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I have a 23 foot tahoe deck boat. The batteries were originally in series for the trolling motor. Trolling motor has now been abandoned. Do I still need three batteries? Two? One? I am assuming I will now wire them in parallel, which would give me all day live well and stereo. One cranking battery and two deep cycle, which I just bought new. Is two enough? Thanks so much!
While hooked up in series , can I still charge them individually? Or do I have to remove the wire connection making them run series ? Basically do I have to remove the wire everytime I want to charge them or can I leave it hooked up In series and charge them fine ?
@@UnfiItered That is for a onboard bank charger. What about a regular 12-24 volt charger? im curious as well. Just to be safe I always separate the 2. Pain in the ass but less painful than buying new gear. Thanks
Precautionary note: When connecting batteries up in parallel make sure they are both in the same charge state and are identical specification. If one is fully charged and the other is say 50% charged then you run the risk of a very big bang when you make the final connection as the batteries attempt to equalise their charge state by a massive rapid exchange of energy between them. This problem doesn’t arise for serial connections since the battery voltages just get summed together and there is no pathway for them to exchange charge state with each other. So think of serial as adding voltages whilst keeping the current the same & parallel as adding currents while keeping the voltages the same.
Excellent point to bring up, you're absolutely right. Honestly in both scenarios I would prefer to have the same battery models and charge states and if you have an older setup with 4 - 5 year old batteries and one is no longer holding a charge, you should replace the whole set. Thanks so much for your comments!
According to NOCO tech support, two batteries in parallel have to be on a single bank of the charger. However, with two 100 Ah batts you are over the max capacity of that bank. In my case with the NOCO genius GEN5X3 the capacity has to be under 124 Ah. I had to wire disconnect switches between my two parallel batteries so they could be charged with individual banks.
When charging the batteries that are in series with separate chargers,does the jumpers to make the series have to be taken out when charging them individually?
@@DanRichardFishing thanks for the reply man , and nice vid. I had another question. When I go to hook up my switch my switch panel for lights and what not, should I put those wires on the same posts that the engine is connected to ? Or the other two free posts?
Hands down one of the best in-depth educational videos about serial and parallel wiring of 12v batteries out there. Excellent job, great content and thank you!
Thanks so much for this video, I hooked mine up in parallel to make it a super 12 volt and I put my battery charger on the one battery and that will charge both you said , I'm hoping this works like a champ I went off every thing u said , so far everything seems to be looking up
You should connect the positive lead of your charger to the positive lead of one battery and the negative lead of the charger to negative lead of the other battery providing you have them wired in parallel....
Hi Dan! thanks for the video. This is really going to help me connect my 12v's in Series. Quick question, you did recommend 1 bank per battery when charging. I only have one charger, would it be ok to fully charge one battery then charge the other or do you recommend getting two chargers? TIA
I’m a bit confused now. I have 3 batteries in my boat (1 starting, and 2 trolling motor) and a 3 bank charger. Right now, the 2 trolling motor batteries are wired parallel with one of the banks going to those ( + / - on same battery). I am switching to a 24v trolling motor which means I’ll be wiring series like the other video. In this video you said you could charge one at a time in series? In the other tutorial where you ran the larger wires and wired the 2 batteries in series, you put one charging bank to each battery? So can I wire in series for the motor, and put on one bank + one one and - on the other, or run one bank to each battery with + and - on the same battery?
I have 4/6 volt battery @ 435 amp and I have 8/6 volt battery @ 230 Amps, can I hook up them 435 amp with the 230 amp as one installation for a 24 volt system?
Hi i want to ask you guys i have 120ah x2 100ah x4 and 150ah x3 is it possible to connect them together to have more energy or not. They are different types gel and others
When you have 2 - 12v's set up in series for a 24v system, such as in a diesel truck, you said you must charge them individually, but what if you have a charger cable of 24v charging?
Quick question for you.. when you talk about having a charger for each battery, are you disconnecting the jumper cables between the multiple batteries, essentially taking apart the parallel/series wiring every time you charge the batteries? If not, how do the two separate chargers detect only the battery you're attaching it to in order to do diagnostic if the other battery is still attached?
2 12 V batteries in series or in parallel do not have a difference in the number of Watt hours available ( they have the same amount of energy). amps x volts = watts.
Maybe I didn't understand. I have x2 12v lithium batteries I will connect in series for 24v I also have a 13amp victron lithium 24volt charger Are you saying I'm not able to use this charger at all? Not worried about dead batteries as they will be hooked up to a smart shunt anyway
I don’t understand why o wouldn’t just keep the 12 battery for my 12 volt trolling motor separate. Is it because the alternator charges trolling g motor battery? Also what is the bank that you refer to that charges the battery?
I have three batteries. Two for the 24v trolling motor and one for the 12v engine starter. Can I take one of the batteries used for the trolling motor and wire it in parallel to the starter motor battery. My voltage to the starter motor should still be 12 v but with more cranking power and the voltage to the trolling motor should still be 24 volts. I use a three bank charger. Will this work? If not, why?
Somehow it shouldn't be an issue but I can understand why where there is an issue and that's related to them being separate to begin with. Not all batteries are the same even if you bought the with the same specs and brand... I found that the batteries charge at full capacity when charging individually.. maybe 85 to 90 percent capacity when in series... But voltage will be there either way... weird but these lifep04 batteries charge fast anyways compared to lead..
I wish I could message your directly to help me buy the right stuff to power my laptop and wifi I work from home. I need your help please. Much love from South Africa
Hello, on my Rv I have 2 14 volt batteries connected together as the following: the + and - wires coming from the rv are connected to the first batteries terminals, then from the first battery to the second battery those terminals i have + to the other + of the second battery and the - from the first battery to the second - terminal. I thought this was called parallel. But the way you connected your parallel example is different from mine. I also do have an inverter
If one battery dies after a year and you replace just that one battery expect all the others to be f&cked. That’s why when you replace multiple batteries you replace all of them at once. If one goes after a year assume they’re all trash. But sure go cheap if you want. Replace just one, but you’ve been warned.
Just upgraded to a 24v TM, I’ll have my 2 batteries in series for it. I can use a 2 bank charger to charge each battery separately right, I believe that’s what I understood I’m just clarifying!? Great video as always!
