Replacing Promariner 30 amp, 3 bank charger questions

[TheWolfTC]

Hey there CSR members,

Well, it's time to replace my 1996 Promariner 30amp charger with a more up to date "smart" charger. I am going with the pro nautic 1250P, 3 bank charger at the recommendation of pronautic. I have 5 batteries on board my 1996 370 Sundancer. All deep cycle, single bank for genny, and 2 parallel banks both port and starboard.

My early project findings....
While trying to trace the wiring from the charger I notice that they do not run directly to the batteries...they are going someplace else?? Not sure of they are going to the battery switches or if there is an intermediate stop somewhere along the path..IE isolators? The rectangular fin type units mounted on firewall? I haven't torn into the wire chase yet to actually pull the wires out and follow them but I know they do NOT go directly to the batteries from the charger. Promariner recommends that the NEW wires go directly to the batteries.

So, does anyone know where the wires run from the charger? Are the isolators simply old technology and I don't need to worry about them going forward? I only need to run about 6' to the battery banks from the new charger but if I have to run it to the isolators I need to go about 2' and re-use the original wires if that makes sense.

Has anyone tackled this project yet that could share some insight?
Thanks
Bill

 

[ttmott]

I can tell you where they go in my boat - it's a start....
They run from the charger to the boats main breaker / battery disconnect panel. Behind the panel the charger's B+ outputs go into a separate set of breakers that you wouldn't know about unless looking behind the panel then from the breakers to the battery terminal of each disconnect switch. The breakers are 50 amp (at least in my boat) so if you are stepping up the size of the charger you might have to step up the conductors and breakers.

 

[Creekwood]

Hey there CSR members,

Well, it's time to replace my 1996 Promariner 30amp charger with a more up to date "smart" charger. I am going with the pro nautic 1250P, 3 bank charger at the recommendation of pronautic. I have 5 batteries on board my 1996 370 Sundancer. All deep cycle, single bank for genny, and 2 parallel banks both port and starboard.

My early project findings....
While trying to trace the wiring from the charger I notice that they do not run directly to the batteries...they are going someplace else?? Not sure of they are going to the battery switches or if there is an intermediate stop somewhere along the path..IE isolators? The rectangular fin type units mounted on firewall? I haven't torn into the wire chase yet to actually pull the wires out and follow them but I know they do NOT go directly to the batteries from the charger. Promariner recommends that the NEW wires go directly to the batteries.

So, does anyone know where the wires run from the charger? Are the isolators simply old technology and I don't need to worry about them going forward? I only need to run about 6' to the battery banks from the new charger but if I have to run it to the isolators I need to go about 2' and re-use the original wires if that makes sense.

Has anyone tackled this project yet that could share some insight?
Thanks
Bill

I replaced my Promariner 30 with the same charger as you. I just wired the new one into the same wires as the old one. You will find you need to replace or trim the ring connecters on the wires on the boat because the pronautic has narrow spaces for the connection screws compared to the old Promariner.

I think the charger does run to the isolator, but you probably don't want to screw around with the Sea Ray setup since the isolators are for discharge isolation protection.

 

[boughtabouy]

I also just replaced a Promariner for the bow thruster, and thought about rewiring too. When I dug into the prospect of rewiring, I decided against it due to the mess involved with fuses, isolators, rewiring, PITA, etc. I just plugged and played. I'm a DIY'er, and thought that was a little over my head. I also have a friend who is an EE, and he advised against messing with it, due to the potential for problems. I do like the charger, and will probably go with another Promariner when it's time to replace the house charger.

 

[TheWolfTC]

I replaced my Promariner 30 with the same charger as you. I just wired the new one into the same wires as the old one. You will find you need to replace or trim the ring connecters on the wires on the boat because the pronautic has narrow spaces for the connection screws compared to the old Promariner.

I think the charger does run to the isolator, but you probably don't want to screw around with the Sea Ray setup since the isolators are for discharge isolation protection.

THANK YOU for the response..I was worried about bypassing whatever Sea Ray had set up for the batteries and isolation (if I was correct in my assumption). It would be a lot simpler to simply connect the existing wires to the new unit.

The only last question I may have is this:I was directed by Promariner to connect the parallel batteries in this fashion. Red lead to (pos) on batt 1 and black (neg) lead to neg. on battery 2.....this is for 2 batteries in parallel. This way the smart charger sees the load across 2 batteries so to speak.

If I simply connect to the existing wiring I am nit certain that they are crossing over the parallel banks.
I feel I may need to run a new ground wire to handle this properly.????

