't know his fridge would run on both for 2 years.
Do you want the refridgerator to always run on dock power even when you are not there and run on battery when you are underway?
A better permanent solution is to set up an inverter to run the fridge when on dock power and switch to 12V House power when underway.
Its not ideal to be running the fridge on your battery charger for long periods. They are designed to charge batteries not to be a 12V supply.
You want your batteries to charge.
Do you want the refridgerator to always run on dock power even when you are not there and run on battery when you are underway?
A better permanent solution is to set up an inverter to run the fridge when on dock power and switch to 12V House power when underway.
Its not ideal to be running the fridge on your battery charger for long periods. They are designed to charge batteries not to be a 12V supply.
You want your batteries to charge.
Beyond A Wake
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The fridge is dc only . Yes you can leave dc side on just as you do when running with generator on. The chargers are smart and even if on with gen and motors running it will sense that no charging is needed. keeping it on is only way to keep fridge cold. I can't do it since I'm dry stacked, it is a pain when fridge takes long to cool down so it becomes almost useless compared to bags of ice.
Yes, its ok to leave the battery switches on while on shore power to use the fridge. I did it for years with my previous 265. Just keep in mind that if you lost power, or the cord gets unplugged, you will drain your battery(s) as well as defrost the fridge. Which happened to me a couple of times.
x2 - I wouldn't do this at my marina, because I've had the shore power shut off on my boat randomly at times, and I'd hate to have my house bank run down to zero.
