2004 Carver 366 Aft Cabin - DC Power Issue

Has to be bad batteries.

Maybe NO batteries?

Bob

selector switch off?

Only one!

My '98 355 came from the factory with 2 house batteries and 2 start batteries. Not near enough amp hours to power the refrig if you're going to anchor much at all.

I bought another 105 AH AGM battery and rearranged the batteries where I now have 1 start battery and 4 house batteries. 420 AH of house power is still not enough to power my power hungry original norcold refrig for more than one night on the hook. I'm adding a 100 amp battery charger, that will help until the norcold dies.
I'm not sure what Carver expected of the original 30 amp charger unless you are a dock queen.

Unless they changed it the next year, my 97 had 4 batteries and after tracing out the wireing, it is not how you would think. 2 of the batteries feed both engines and the house. The other 2 are not used and saved in case the 2 in use go dead on the selector switch a is 2 batteries and b is the other two. Unless you have the switch to both everything is running off 2 batteries. The gen had its own battery. Mine was a diesel. I don't know it that made any diff but that the way it was. I guess if you think of it, it's not a bad setup as long as you know how it is wired. You will never not be able to start the engines. Just switch to the other bank.

Mine is a diesel too.
Mine was wired the same way, Battery switch position 1 contained 2 batteries that powered all DC equipment. Position 2 also contained 2 batteries and powered all DC equipment.
For anyone that anchors out much this is very inefficient. It's not necessary to have more than one robust battery for the engine start bank. The house bank is the power user and is why I re-wired mine and added a battery to the house bank.
Now Battery position 1 connects the single engine start battery to the entire DC system. I start the engines and switch to the Battery selector switch to BOTH so the engine alternators will charge both banks. At anchor I switch the battery switch to position 2 which now connects the 4 batteries to the entire DC electrical system. Before I start the engines I switch back to Position 1 so the fresh and fully charged single engine start battery will start the engines.

As a back up or in the event I forget to switch to the house back while at anchor, I carry battery cables that would allow me use the genny start battery to start the engines.

Some people install a battery combiner or ACR which eliminates having to switch to the house bank when you anchor and combines the banks when there is a charging current.

That's a good plan. I installed an inverter on mine and 6 golf cart batteries under the sink area. Never had a problem after that.

Are the 6 golf cart batteries in addition to the 4 batteries located between the engines? I've been looking for a place for additional batteries and hadn't thought of below the sink area. Not sure I would want to do that but does open up a possibility. It does make for a long cable run though.

Do you use the inverter much? I've been trying to find a reason for installing one but haven't found one yet. We carry a butane burner that replaces the elect stove for most cooking and we have a coleman drip coffee maker that fits on the burner for in the morning. We plan on AC power use when we charge the batteries with the genny.

Maybe he's looking at the AC volt meter?

Bob

Our DC panel has a selector switch to monitor several battery banks. One of the positions is OFF, with no reading on the DC volt meter.

Bob

The inverter is the best thing I install on the boat. I've put them on every one I buy. Plenty of room under the sink. I remove the stove to chech batteries. Very easy. I mounted the inverter under the floor in the bilge next to the stove. 4 foot cable run.