Does it matter which is 1 or 2, battery question.

[aquaplane]

I'm replacing my domestic 110Ah battery with 2 smaller ones mounted sideways on.

The old domestic battery was on position 2 of the 1,2 both,off switch.
Can I just put the new pair of batteries on to posn 1 as I'm swapping places putting the engine battery where the domestic one was etc.
As far as I can tell the positions are interchangeable but I could easy be wrong.

TIA Bob

[cpedw]

As far as I can tell the positions are interchangeable but I could easy be wrong.

I'd agree on both points. Provided nothing is connected directly to one of the batteries, so avoiding the switch.
Derek

[aquaplane]

Good point. The Wallas was direct off the battery untill I fitted a new fuse panel with switches galore.

If it was still so I think I would have swapped it over when I changed the tiny solar panel over to the domestic bank.

Domestic bank... sounds good... put 2 batteries in and you have a bank.

[ash]

I think that you should be fine with the switch.

I take it that the wire diameter from the 'new' start battery is OK. That it will handle start current OK

I take it that the length of cables from the 'new' start battery isn't massively long. That it will not cause excessive volt drop under heavy load.

Reading back through old threads - I think that your switch is truly rotary - you can turn it through 360 degrees in either direction ( mine isn't - it only goes through 180 degrees and you need to go 'backwards' to get back to OFF )

Your switch has OFF at 6 o'clock, 1 at 9 o'clock, both at 12 o'clock and 2 at 3 o'clock - iirc. It would just be a matter of conditioning yourself that your new normal sequence would be anticlockwise.

It might be worth marking the switch - I have S for start and D for domestic - but I'm not convinced that that is the best description.

Ash

[sahona]

It might be worth marking the switch - I have S for start and D for domestic - but I'm not convinced that that is the best description.

Ash

Good point Ash. Mine can only be seen from above unless I get down on my hunkers in the aft cabin, so I labelled the "1 2 both off" sectors on the periphery of the knob.
The charging circuit is independent of the switch, and 'always on' to all batteries so it doesn't matter how long it takes me to remember to switch back to domestic, as long as it's done before the engine is switched off for the night.

[aquaplane]

Wire diameter, the wires to both batteries were/are the same stuff. If anything the aft one, which will now be the engine battery, is the slightly shorter run so it should be better if anything.

When cranking the engine for a cold start there was no problem getting the starter up to speed, I have no reason to suspect the cable size is inadiquate.

We can't see our switch without sticking your head down the quarterberth. The red locking button is the easiest way to see/feel what position the switch is in, I usually use that. I mainly used "both" before, probably start keeping the engine battery just for the engine from now on.

I priced up some batteries from a local specialist shop last night and, if they will fit, I can get a sealed lead/acid 100ah for £75.

Thanks for the thoughts, it's been very usefull. If you see me near a bar sometime it's my shout.