Need a little help with wiring 4 6 volts to my 3000 Watt Inverter Charger.

[lappir]

It's a Modified Sine wave that didn't work well in my trailer. I thought getting new and extra batteries may have helped, but just after I made the battery purchase, Chad came up with another idea and it's working very well in my trailer. 

I'd like to sell the system, but advertising on Craig's list in Cape Girardeau, MO. and recently on FB Marketplace in Oskaloosa, IA. have not generated any calls or messages. I unloaded them today and put them in an area that's not heated in my brothers shop. I think if I hook everything up and plug in just a 20amp 110 circuit it will keep the batteries charged and could provide a light in the area of the shop if the power goes out. 

I'm pretty sure I know how to do it, but have some "Jumper Cable" wire to use and wonder if it will cause me any trouble. I think it's 4 gauge stranded, but not sure. Will take the magnification device to look at it more closely. 

I won't have it wired into a panel, but sill plug in a light to the 15 amp circuit on the front. 

The wires between the batteries need to be the same length. What about the + and - that connect to the device. Do they have to be the same length too? I don't think so, but want to be sure. I'm thinking taking the negative from the farthest away battery and the positive from the on closest to the Inverter/charger. Is that correct? 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

Rod 

[GlennWest]

All positive need to be same length. All negative same length. But the positive and negative doesn't. DC current is direct current. So all the circuits in same direction need to be equal. Opposite direction all the same. But the two are different circuits. They do not have to be equal. 

Edited October 30, 2022 by GlennWest

[lappir]

1 hour ago, GlennWest said:

All positive need to be same length. All negative same length. But the positive and negative doesn't. DC current is direct current. So all the circuits in same direction need to be equal. Opposite direction all the same. But the two are different circuits. They do not have to be equal. 

Thanks

 

Rod

[Kirk W]

[Chad Heiser]

Kirk’s diagram is how to do it.

[Jaydrvr]

This resource shows the thinking behind different methods of wiring battery banks. Jay

http://smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html

[lappir]

Thanks again all. Hoping the system will show itself to be useful. 

 

Rod

[oldjohnt]

 

11 hours ago, Jaydrvr said:

This resource shows the thinking behind different methods of wiring battery banks. Jay

http://smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html

Good Mornin lappir, I have to agree with Jay and Chad above ... For YEARS on here when this question came up, I always recommended Smart Gauge.

SmartGauge Electronics - Interconnecting multiple batteries to form one larger bank

HERES THE DEAL Its best if ALL batteries receive the SAME charging and load current and in order to do such Smart Gauge shows different connection examples and the difference in balance or imbalance of each. Their Method 2, while NOT the absolute best, is what many use, I have and it worked fine. If you choose the better methods they describe in 3 and 4 THAT IS MORE COMPLICATED.

Whats important in their basic Method 2 is to draw from the NEG of one bank and the POS of the other. Whats important in their other methods IS EQUAL CABLE LENGHS    

 FWIW even knowing how other methods may be at least somewhat better ??? when I used four 6 volt in series parallel I went with Method 2 same as the fine gents above. Remember the bigger the cables and the shorter the cables  THE LESS LINE VOLTAGE DROP AND LESS I SQUARED  R HEAT ENERGY LOSSES.

 Best wishes good luck

 John T