So as I connect to batteries in parallel to add my blue switch, does that mean I can charge the battery each individual on positive and negative? I see you had a comment written as a correction saying that it was a positive on one battery to the negative on the other battery, how does that change with the switch?
How do you charge the batteries that are in series ? I plan on bowfishing with 2 12v batteries for a 24 volt trolling motor . I want to charge the batteries at some point of the nights …
So if i got a 24v trolling motor i got two tracker lithium batteries says i can’t run in series does that mean i can’t make them 24v for my trolling motor
Oi! Id like to charge 2 batteries that are parallel connected with 2 chargers for the shortest possible charging time. 2 identical batteries with 2 identical chargers. Do i have to disconnect them from being in parallel in order to charge them with a charger each?
Hi Magnus, this depends on the charger, you need to double-check the instructions to see if the charger can charge batteries individually in a parallel setup or if you can only use 1 bank wire for your entire battery bank. So for example my old battery charger you could just directly connect each battery to each bank no problem, but my current charger does not support that. Hope that helps!
So if I have 2 batteries is series for 24 colts…. And I wire the charger bank 1 on battery 1 and bank 2 on battery 2 I can’t charge both batteries at the same time? I have to charge bank 1 and then when it’s charged shit it off and charge bank 2
Hi Joshua, thank you for the question! When you have 2 batteries in series for a 24 output, that wiring configuration has no bearing on your charging setup. So bank 1 goes to battery 1 and bank 2 goes to battery 2 and you plug in your charger and both batteries will charge at the same time :) All the best!
Would you have any clue why my negative fuse in NOCO gen5 battery charger keep blowing when my 2 12v batteries are hooked up in series for my trolling motor?
That's super strange Jake, definitely not normal. Are you 100% sure your wiring setup is done correctly? has it being doing this since you installed the charger or it was fine and suddenly started doing this?
do you have to disconnect the cables on the batteries when you plug them into the banks like will it throw it off if they're not isolated? or do you just clamp them regardless
Great question, and no you don't have to disconnect any of your wiring when you hook up the charging cables. I do however recommend that you unplug your trolling motor when you are charging your batteries. If your trolling motor is hardwired you may want to install a switch.
@@DanRichardFishing But all the batteries would still be connected in parallel, so how would the chargers be isolated? I don't see how the diagnostic capabilities of the chargers could see the individual batteries they are connected to when everything is connected to everything else (including the other chargers), but I'm not an electrical engineer. Anyone care to clear this up?
@@DanRichardFishing Dan, I have two 12v deep cycles wired in series for a 24v trolling motor. And I have a 3 bank genie onboard charger. So when I charge trolling batteries do I connect positive to positive and negative to negative on one battery and the same on the second battery like there separate? And do I have to disconnect anything at the batteries before charging?
I use (2) of these batteries in series to power a three-wheel golf push cart. A round of golf normally lasts about 4 hours. Should I charge the batteries after each use?
That's a great question, what's the voltage of the batteries after 1 use? Honestly I would make it a habit of charging them each time but check the voltage and maybe it's not necessary. Anything at 12.3v or under for a lead acid battery, I would charge it.
You do the same as in this video, you clamp 1 charger per battery if in series. For parallel you can do individual batteries or you can connect the entire bank to a single charger if you only have the one. Hope that helps!
I fish a 28 foot boat on ocean in 15 mph winds and the terrova runs at high speed continously. I want to use outboard's 12v alternator to charge 24v battery or batteries in series while still running troller off the battery or batteries. Have you done this yet and have a video to instruct me?
You can definitely do this (charge multiple batteries in series) but it's a bit more complicated and I do not have experience in doing this. There's a couple of ways to do it, but the most common method is with something called a battery isolator or you can do it with a manual battery selector. I have not made a video on this but here's a quick 3 minute video that explains it: ruclips.net/video/5H4lQIlYvLY/видео.html
Hi, me and my friends wired 3 12V car batteries in parallel and for some reason the car has 16V when engine is on and over 13V when it's off. Do you know why? The batteries are new and identical.
Hi there, reading 13 volts after a 12v battery has been charging via a charger or the charging system/alternator of an engine is completely normal. 12v VRLA (lead acid based batteries) consist of 6 cells, each of 2.2 volts. So PEAK voltage on all these combined is technically 13.3v and after 24 - 48 hours, the voltage will settle (resting voltage) to around 2.1v per cell, or 12.6 - 12.7 volts. The 16v is because your engine's charging system is engaged and your alternator is charging your batteries. Typically you should see your battery voltage increase to 14.6 - 14.8 so I am not sure why yours would be going to 16v. You may have a 16v alternator or it may be related to something else in your vehicle's charging system. Hope that helps!
We’re getting 2 Dakato 12v 18ah batteries. Do you recommend charging separately with a 12v 3 amp charger or using Dakota 24v 5 amp in series. Not sure if we going to run in series or parallel for the livescope. What’s your suggestion.
Hi Gary, sorry for taking so long to get back to you! So normally I always recommend you run 1 bank per battery... if you don't you can't take advantage of the diagnostics of the charger. So if you're charging a parallel setup and a battery goes, the charger onboard diagnostics won't tell you which one. But here's the thing... not all battery chargers CAN charge with a separate bank per battery when in parallel. I'm doing a video about this soon, but I recently found out that the new generation of NOCO GENPRO 10X series cannot be wired this way... you can only use 1 bank for the entire parallel setup. So all this to say, you need to validate if the charger you want can be wired 1 bank per battery be it in series or in parallel and you really need to decide on how you want your batteries to be configured (series or parallel) and check with the charger manufacturer if you can do 1 bank per battery either way. Don't rely on the documentation... the restriction I mentioned above with the NOCO is NOWEHERE in their instruction manual.
Dan you videos are the very best and I learn and get you. You channel is gold for me. Thank You. I have a deep cycle Die Hard M27-1 It is 105 ah. It's not enough for my excursions so I'm getting another Battery to wire in parallel. I see Walmart has a nice Ever Start Group Size 24DC (12 Volt/690 MCA) which is 101 ah. The diehard is 105ah. Is it ok to mix them up. The Walmart one is 50 bucks cheaper. What would you do? I think perhaps it would be best to match the batteries but I'm not sure. Please advise.
