How to correctly interconnect multiple batteries

[cdemaris]

Excellent info! Thanks

[Redbear]

I had never seen method #4, but it makes sense. I would not recommend method #3 without a device designed to join multiple wires. (I have one or two in the shop, I'll get a pic and post it later.) I had always warned about method #1 and preferred method #2, but now you've got me thinking.

[jkindt]

All of the diagrams are for 12V batteries. If you are using 6V batteries, the wiring will have to be different. Each pair of 6V batteries will have to be wired in series first to create 12V, then they can be paralleled together with more battery pairs. How many are you using Smitty?

[jkindt]

Originally Posted by Smitty

I've got 4-12v-255AH AGMs

Smitty

Nice! I am planning on using FOUR 6V Trojans or equivalent. Mostly due to cost. That should give me about 450AH of total capacity. Not quite the 1000+ AH that you will get, but enough for a few days at a time.

[crazycal]

Good info. I will come back to this. I don't really understand #4, but that don't matter.

[jkindt]

Originally Posted by emberglow

...We'll be going with #3, for two reasons. Firstly, an odd number of batteries in our bank means #4 won't work. Also each battery connected into the bank separately means any individual battery can be more easily disconnected or removed for whatever reason without having to take the whole bank offline.

This isn't actually that hard to wire up, just build a couple buss bars, one for + and one for -. Take a piece of 1/4 inch flat iron and drill enough holes to attach bolts to use as binding studs. Then attach the ends to a block of WOOD or other insulating material and make a cover for it out of Plexi or Lexan. Simple and it works!

[jkindt]

I saw something really neat on "Holmes on Homes" last night. The guy put in 600 watts worth of solar panels on the roof of the house and 10kW worth of batteries in the basement. The really neat thing was the way they tied all the batteries together. They had these prefab metal 'battery bars' that they just bolted all the batteries together with. They had straight ones and angled ones. They appeared to be made specifically for the battery size they were using and made it super easy to hook up. They appeared to be about an inch wide and 1/4 inch thick. This would eliminate the need to crimp lugs on the end of wires, but make sure you DO NOT drop a wrench in there!!!