 

[Creekwood]

THANK YOU for the response..I was worried about bypassing whatever Sea Ray had set up for the batteries and isolation (if I was correct in my assumption). It would be a lot simpler to simply connect the existing wires to the new unit.

The only last question I may have is this:I was directed by Promariner to connect the parallel batteries in this fashion. Red lead to (pos) on batt 1 and black (neg) lead to neg. on battery 2.....this is for 2 batteries in parallel. This way the smart charger sees the load across 2 batteries so to speak.

If I simply connect to the existing wiring I am nit certain that they are crossing over the parallel banks.
I feel I may need to run a new ground wire to handle this properly.????

No, dont run any ground wires. Just use replace the charger and wire the new the same as the old.

In a parallel set up it really does not matter to do what they explained since in parallel wiring both batteries positives are connected to eachother and both negatives are connected to eachother. So the charger positive lead can be connected to either battery's positive since its all one circuit. Same for the negative side.

It does matter for batteries in series though. If you have two 6v wired in series to make a 12v bank then the battteries are bridge connected to eachother by connecting the positive on one 6v to the negative on the other. In that case you MUST have the charger connected to the proper posts and not to the ones that bridge th batteries together. that way the charger sees both batteries and also sees 12v. If you connected the charger to just one battery, then the 12v charge would go into only the one 6v battery and that would fry the battery (actually the Pronautic smart charge would probably just not charge the battery and would show a fault light)

 

[xravenx]

No, dont run any ground wires. Just use replace the charger and wire the new the same as the old.

In a parallel set up it really does not matter to do what they explained since in parallel wiring both batteries positives are connected to eachother and both negatives are connected to eachother. So the charger positive lead can be connected to either batteries positive since its all one circuit. Same for the negative side.

^^^^^THIS, I installed the same battery charger 2 years ago, works great. I got wet cell batteries and haven't had to add water yet, they are checked monthly.

 

[TheWolfTC]

Alrighty now...the new charger is installed...piece if cake and thanks to all the support and answers.
New question. I have interstate SRM 27 batteries. The charger is showing a charge voltage of 14.8...isn't that too high? The display shows the batteries as sealed lead acid but they can have water added so they aren't sealed correct?
Do I need to change the settings to open lead acid batteries? As well as a lower voltage setting?
Sorry for the silly questions but batteries are not my favorite thing to work on...


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[TheWolfTC]

Any advice on the De sulphation mode or equalization mode as it is termed?? It is a mode you can run on the Promariner 12 v 50 amp charger to "clean the plates" on the batteries...anyone recommend doing this or staying away from it??

 

[kaz911]

Any advice on the De sulphation mode or equalization mode as it is termed?? It is a mode you can run on the Promariner 12 v 50 amp charger to "clean the plates" on the batteries...anyone recommend doing this or staying away from it??

As the SRM27 are pure Lead Acid - I would keep equalization mode on. Interstate does not seem very informative on specs on their website - so it will most likely benefit from equalization mode. And if the batteries can be refilled - change the setting in the charger to open, since the charger might be a bit more gentle with open battery setting.

 

[ZZ13]

I just replaced my vintage charger with a new Pronautic 1240P. For those of you that recently did this, did you connect the chassis ground post to the boats bonding system? Or did you just leave it alone? My 13 year old Promariner didn't have this grounding post.

 

[boughtabouy]

I did connect mine, as my old Pronautic was also grounded.

Kevin

 

[Boat Guy]

I just replaced my vintage charger with a new Pronautic 1240P. For those of you that recently did this, did you connect the chassis ground post to the boats bonding system? Or did you just leave it alone? My 13 year old Promariner didn't have this grounding post.

I would have thought there would have been a bonding wire on your old unit. There was on mine. When I replaced my charger, I needed to replace the bonding wire because the old one was just 4"-5" too short. I would put it on.

 

[ZZ13]

I would have thought there would have been a bonding wire on your old unit. There was on mine. When I replaced my charger, I needed to replace the bonding wire because the old one was just 4"-5" too short. I would put it on.

Will do. Where on the boat should I connect it? There are a couple of bonding wire bus bars (I got a lot of metal items with bonding wires on them on this boat, I guess) nearby. Could I just unscrew one of the wires on the bus bar and put this as a second wire on that same screw? Also, it looks like from the wiring diagram that came with it that I could actually just run a wire from the 12v battery cable lug on the charger over to the bonding stud on the charger. I just gotta get to ground anywhere, it seems.

 

[Boat Guy]

Bill, on the DA there was a buss bar on the port side about 3' away from the charger. I just used that one. Yes, I just added it to a screw that already had a wire secured by it.