Wow thank you so much for the kinds words, I love that my videos have helped you! Sorry it took so long to reply but I would not recommend mixing different brands/models of batteries in a parallel or series setup, not to mention you'll have an older battery mixed with a new one. I would honestly recommend you match them so it's the same batteries. I mean, it will definitely work, but the batteries will not drain evenly and you'll likely discharge one much more than the other and that one will likely get scrapped quicker than it should. Hope that helps and thanks again for subscribing to my videos :)
Great advise on 1 bank per battery for charging. I didn’t do this at first as the charger I had at the time put out enough amps to charge everything. I had 1 battery of 3 die on me but voltage didn’t drop so at first wasn’t detected until I threw some amps at it. Finally tested everything at the end of season and found the dead battery. Never again!
This episode happen to me a day ago. I had three 12V Battle Burn 100AMP Batteries in paralleled and the third one was dead! I don’t think is damage because these batteries are built to drop to 0 and then recharged back up to 100%. I just don’t know how to get this battery to charge up while using my car alternator. The other two batteries are charger perfectly and read 13.14V each. Don’t know why my third battery went dead. Any suggestions?
If you're charging source is only a single bank and you have multiple batteries then yes you can use a VSR (voltage sensitive relay) but I always recommend going with one Bank per battery so that you have proper battery monitoring and testing for each individual battery.
I use (2) of these batteries in series to power a three-wheel golf push cart. A round of golf normally lasts about 4 hours. Should I charge the batteries after each use?
That's a great question, what's the voltage of the batteries after 1 use? Honestly I would make it a habit of charging them each time but check the voltage and maybe it's not necessary. Anything at 12.3v or under for a lead acid battery, I would charge it.
No, modern battery charges can charge a battery bank up to 300 amp hours from discharge. A Ctek 10 MXS will charge the whole battery bank. It is a smart charger that will recondition a battery bank and checks that all is well. Fault codes will flag up if not. An 8 step charging regime will fully charge and protect the battery automatically. I would never put more than one charger onto a battery bank at the same time. If you have more than 300amp hr bank just split it into manageable sections and charge separately.
The the device will just drain that one battery if you just wire it directly to one battery. Now if you have something being powered by the parallel system PLUS something running directly of just one of the batteries, you actually risk damaging that battery prematurely because you're draining it faster that the other battery in the parallel configuration and you risk over-draining it if it's a VRLA technology battery (lead acid). Hope that helps!
Theoretically yes you can it will work, but in terms of battery durability and long-term life, it's not a good idea, it's always recommended that you have the same battery with the same specs connected in series or in parallel.
I run my trolling motor on 2 batteries in parallel and my trolling motor is hardwired. I keep a butterfly nut on the negative my trolling motor connects to. It's easier to take off quickly and if you forget your tools you can still connect it easily enough at the lake. My batteries came with regular nuts but since the negative connection gets removed often the butterfly nut is much easier.
Yeah mine all came with butterfly nuts when I got the boat but I ended up removing them as I was concerned about having a really solid connection that would stay secure. I personally don't have an issue with anyone using them, although some die-hards would scream at me if I suggested using them in one of my videos lol!
You'll need to charge them fully yourself, they are legally not allowed to ship them fully charged I believe it's only 60% of charge or something along those lines.
Joining 2 batteries in series or parallel increases capacity equally, the difference between 12v and 24v is a motor of equal wattage say 300w will pull half the amps when run at 24v compared to 12v. measuring the batteries in watt hours oppose to amp hours will give you the same value. Here is a detailed video on how to calculate and understand watt hours ruclips.net/video/1_kwMuQaYXA/видео.html
Hi Adam, thanks for the comment! Sure, that makes sense, there's nothing you can do that technically increases the set capacity of a battery, the difference in parallel vs series is simply how the power is consumed. As you said, the different is that 30 amps at 24v pulls twice the wattage as 30 amps at 12v (720 watts vs 360 watts) hence why the AH on a 24v series setup doesn't double up when thinking of how long something will last vs a 12v parallel setup. I think it's generally just easier to think of everything in amps but you can certainly think of it in terms of watts as well. We tend to go with AH because it involves less math... most marine devices list power consumption in terms of amps @ nominal voltage so no one bothers to run the wattage conversion. Thanks again for your comment!
Hey Dan, great explanation and video of wiring series and parallel batteries! One question I have is: my boat has 2 batteries wired in series for my trolling motor and 1 battery for starting the motor. When charging the batteries for the trolling motor, do I need to disconnect the 2 12v batteries from each other and charge them individually or can I leave the system wiring in tact while individually charging each battery? Sorry for the long question! Haha! thanks!
This is a great question I get a lot and no, you definitely do not need to undo your wiring to charge. You would need a 3 bank charger and connect each bank to each battery and charge as needed :) No need to disconnect anything!
@@DanRichardFishing i read your "no need to disconnect series connections for charging". I had extra batteries (4 total) so i actually did parallel and series for 24 volts. Can i charge all batteries individually without disconnecting parallel connections as well?
New subscriber here. I have questions. Maybe you can help. I have two 12v starter batteries ran parallel with a dual bank charger in the stern of the boat. I also have two 12v deep cycles ran in series in the bow for my 24v trolling motor. My trolling motor batteries do not have a charger. Should I install a 3 bank charger to charge all four batteries and just have one bank charge the two batteries ran parallel? Or should I install a complete separate dual bank charger in the bow of the boat? I just don't want to deal with running two extension cords from the house. Also, the boat is 19ft long. Is it even possible to charge batteries that far apart from each other with the same 3 bank system? Thanks!
Hi Chris, thanks so much for the sub! To answer your question, you should actually be installing a 4 bank charger, which are readily available just like a 3 bank :) And yes you can extend the wires, most charger manufacturers sell extensions you can add to any bank wire not long enough, or you can make your own with the gauge they recommended. Hope that helps!
