Charging batteries with the generator? Safe or not

SERENDIPITY

I was told by my mechanic that the  battery that starts  the generator is the same one that gets charged and it is not advisable  to have  the battery charger on at same time  as  now 2 sources of charging the battery  .have a 342 Rinker.Need info tks

Lifes Good

That sounds wrong.  I'd get another opinion.  You car has one battery.  It starts the engine and the engine charges the battery.  

Michael T

Never heard that one. My starboard battery starts the starboard engine and the generator and runs the Axius clean power. Therefore, when the generator is charging the starboard engine battery it is also charging its own battery, if you follow my logic. I think your tech has either misunderstood the question or needs to do some reading!

LaRea

I think you are saying that you're running the engines and generator at the same time, so you are worried about the battery being charged by two sources (alternator plus battery charger).

Your 342 has a "battery isolator" that manages current to the batteries.  So, yes it's safe to run the battery charger while the engines are running.

Liberty44140

Yea I always have my battery charger on while running the genny as it will charge all 4 batteries. Otherwise I dont think the house batteries, which are what I am really concerned about at anchor, are getting a charge. 

SERENDIPITY

Thank you all for your advice 

Dream_Inn

Maybe he was stating that the genny itself has a charger as well as your electric charger?  Which is actually true and I have heard not advisable.  There is typically a fuse on the genny that can be pulled and just use the electric charger.

Michael T

DI I don't know about other models but the EC 310 Axius and EC 360 Axius have very specific power demands that will not tolerate surges, drops or spikes in power. For example the EC 360 shares a Series 31 AGM battery between the generator, the starboard engine and the Axius. There is no way I had to pull a fuse or switch anything over other than the normal shore power/generator switches. I can't see the value in pulling a fuse to eliminate a generator charger.

Dream_Inn

MT, I'm going off of a discussion on here a couple years ago where it was stated that the generator actually has a charger for its battery.  When it's running, it will charge the battery that it is connected to.  I also remember that there is a fuse that can be removed so that charger (in the generator) won't charge it's battery.  Have I pulled mine? no.  Not had issues.  Actually the conversation was longer ago than that (may have been before you were around on the old RBO, cause I had my 310 & remember looking for the fuse).  Maybe, that is what is being spoken about.  That, along with the electric one, would be two chargers on the same battery at once.

Michael T

DI....I hear you. I remember having a conversation with the area rep for Mercury regarding this in the spring of 2014.

He was setting-up the boat's Axius system's "personality" and I asked him if the set-up for the 360 with the starboard starter, generator and Axius clean power all being on the same battery and it also being charged by the main Intellipower charger would be a problem. 

The rep seemed busy or maybe he just wasn't interested in giving me a detailed explanation but he did say all of "that" was electronically governed "so don't worry."

What ever the h*ll that meant. I guessed it meant there could not be an overcharging situation as it sure would have fried the Axius and for sure Mercury knew that would be big $$$$$$$