New battery charger needed....

Some times I do dumb things. Take this summer. One weekend I forgot to pull the plug in my boat. After about a week of sitting with 12 inches of water in the back of my boat, my current battery charger went kaput. I need a new one and some advice on what to get. I am running 3 batteries but only 12 volts. I have one cranking battery that also powers my sonar units. I have 2 trolling batteries (in parallel 12 volt configuration). Do I treat the 2 parallel bats as one bank, or should I give each battery a dedicated bank? 2 bank charger or three? 2x10 amp or 3x5 amp or something else altogether?

Give each battery a dedicated bank. I have always used a 3 X 5 and never had any problem with the batteries not being ready the next morning.

2 Batteries in parallel need to be treated as 1 bank. If you only have one other battery for cranking and electronics or just one separate for electronics a 12/2 will work. If separate cranking and electronics battery I would use a 12/3 just in case something gets left on to drain cranking battery. I run 2 in parallel and one cranking/electronics. Have a 2/12 ProMariner and have never had a problem in charging overnight. If pricing not a issue the Minkota is probably the best charger.

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Originally Posted by Iwannafish

Some times I do dumb things. Take this summer. One weekend I forgot to pull the plug in my boat. After about a week of sitting with 12 inches of water in the back of my boat, my current battery charger went kaput. I need a new one and some advice on what to get. I am running 3 batteries but only 12 volts. I have one cranking battery that also powers my sonar units. I have 2 trolling batteries (in parallel 12 volt configuration). Do I treat the 2 parallel bats as one bank, or should I give each battery a dedicated bank? 2 bank charger or three? 2x10 amp or 3x5 amp or something else altogether?

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Recommend a charger with a bank for each battery even the ones in parallel......If you charge the ones in parallel with one bank it will take twice as long.

I'd go with a three bank, that way if you ever go 24 volts you wont have to upgrade later.

My set up is the same as yours and I run a 3x5 and have never had a problem beings ready the next day. I've had the set up for over 2 years, co complaints what so ever.

5 amps has always been enough for me to get a full charge.......BUT if you are a camper and need to charge off the grid (generator) you will want a higher output charger where it won't take so long to charge.

Shouldn't you disconnect one of the parallel legs when charging a 3bank charger

I never did and had no ill effect.

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Originally Posted by Superx10

Shouldn't you disconnect one of the parallel legs when charging a 3bank charger

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Nope, no need to.