So I have 2 12v batteries in series for a 24V system. CAN I CHARGE THEM WHEN THEY ARE CONNECTED USING A BANK TRICKLE CHARGER? DO I NEED ONE CHARGER FOR EACH BATTERY? AND IS IT OK IF THE BATTERIES REMAIN CONNECTED WHEN THEY ARE BEING CHARGE? Help please. Thanks
Dan, I’m looking to put a trolling motor on my 22’ Pathfinder. I want to go with the Minn Kota Riptide Terrova 36v. I see there are 36v single batteries and would love to have only one battery versus 3 however, does the same principle apply, when connecting a battery charger? One battery, one bank? And would you have a recommendation for a particular battery charger? Thank you in advance for your help and keep up the great videos! It’s much appreciated. Mike
Hi there! Glad you asked this question and sorry I didn't see this until now! You would absolutely just need 1 charger with 1 bank, but you would need to find a 36v battery charger specifically for that battery. You can't use a regular 12v charger. If you do look in to getting a 36v, I would recommend you reach out to the manufacturer and ask what charger they recommend. I know Dakota Lithium sells an 8 amp and 18 amp charger for lithium batteries (I am assuming you are looking at a 36v lithium) and you can check those out at dakotalithium.com/12v-24v-36v-48v-lithium-battery-chargers/ and they are currently on sale for $100 off. Hope that helps!
great video and great explanation ! my only question is .. if you changer your battery with your 110v at home and the batteries are in serie and you are using 2 12V battery for a 24v motor. wont the 110v bust your batteries 12v in series?
Thanks great info I'm new to this I will be using this for off the grid purposes I live in Mexico and having black outs just want to be ready question I should be able to run my fridge for an hour just to keep things cold correct please respond again great job Sir
Thank you for the video! I have a question. Can two batteries be hooked up in series for a 24 volt trolling motor and also run 12 volt fish finder graphs at 12 volts if the graphs are hooked up to just one of the batteries? Thanks, Tony
Yes, you can absolutely no this but I would highly recommend you avoid doing this because hooking up your graphs to the same batteries as your trolling motor almost guarantees interference on the graphs when the trolling motor is running.
Modern chargers can and do charge a whole battery bank. A Ctek MXS10 can charge up to 300 amp hrs at once from discharge. It will recondition, desulphate and fully restore full capacity as well as diagnose faults.
If running parallel do the two batteries have to match? Say I have a 50ah battery and a 100 ah battery. Will that give me 150ah? And will it effect anything having them mismatched?
Hi Dan. I have two 12v batteries connected together which makes 24v. How do i charge them with 2 bank charger? Do i need to disconnect the wire that connects them together before i charge them? Thank you.
Just finished wiring two of my trolling motor batteries that are in parallel. I also have a dual bank charger, this video helped me all the way through my wiring process. Now, I can go trolling around the lake for days! Thanks again Dan
Thank you for showing me how to parallel my trolling batteries For my 12 V trolling motor And when I set up my 2 charger maintainers I hook up one maintainer to battery 1 Then I hook up the 2nd Is charger maintainer to battery 2 as if I was charging them separate Correct Thank you
I'm back! Hope you enjoy today's video and congratulations to @King78Cobra on being the next name draw in the 30 Days of Baits contest! Will winner #3 finally claim their prize?! DM me on Instagram or Facebook and it's all yours! Thanks everyone, love you guys!
Thank you
How many battery's will you need for 3000watts inverter to power 1kv transmitter pls
I have a 23 foot tahoe deck boat. The batteries were originally in series for the trolling motor. Trolling motor has now been abandoned. Do I still need three batteries? Two? One? I am assuming I will now wire them in parallel, which would give me all day live well and stereo. One cranking battery and two deep cycle, which I just bought new. Is two enough? Thanks so much!
Who knew Steve-O was into this kinda stuff.
🤣🤣🤣 this is what I do when I'm not working on my jackass films 🤫
Looks like him ,he does.
Lmao...I cant unsee it😂....good video though, answered all my questions....
I thought same thing
And has been hitting thr glorious house of gains
While hooked up in series , can I still charge them individually? Or do I have to remove the wire connection making them run series ? Basically do I have to remove the wire everytime I want to charge them or can I leave it hooked up In series and charge them fine ?
I'm curious about this too!
Same. Where’s he at? 1 yr ago and no answer?
@9:20 to 9:25 he answers that but it's very quick and hard to catch if you're not paying attention. The battery must be separate before you charge it.
@@UnfiItered That is for a onboard bank charger. What about a regular 12-24 volt charger? im curious as well. Just to be safe I always separate the 2. Pain in the ass but less painful than buying new gear. Thanks
Precautionary note: When connecting batteries up in parallel make sure they are both in the same charge state and are identical specification. If one is fully charged and the other is say 50% charged then you run the risk of a very big bang when you make the final connection as the batteries attempt to equalise their charge state by a massive rapid exchange of energy between them. This problem doesn’t arise for serial connections since the battery voltages just get summed together and there is no pathway for them to exchange charge state with each other.
So think of serial as adding voltages whilst keeping the current the same & parallel as adding currents while keeping the voltages the same.
Excellent point to bring up, you're absolutely right. Honestly in both scenarios I would prefer to have the same battery models and charge states and if you have an older setup with 4 - 5 year old batteries and one is no longer holding a charge, you should replace the whole set. Thanks so much for your comments!
So what if you have 1 battery that’s a year old and one that is new? Charge them both before connecting them together?
According to NOCO tech support, two batteries in parallel have to be on a single bank of the charger. However, with two 100 Ah batts you are over the max capacity of that bank. In my case with the NOCO genius GEN5X3 the capacity has to be under 124 Ah. I had to wire disconnect switches between my two parallel batteries so they could be charged with individual banks.
I have wired 2 12 volt batteries in parallel, but when i test the battery charge with my voltmeter it says 24 volts- why is this?
There has to be an error in your wiring somewhere, it should be testing at 12v. Send me a photo on Facebook (Dan Richard Fishing) if you have time :)
Hi how are you can make video for battery bank 24 volt but connect 4 Battery of 12 Volt
Sure, let me see what I can do for that!
When charging the batteries that are in series with separate chargers,does the jumpers to make the series have to be taken out when charging them individually?
Nope, not at all. I used to do it that way before I got the onboard bank charger and never disconnected the crossover cable.
Lol 😂 when I remember to do video
Thank you for this INFORMATIONAL GUIDE, I tried to put packs of AAAs in series when I tried to do parallel.
