4.
Charging
Keeping your house batteries charged is essential to ensuring your 12volt systems will work.
Fridges, lights, fans, stereos, and Navigation instruments are some of the most important ones
and of course using them draws power from your house batteries. If you conserve energy, you
will not need to charge as often. If something is not being used, then turn it off. We often
explain that 12-volt power is like water; you need to replace what you use. You can recharge
your batteries with the auxiliary engine(s) or your 110-volt battery charger when running the
generator or on shore power.
Engines:
Motoring to a destination will automatically charge your batteries. When anchored or moored
you can run your engine(s) in neutral at 1400 RPMs to charge your batteries.
If your batteries get to 12.2 volts, then it is time to recharge your batteries. At 12.2 volts it
should take about 1.5 hours of charging to get them back to a good charge. It is important that
you recharge the batteries completely every day. This may take 2 or 3 charges per day. But you
can break this up into more charges for shorter periods of time. Once you think you have
charged enough or you just want to go for a sail, turn off the charging system. Wait about 15
minutes and then check the voltage of your house battery. A fully charged battery should come
to rest around 12.8 volts. If the batteries do not get to this level, then they need more charging.
Please note that you will see elevated voltage readings when charging and just after charging.
The latter is why you should wait 15 minutes before checking your voltage after charging.
Hold button and move shifter
to disengage transmission.