This is a practical video describing how to install an automatic charging relay (ACR) in a boat, to allow charging of two battery banks. An automatic charging relay, also known as a battery combiner, allows seamless integration of solar and wind power charging, shore power charging, and alternator charging without the annoying inconvenience of trying to remember to turn battery switches manually. The video describes how automatic charging relays and battery combiners work, how to install them, and how to safely size wires and design a system.

Follow along for a practical installation in a boat with two battery banks. I go through a demonstration of the parasitic current draw for a Blue Sea Automatic Charging Relay (ACR) when the relay is either on and off.

This video is unsponsored and amateur, and it is offered for free but with no guarantees. Although I made every amateur effort to do this procedure correctly, I am not an electrician and I do not have ABYC certification. Not all safety precautions are shown, and a basic understanding of risk is assumed.

Before proceeding with a project, always seek out multiple sources for critical information. Only you can evaluate your competence and risk tolerance. If you decide to accept the risk and responsibility of working on your own boat, realize that any misadventure you encounter is solely on you.

For an intelligent second look at these systems, check out the CompassMarine website, here

https://marinehowto.com/automatic-cha...