I have 6-- 12v 100ap I would like to connect 2 - 12v 200ap is that ok to do
Yes absolutely, you can connect two in parallel.
If i have 2 12 v wired in parallel , will my alternator from my motor charge both batteries?
@@hdhdididu655 yes!
@@DanRichardFishing thanks for the reply man , and nice vid. I had another question. When I go to hook up my switch my switch panel for lights and what not, should I put those wires on the same posts that the engine is connected to ? Or the other two free posts?
Hands down one of the best in-depth educational videos about serial and parallel wiring of 12v batteries out there.
Excellent job, great content and thank you!
Glad Steve o has turned his life around
Thanks so much for this video, I hooked mine up in parallel to make it a super 12 volt and I put my battery charger on the one battery and that will charge both you said , I'm hoping this works like a champ I went off every thing u said , so far everything seems to be looking up
You should connect the positive lead of your charger to the positive lead of one battery and the negative lead of the charger to negative lead of the other battery providing you have them wired in parallel....
Good info Dan... you kept the explanation straight forward and simple... I always try to do the same when I'm teaching someone basic electronics
Thank you sir! :) Hope you're doing well Phil!
Hi Dan! thanks for the video. This is really going to help me connect my 12v's in Series. Quick question, you did recommend 1 bank per battery when charging. I only have one charger, would it be ok to fully charge one battery then charge the other or do you recommend getting two chargers?
TIA
Do your tip on charging apply to lithium batteries? I have two 12v 100ah lithium batteries. Do I still hook up a bank to each battery?
I’m a bit confused now. I have 3 batteries in my boat (1 starting, and 2 trolling motor) and a 3 bank charger. Right now, the 2 trolling motor batteries are wired parallel with one of the banks going to those ( + / - on same battery). I am switching to a 24v trolling motor which means I’ll be wiring series like the other video. In this video you said you could charge one at a time in series? In the other tutorial where you ran the larger wires and wired the 2 batteries in series, you put one charging bank to each battery? So can I wire in series for the motor, and put on one bank + one one and - on the other, or run one bank to each battery with + and - on the same battery?
I have 4/6 volt battery @ 435 amp and I have 8/6 volt battery @ 230 Amps, can I hook up them 435 amp with the 230 amp as one installation for a 24 volt system?
Hi
i want to ask you guys i have 120ah x2 100ah x4 and 150ah x3 is it possible to connect them together to have more energy or not. They are different types gel and others
When you have 2 - 12v's set up in series for a 24v system, such as in a diesel truck, you said you must charge them individually, but what if you have a charger cable of 24v charging?
Quick question for you.. when you talk about having a charger for each battery, are you disconnecting the jumper cables between the multiple batteries, essentially taking apart the parallel/series wiring every time you charge the batteries? If not, how do the two separate chargers detect only the battery you're attaching it to in order to do diagnostic if the other battery is still attached?
2 12 V batteries in series or in parallel do not have a difference in the number of Watt hours available ( they have the same amount of energy). amps x volts = watts.
Maybe I didn't understand.
I have x2 12v lithium batteries I will connect in series for 24v
I also have a 13amp victron lithium 24volt charger
Are you saying I'm not able to use this charger at all?
Not worried about dead batteries as they will be hooked up to a smart shunt anyway
i love the electrical tutorials helps a lot for people new to boats
Thank you so much! It's always nice to hear that my videos are helping people, it's why I made the channel in the first place! 🤓
I don’t understand why o wouldn’t just keep the 12 battery for my 12 volt trolling motor separate. Is it because the alternator charges trolling g motor battery? Also what is the bank that you refer to that charges the battery?
I have three batteries. Two for the 24v trolling motor and one for the 12v engine starter. Can I take one of the batteries used for the trolling motor and wire it in parallel to the starter motor battery. My voltage to the starter motor should still be 12 v but with more cranking power and the voltage to the trolling motor should still be 24 volts. I use a three bank charger. Will this work? If not, why?
Do you need to disconnect the batteries when charging each one individually
Somehow it shouldn't be an issue but I can understand why where there is an issue and that's related to them being separate to begin with. Not all batteries are the same even if you bought the with the same specs and brand... I found that the batteries charge at full capacity when charging individually.. maybe 85 to 90 percent capacity when in series... But voltage will be there either way... weird but these lifep04 batteries charge fast anyways compared to lead..
So if I have 2 6volt wired in series. I would connect each battery on its own + and - . Also would I charge them on 6v setting or 12v
I wish I could message your directly to help me buy the right stuff to power my laptop and wifi I work from home. I need your help please. Much love from South Africa
Can you suggest a blue tooth monitor for three 12v lithium batteries in series for 36v power. Thanks George Tollefsen
Hello, on my Rv I have 2 14 volt batteries connected together as the following: the + and - wires coming from the rv are connected to the first batteries terminals, then from the first battery to the second battery those terminals i have + to the other + of the second battery and the - from the first battery to the second - terminal. I thought this was called parallel. But the way you connected your parallel example is different from mine. I also do have an inverter
If one battery dies after a year and you replace just that one battery expect all the others to be f&cked. That’s why when you replace multiple batteries you replace all of them at once. If one goes after a year assume they’re all trash.
But sure go cheap if you want. Replace just one, but you’ve been warned.
have two12 volt in series. can each battery be charged individually with a 12 volt charger without unhooking them
Just upgraded to a 24v TM, I’ll have my 2 batteries in series for it.
I can use a 2 bank charger to charge each battery separately right, I believe that’s what I understood I’m just clarifying!?
Great video as always!
You got it Hugo, that's exactly right!
So as I connect to batteries in parallel to add my blue switch, does that mean I can charge the battery each individual on positive and negative? I see you had a comment written as a correction saying that it was a positive on one battery to the negative on the other battery, how does that change with the switch?
If you can't charge in series, then how does a solar charge controller charge a 24v system
How do you charge the batteries that are in series ? I plan on bowfishing with 2 12v batteries for a 24 volt trolling motor . I want to charge the batteries at some point of the nights …
My 4 batteries are wired different than you explain, is there any way I can send you a diagram of how they are wired?
do you have to disconnect the batteries in series in order to charge them individually?
