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Old 09-16-2013, 11:15 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by Bay Pelican View Post
Jim

On Bay Pelican, also a Krogen 42, we put two 4" x 10" (size is from memory) louver vents in the bulkhead between the refrigeration units and the pilot house. Also installed a 12 volt muffin fan to exhaust heat from behind the refrigerator and freezer. Again these are exhausted to the pilot house.

Marty
We did similar to what Marty referenced. We also added a relay so the fans are only on when the refrigerator or freezer are on.

If you are thinking about replacing your refrigerator/freezer, when you get back, talk to Dave Lehman at Sea Freeze in Bellingham. He's done a few custom, very efficient, 12 volt systems for some Krogens.
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Old 09-16-2013, 11:29 AM   #22
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You should begin recharging Trojan 105s at least at the 12.2 level which is a 50% discharge.
Interesting.... as that is exactly (12.2V) where I set my low voltage alarm at on my SOC monitor.

Among about 30 other values I can check....here are the ones most interesting to me.

The "H" list covers about anything you would want to know about your battery banks and all the alarm points you can set. When an alarm goes off, you simply check the"label" on the SOC monitor, push any button to quiet the alarm and take the appropriate action.

I love this thing! (Thanks to Flywright and FF (Who's preached this SOC for years.)
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Old 09-16-2013, 12:51 PM   #23
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Thanks for the suggestions and comments. The muffin fans are already set up so they go on only when the fridge and freezer units start up. However hey just blow the air over the top of the units, ostensibly to vent out some small vents into the kitchen space. This isn't effective at all. So I will put some ductwork into the space and reverse the fans so the air is vented into the pilot house. I talked to the manufacturer of the units (they are located close by) and this was their recommendation.

I'm going to the boat tomorrow to run an equalization cycle, as has been suggested.

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Old 09-16-2013, 01:13 PM   #24
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I have loose laid wall-to-wall carpet in the salon, due to engine hatchs, and it tends to migrate toward the fridge over time. I can always tell when it begins to buckle up under the door and block the Norcold's front vent, the run time triples.

Good airflow through the unit can't be over emphasized.

LB
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Old 09-16-2013, 01:13 PM   #25
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Seahorse...I have one of those Victron monitors for my thruster battery bank. These are evidently AGM batteries.


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Old 04-27-2014, 06:30 PM   #26
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Update

So here is the update on Electrical systems 101.
  1. Got Nigel Calder's book and I am considerably more knowledgeable on this subject but there is still further to go.
  2. I am now further ahead with my understanding of the Link 2000 (Heart interface). I also realize its limitations WRT just using amp-hours for reference. Also that open-circuit voltage is a tricky thing to measure as the battery bank must rest for over 12 hours for the system to equalize. That's difficult when you are at anchor and using your systems. Measuring A Lead Acid Battery State of Charge Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com
  3. Decided to replace the T-105's as their capacity seemed to be diminished. We are going further afield this summer and I need to be certain that we have the juice to proceed.
  4. I replaced the two T-105 starter battery setup (wired in series: 12 volts) with two 12 volt Group 24's, wired in parallel. These fit in the existing battery box. Would have preferred two Group 31's but these should do the trick. These are DC-DC charged with the Balmar digital duo charge.
  5. All dome and reading lights replaced with LED, except for the Halogen AC Sconce lights in the Saloon. That will be a later project.
  6. Understanding SOC is a journey. I like the concept of the "Smartgauge" by Balmar. I might wire one of these up because it seems that amp-hours is a function of the age of the battery. It seems it may provide a more reliable indication of the house bank's SOC than the existing Link 2000. Like everything, the devil is in the details, I guess! Smart Gauge Battery Monitoring Unit Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com
  7. The Novacool Fridge and Freezer: I have taken the advice of everyone and have re-directed the existing muffin heater fans to vent directly out of the watch berth. As warm air rises, the vents are located as high up as possible. I have insulated around the units with "fiberglass pink". Its easier to work with than foam. No--I didn't insulate the radiator coils or compressor!
  8. The freezer door (Stainless steel panel) was cold to the touch. I removed the SS panel which revealed a corrugated plastic panel. I attached a sheet of 1" high density foam to the plastic panel. I will likely cover this with teak paneling. I will do the same with the fridge door.
  9. I still have a few other tricks to do so will keep everyone posted.
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Old 04-27-2014, 07:40 PM   #27
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Great stuff, JDC. Sounds like you're making incremental, but important, upgrades...well planned and thought through.

Starting with Calder is a big plus. I don't recall what engine you're starting with those paralleled Group 27s, but that sounds sufficient for most of our diesels. I've got twin Perkins 4.236's and feel that upgrading from a single 8D start to twin independent Group 31's will be more than enough.

Like you, we've gone through the LED upgrades and love 'em. Replacing the halogen bulbs should be simple and get the heat out of the lighting. Lots of wasted energy there. Same goes to insulating the reefer. WTG!

With an AH consumed meter, which is the one shortcoming of the Balmar Smartgauge IMO, you'd have the best of both worlds - the ability to see in real time your power consumption and an honest SOC gauge that adapts well to the decaying state of batteries over time. Ou friend Seahorse II just installed a Smartgauge on his boat in addition to his Victron and is tracking the differences in SOC. I suspect he'll find the Balmar unit accurately predicts his aging battery condition well before the Victron. Time will tell.
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Old 04-27-2014, 09:49 PM   #28
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FW: the Link 2000 has a readout for amp-hours used, but it has trouble dealing with measurements when you are charging, it seems (another subject).
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Old 04-28-2014, 05:26 AM   #29
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I find that the charging system runs for quite a while when I plug into shore power, even after a 4 hour run with the main engine. Is this normal?

YES this is normal.The chargerv will top the batts to 100% then drop to float IF you are not also using DC power.

The problem is LA (lead acid) batts can only be recharged to a certain level , about 80 to 85% full in a reasonable time , your 4 hours of engine operation probably did that.

The last 15% or so takes more hours to get recharged , perfect for the power pole or solar.

Most cruisers will not run a noisemaker long enough to get past 80%85% full, so for happy camping use the capacity from 50% to 85% as your energy budget.

Folks that do this over a long period of time find the battery >shrinks< from cronic undercharging , the answer is a better grade of desulfation equipment .

But remember the desulfator eats juice too, so should only be switched on when charge power is available.
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Old 05-06-2014, 06:59 PM   #30
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With the Link2000 you need to properly set the Peukerts exponent. As batteries age their charge state can change. There is a long article on this as it relates to the BalMar battery SOC meter. What Peukerts basically is it takes more energy returned during charging phase then just the amp hours taken out during discharge. This varies by the battery chemistry type. Then there is also the temperature of the batteries there are many variables when it comes to discharging and properly recharging batteries. I don't even pretend to know or be able to describe them all.
Good luck.
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