Thanks.
Great video Dan, this video really help me understand the series vs parallel connection. Thanks so much for your tips.
You're very welcome sir, thank you so much for the comment!
So if i got a 24v trolling motor i got two tracker lithium batteries says i can’t run in series does that mean i can’t make them 24v for my trolling motor
Suppose I am connecting 2batterties with same voltages with different capacities in parallel how to charge those batteries at a time
delivered so a knuckle head like me can understand. Thanks partner.
Haha my pleasure bud, take care!
Thanx, information understood, finally ! Good communication skills.
Amazing, I'm glad it was helpful and thank you so much for the kinds words and for subscribing :)
By far the best on RUclips,
Wow thank you so much!!
I believe you can charge both when in series unless I misunderstood you.
how many triple a batterys will i need to power a 12 foot stran of led lights
how many triple a batterys will i need to power a 12 foot stran of led lights
What size gauge are you using on those cables ? For the Series Connection
Oi! Id like to charge 2 batteries that are parallel connected with 2 chargers for the shortest possible charging time. 2 identical batteries with 2 identical chargers. Do i have to disconnect them from being in parallel in order to charge them with a charger each?
Hi Magnus, this depends on the charger, you need to double-check the instructions to see if the charger can charge batteries individually in a parallel setup or if you can only use 1 bank wire for your entire battery bank. So for example my old battery charger you could just directly connect each battery to each bank no problem, but my current charger does not support that. Hope that helps!
So if I have 2 batteries is series for 24 colts…. And I wire the charger bank 1 on battery 1 and bank 2 on battery 2 I can’t charge both batteries at the same time? I have to charge bank 1 and then when it’s charged shit it off and charge bank 2
Hi Joshua, thank you for the question! When you have 2 batteries in series for a 24 output, that wiring configuration has no bearing on your charging setup. So bank 1 goes to battery 1 and bank 2 goes to battery 2 and you plug in your charger and both batteries will charge at the same time :) All the best!
Would you have any clue why my negative fuse in NOCO gen5 battery charger keep blowing when my 2 12v batteries are hooked up in series for my trolling motor?
That's super strange Jake, definitely not normal. Are you 100% sure your wiring setup is done correctly? has it being doing this since you installed the charger or it was fine and suddenly started doing this?
I use a flat steel plate to join the negative and positive, it holds both batteries together. No extra wires and very stable
do you have to disconnect the cables on the batteries when you plug them into the banks like will it throw it off if they're not isolated? or do you just clamp them regardless
Great question, and no you don't have to disconnect any of your wiring when you hook up the charging cables. I do however recommend that you unplug your trolling motor when you are charging your batteries. If your trolling motor is hardwired you may want to install a switch.
@@DanRichardFishing But all the batteries would still be connected in parallel, so how would the chargers be isolated? I don't see how the diagnostic capabilities of the chargers could see the individual batteries they are connected to when everything is connected to everything else (including the other chargers), but I'm not an electrical engineer. Anyone care to clear this up?
@@DanRichardFishing Dan, I have two 12v deep cycles wired in series for a 24v trolling motor. And I have a 3 bank genie onboard charger. So when I charge trolling batteries do I connect positive to positive and negative to negative on one battery and the same on the second battery like there separate? And do I have to disconnect anything at the batteries before charging?
Can you charge them while they're connected
Can I series w a 12 volt battery charger?
thanks for the tips! I came for the battery tips but subbing for the fishing;) bell clicked:)
Thanks so much for the sub!! Tight lines!
I use (2) of these batteries in series to power a three-wheel golf push cart.
A round of golf normally lasts about 4 hours.
Should I charge the batteries after each use?
That's a great question, what's the voltage of the batteries after 1 use? Honestly I would make it a habit of charging them each time but check the voltage and maybe it's not necessary. Anything at 12.3v or under for a lead acid battery, I would charge it.
If you don’t have a charger on boat, how do you charge batteries with an electric charger with the batteries wired in series and parerell?
You do the same as in this video, you clamp 1 charger per battery if in series. For parallel you can do individual batteries or you can connect the entire bank to a single charger if you only have the one. Hope that helps!
I fish a 28 foot boat on ocean in 15 mph winds and the terrova runs at high speed continously. I want to use outboard's 12v alternator to charge 24v battery or batteries in series while still running troller off the battery or batteries. Have you done this yet and have a video to instruct me?
You can definitely do this (charge multiple batteries in series) but it's a bit more complicated and I do not have experience in doing this. There's a couple of ways to do it, but the most common method is with something called a battery isolator or you can do it with a manual battery selector. I have not made a video on this but here's a quick 3 minute video that explains it: ruclips.net/video/5H4lQIlYvLY/видео.html
Hi, me and my friends wired 3 12V car batteries in parallel and for some reason the car has 16V when engine is on and over 13V when it's off. Do you know why? The batteries are new and identical.
Hi there, reading 13 volts after a 12v battery has been charging via a charger or the charging system/alternator of an engine is completely normal. 12v VRLA (lead acid based batteries) consist of 6 cells, each of 2.2 volts. So PEAK voltage on all these combined is technically 13.3v and after 24 - 48 hours, the voltage will settle (resting voltage) to around 2.1v per cell, or 12.6 - 12.7 volts.
The 16v is because your engine's charging system is engaged and your alternator is charging your batteries. Typically you should see your battery voltage increase to 14.6 - 14.8 so I am not sure why yours would be going to 16v. You may have a 16v alternator or it may be related to something else in your vehicle's charging system. Hope that helps!
So I’m running 24v in series. Should I unhook them and charge them or is there a way to run them and charge them up correctly
Buy a 24 volt battery charger.
We’re getting 2 Dakato 12v 18ah batteries. Do you recommend charging separately with a 12v 3 amp charger or using Dakota 24v 5 amp in series. Not sure if we going to run in series or parallel for the livescope. What’s your suggestion.
Hi Gary, sorry for taking so long to get back to you! So normally I always recommend you run 1 bank per battery... if you don't you can't take advantage of the diagnostics of the charger. So if you're charging a parallel setup and a battery goes, the charger onboard diagnostics won't tell you which one. But here's the thing... not all battery chargers CAN charge with a separate bank per battery when in parallel. I'm doing a video about this soon, but I recently found out that the new generation of NOCO GENPRO 10X series cannot be wired this way... you can only use 1 bank for the entire parallel setup.
So all this to say, you need to validate if the charger you want can be wired 1 bank per battery be it in series or in parallel and you really need to decide on how you want your batteries to be configured (series or parallel) and check with the charger manufacturer if you can do 1 bank per battery either way. Don't rely on the documentation... the restriction I mentioned above with the NOCO is NOWEHERE in their instruction manual.
Dan you videos are the very best and I learn and get you. You channel is gold for me. Thank You. I have a deep cycle Die Hard M27-1 It is 105 ah. It's not enough for my excursions so I'm getting another Battery to wire in parallel. I see Walmart has a nice Ever Start Group Size 24DC (12 Volt/690 MCA) which is 101 ah. The diehard is 105ah. Is it ok to mix them up. The Walmart one is 50 bucks cheaper. What would you do? I think perhaps it would be best to match the batteries but I'm not sure. Please advise.
Wow thank you so much for the kinds words, I love that my videos have helped you! Sorry it took so long to reply but I would not recommend mixing different brands/models of batteries in a parallel or series setup, not to mention you'll have an older battery mixed with a new one. I would honestly recommend you match them so it's the same batteries. I mean, it will definitely work, but the batteries will not drain evenly and you'll likely discharge one much more than the other and that one will likely get scrapped quicker than it should. Hope that helps and thanks again for subscribing to my videos :)
Excellent video. Thank you
You're very welcome :)
Either way you’ll end up with the same wh 🤣
Great advise on 1 bank per battery for charging. I didn’t do this at first as the charger I had at the time put out enough amps to charge everything. I had 1 battery of 3 die on me but voltage didn’t drop so at first wasn’t detected until I threw some amps at it. Finally tested everything at the end of season and found the dead battery. Never again!
Yep, exactly why ideally you want 1 bank per. :)
This episode happen to me a day ago. I had three 12V Battle Burn 100AMP Batteries in paralleled and the third one was dead! I don’t think is damage because these batteries are built to drop to 0 and then recharged back up to 100%. I just don’t know how to get this battery to charge up while using my car alternator. The other two batteries are charger perfectly and read 13.14V each. Don’t know why my third battery went dead. Any suggestions?
hey mate thanks for this video but what do you call Battery bank for charging both batteries ? is it VSR Isolator ?
Cheers
If you're charging source is only a single bank and you have multiple batteries then yes you can use a VSR (voltage sensitive relay) but I always recommend going with one Bank per battery so that you have proper battery monitoring and testing for each individual battery.
I use (2) of these batteries in series to power a three-wheel golf push cart.
A round of golf normally lasts about 4 hours.
Should I charge the batteries after each use?
That's a great question, what's the voltage of the batteries after 1 use? Honestly I would make it a habit of charging them each time but check the voltage and maybe it's not necessary. Anything at 12.3v or under for a lead acid battery, I would charge it.
@@DanRichardFishing Sorry I forgot to mention they are lithium batteries. Same recommendation?
Dan
I have 2 12 volt deep cell batteries in parallel,, I bought the 2 bank Gen 5 novo charger how do I connect each bank ??
But you can charge each individual 12v battery while they are connected in series, right?
No, modern battery charges can charge a battery bank up to 300 amp hours from discharge. A Ctek 10 MXS will charge the whole battery bank. It is a smart charger that will recondition a battery bank and checks that all is well. Fault codes will flag up if not. An 8 step charging regime will fully charge and protect the battery automatically.
I would never put more than one charger onto a battery bank at the same time. If you have more than 300amp hr bank just split it into manageable sections and charge separately.
What happens if you run two 12v batteries in parallel but the device you are running is connected to only one of the batteries?
The the device will just drain that one battery if you just wire it directly to one battery. Now if you have something being powered by the parallel system PLUS something running directly of just one of the batteries, you actually risk damaging that battery prematurely because you're draining it faster that the other battery in the parallel configuration and you risk over-draining it if it's a VRLA technology battery (lead acid). Hope that helps!
on the parallel setup can you wire the device on the same battery, or it has to be one positive to one battery and negative to the other battery?
You need to use both batteries, so positive to battery 1, negative to battery 2. Thanks for the question!
Can you wire 2 different battery types in parallel? For instance a starting battery and a dual purpose battery.
Theoretically yes you can it will work, but in terms of battery durability and long-term life, it's not a good idea, it's always recommended that you have the same battery with the same specs connected in series or in parallel.
so positive always goes to positive negative always goes to negative when you are running parallel?
Yes
He is too hot to focus on his video lmao 😂
I run my trolling motor on 2 batteries in parallel and my trolling motor is hardwired. I keep a butterfly nut on the negative my trolling motor connects to. It's easier to take off quickly and if you forget your tools you can still connect it easily enough at the lake. My batteries came with regular nuts but since the negative connection gets removed often the butterfly nut is much easier.
Yeah mine all came with butterfly nuts when I got the boat but I ended up removing them as I was concerned about having a really solid connection that would stay secure. I personally don't have an issue with anyone using them, although some die-hards would scream at me if I suggested using them in one of my videos lol!
I just bought 2 new lithium 12v 10ah batteries. Do I need to charge them - or do they come precharged? Thanks!
You'll need to charge them fully yourself, they are legally not allowed to ship them fully charged I believe it's only 60% of charge or something along those lines.
@@DanRichardFishing Thanks Dan!
Dan, I run multiple batteries in RV and in Jeep. Always forget proper charging technique etc. Very clear, well done, video.
Thank you so much!
Joining 2 batteries in series or parallel increases capacity equally, the difference between 12v and 24v is a motor of equal wattage say 300w will pull half the amps when run at 24v compared to 12v.
measuring the batteries in watt hours oppose to amp hours will give you the same value. Here is a detailed video on how to calculate and understand watt hours
ruclips.net/video/1_kwMuQaYXA/видео.html
Hi Adam, thanks for the comment! Sure, that makes sense, there's nothing you can do that technically increases the set capacity of a battery, the difference in parallel vs series is simply how the power is consumed. As you said, the different is that 30 amps at 24v pulls twice the wattage as 30 amps at 12v (720 watts vs 360 watts) hence why the AH on a 24v series setup doesn't double up when thinking of how long something will last vs a 12v parallel setup. I think it's generally just easier to think of everything in amps but you can certainly think of it in terms of watts as well.
We tend to go with AH because it involves less math... most marine devices list power consumption in terms of amps @ nominal voltage so no one bothers to run the wattage conversion.
Thanks again for your comment!
Hey Dan, great explanation and video of wiring series and parallel batteries! One question I have is: my boat has 2 batteries wired in series for my trolling motor and 1 battery for starting the motor. When charging the batteries for the trolling motor, do I need to disconnect the 2 12v batteries from each other and charge them individually or can I leave the system wiring in tact while individually charging each battery? Sorry for the long question! Haha! thanks!
This is a great question I get a lot and no, you definitely do not need to undo your wiring to charge. You would need a 3 bank charger and connect each bank to each battery and charge as needed :) No need to disconnect anything!
@@DanRichardFishing i read your "no need to disconnect series connections for charging". I had extra batteries (4 total) so i actually did parallel and series for 24 volts. Can i charge all batteries individually without disconnecting parallel connections as well?
Does all this apply to lithium batteries? Charging and all ?
Yes it is exactly the same.
New subscriber here. I have questions. Maybe you can help. I have two 12v starter batteries ran parallel with a dual bank charger in the stern of the boat. I also have two 12v deep cycles ran in series in the bow for my 24v trolling motor. My trolling motor batteries do not have a charger. Should I install a 3 bank charger to charge all four batteries and just have one bank charge the two batteries ran parallel? Or should I install a complete separate dual bank charger in the bow of the boat? I just don't want to deal with running two extension cords from the house. Also, the boat is 19ft long. Is it even possible to charge batteries that far apart from each other with the same 3 bank system? Thanks!
Hi Chris, thanks so much for the sub! To answer your question, you should actually be installing a 4 bank charger, which are readily available just like a 3 bank :) And yes you can extend the wires, most charger manufacturers sell extensions you can add to any bank wire not long enough, or you can make your own with the gauge they recommended. Hope that helps!
@@DanRichardFishing thanks so much for the reply!
So I have 2 12v batteries in series for a 24V system. CAN I CHARGE THEM WHEN THEY ARE CONNECTED USING A BANK TRICKLE CHARGER? DO I NEED ONE CHARGER FOR EACH BATTERY? AND IS IT OK IF THE BATTERIES REMAIN CONNECTED WHEN THEY ARE BEING CHARGE? Help please. Thanks
Dam he talks to much just show
Thanks for the tutorial, I have two 12 volt 160 amp battery’s linked in series.
Could I use two separate 12 volt chargers, one on each battery?
Yes, absolutely that would be fine.
@@DanRichardFishing would I need to disconnect the batteries from each other to charge them?
lets get a crack-a-lactating
Dan, I’m looking to put a trolling motor on my 22’ Pathfinder. I want to go with the Minn Kota Riptide Terrova 36v. I see there are 36v single batteries and would love to have only one battery versus 3 however, does the same principle apply, when connecting a battery charger? One battery, one bank? And would you have a recommendation for a particular battery charger? Thank you in advance for your help and keep up the great videos! It’s much appreciated. Mike
Hi there! Glad you asked this question and sorry I didn't see this until now! You would absolutely just need 1 charger with 1 bank, but you would need to find a 36v battery charger specifically for that battery. You can't use a regular 12v charger. If you do look in to getting a 36v, I would recommend you reach out to the manufacturer and ask what charger they recommend. I know Dakota Lithium sells an 8 amp and 18 amp charger for lithium batteries (I am assuming you are looking at a 36v lithium) and you can check those out at dakotalithium.com/12v-24v-36v-48v-lithium-battery-chargers/ and they are currently on sale for $100 off. Hope that helps!
Thank you for replying and the advice. I was hoping it was that easy! Much appreciated!!
great video and great explanation !
my only question is .. if you changer your battery with your 110v at home and the batteries are in serie and you are using 2 12V battery for a 24v motor. wont the 110v bust your batteries 12v in series?
Thanks great info I'm new to this I will be using this for off the grid purposes I live in Mexico and having black outs just want to be ready question I should be able to run my fridge for an hour just to keep things cold correct please respond again great job Sir
Thank you for the video! I have a question. Can two batteries be hooked up in series for a 24 volt trolling motor and also run 12 volt fish finder graphs at 12 volts if the graphs are hooked up to just one of the batteries? Thanks, Tony
Yes, you can absolutely no this but I would highly recommend you avoid doing this because hooking up your graphs to the same batteries as your trolling motor almost guarantees interference on the graphs when the trolling motor is running.
@@DanRichardFishing Okay, thank you very much for letting me know about that likely issue!
Great video. Thank you for sharing.Sweet boat. Is that a Crestliner 1750 Fishhawk?
Thanks you video answered the questions I had about hooking up the charging system on my 12v series set up for my 24v trolling motor very good 👍
Glad I could help!!
So do you charge it with a 24v charger
Modern chargers can and do charge a whole battery bank. A Ctek MXS10 can charge up to 300 amp hrs at once from discharge. It will recondition, desulphate and fully restore full capacity as well as diagnose faults.
If running parallel do the two batteries have to match? Say I have a 50ah battery and a 100 ah battery. Will that give me 150ah? And will it effect anything having them mismatched?
Hi Dan. I have two 12v batteries connected together which makes 24v. How do i charge them with 2 bank charger? Do i need to disconnect the wire that connects them together before i charge them? Thank you.
Just finished wiring two of my trolling motor batteries that are in parallel. I also have a dual bank charger, this video helped me all the way through my wiring process. Now, I can go trolling around the lake for days! Thanks again Dan
Thank you for showing me how to parallel my trolling batteries For my 12 V trolling motor And when I set up my 2 charger maintainers
I hook up one maintainer to battery 1 Then I hook up the 2nd Is charger maintainer to battery 2 as if I was charging them separate Correct
Thank you
You got it! Thanks for the comment :)
How about when they are in series to make 12 V a 24 V battery. Should I use a 24v charger