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24v Electrics on Boats


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Cables can be smaller, volt drop etc.

 

I am sure there are other reasons but will leave that to those with greater knowledge. :lol:

 

My boat is also wired 24v.

 

Edit: Dave beat me. :lol:

Edited by bottle
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We are 24v because our engine was designed that way. If your engine was designed for 24v - it will have a 24v starter and alternator so it makes life easier to have just one DC voltage through the boat. If you want to use the odd piece of 12v equipment it is easy to fit a local 24v to 12v converter - available from Maplins or Road-Pro.

 

There are lots of advantages of using 24v - the only disadvantage is that it is harder to find replacement light bulbs (especially from small chandleries) but we get them easily enough from on-line suppliers and keep plenty of spares - just in case.

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A little background on your boat wold also help us put into context..

 

eg length - age / engine / layout

 

electrical fittings eg fridge

 

number of lights / batteries etc

 

 

I also have 24v - 5 yr old boat - new looms no major issues and now found supplier of 24v led's...

Yes you do have an extra battery or 3, but it depends on the power needs -

over to some one who knows what that means!!

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64' cruser. Make currently unknown by me but I'm closer to finding out!! Never been in water, hull about 4 years old, internal fit out 95% complete. Beta Marine 43hp. I have counted 12 light fittings plus a continous light strip which runs under the gunnel (this works when the Inverter is switched on) Fridge is 24 Volt. Power shower, 1KW immersion 3 bilge pumps, external Nav Lights and spot light. I forgot to add strip lights in engine bay Esph. diesel heater, large fan on thermostat in engine bay. Thats it I think.

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I'm on 24v too (well not me exactly) I've done ok for bulbs up until recently. For some reason the bulbs in my bedroom as a strange size (I think they are bus rather than truck bulbs) which is a complete nightmare. Luckily I have two lights in the bedroom as one of them has been out for the majority of this year.

 

I must remember to take it with me next time I head anywhere sensible. And I must remember to stock up so I don't have to go through this again when the other bulb goes :lol:

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My boat is has been fitted with 24V electrics as opposed to 12V. Is there a reason for this? I could understand it if I had heavy useage like winches etc.

Without going in to too much detail, a 24V system is a lot more efficient than a 12V system and the lower losses mean that you don't need monster cables to get power the length of the boat.

 

It is generally a sign of a better designed and constructed boat, not that some of the 12V ones are not good, it's just that every 24V boat I have seem seems to have been well designed and installed.

 

I think that the main reason that 12V systems predominate is that almost all the engines sold for narrow boats are 12V and that historically narrow boats didn't have that much in the way of electrics so the greater losses of a 12V system didn't matter much.

 

Generally is is only the vintage engines that were fitted with electric start from new that have 24V starters and this often leads people to assume that they have to then have the whole system as 24V. FWIW if anyone has a vintage engine to install in a 12V boat and it has a 24V starter, there is a system available that allows the use of a 24V starter with 12V wiring and a 12V alternator.

 

Regards

 

Arnot

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Sarah

 

Any help http://www.uklightbulbs.co.uk/bus-bulbs.html

 

No connection, just googled.

 

Cheers Keith - yet again I haven't taken the busted bulb in anywhere. I'll do it tomorrow and they have no joy I'll emaily measurements over to that place - £2.25 a bulb?? Tis not cheap although I can't complain as they are definitely more than 2 years old already....

 

Thanks for the link.

 

S

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There was also apprently a bit of a move to 24v about 15-20 years ago or so (when emilyanne was built, 24v throughout) as coach equpiment such as fridges/tellys/vcr's/striplighting where all 24v before it became as readly available for caravans and boats (typicaly 12v).

 

But now that people are using inverters so much more, and 24v lights/pumps are really very avialable, roll on more 24v!

 

 

 

Daniel

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Generally is is only the vintage engines that were fitted with electric start from new that have 24V starters and this often leads people to assume that they have to then have the whole system as 24V. FWIW if anyone has a vintage engine to install in a 12V boat and it has a 24V starter, there is a system available that allows the use of a 24V starter with 12V wiring and a 12V alternator.

 

I’ve got a set up with 24v for the starter and 12v for the domestic electrics. I have two alternators, one 24v for the starter batteries and a 12v one for the rest. Probably Arnot's dual system is a lot cleverer than mine, but I'm happy with the way mine works and it's simple :lol:

 

.

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I’ve got a set up with 24v for the starter and 12v for the domestic electrics. I have two alternators, one 24v for the starter batteries and a 12v one for the rest. Probably Arnot's dual system is a lot cleverer than mine, but I'm happy with the way mine works and it's simple :lol:

But if you where going to have separte domestic and start batterys and alternator anyway, simple.

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  • 3 months later...
I’ve got a set up with 24v for the starter and 12v for the domestic electrics. I have two alternators, one 24v for the starter batteries and a 12v one for the rest. Probably Arnot's dual system is a lot cleverer than mine, but I'm happy with the way mine works and it's simple :lol:

 

.

 

I've got 12V for the engine and 24V for the domestic. This seems reasonably sensible as most engines will come with the 12V alternator as standard and since the best method for charging domestics is to fit a second alternator, why not make it 24V?

 

The only downside is that I don't have any other method for charging the engine battery though I suppose a seperate 12V cheapo charger permanently installed would do for that. In practice I just make sure I run the engine every few weeks (we don't cruise much and don't have shore power).

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  • 1 month later...
I've got 12V for the engine and 24V for the domestic. This seems reasonably sensible as most engines will come with the 12V alternator as standard and since the best method for charging domestics is to fit a second alternator, why not make it 24V?

 

Exactly how my new build is specified, and, if you have a high output Alternator and a reliable inverter, you will not need shore power, or, Marina mains hook up. But you will need more batteries.. !

 

The only downside is that I don't have any other method for charging the engine battery though I suppose a seperate 12V cheapo charger permanently installed would do for that. In practice I just make sure I run the engine every few weeks (we don't cruise much and don't have shore power).

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 months later...

OMG, why does boating seem complicated ,do I need an electrician on board b4 I plan to buy a boat, im a nurse retiring, i know nothing about electrics, should i reconsider?? cos im cack handed at diy.

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No you don't.

 

Modern boats are quite complicated pieces of equipment, like a car.

 

If you can't repair them yourself, then you need to pay a professional, just like a car.

 

A liveaboard boat with all the comforts of home will often be slightly more complex than a weekender boat.

 

Depends what you want. Some boats just have 12V on them are are much simpler, in terms of electricity.

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  • 5 months later...

But if you where going to have separte domestic and start batterys and alternator anyway, simple.

 

I have a 24V system and have been think of adding 12V alternator to the 24 V alternator is a lister SR3 engine and seems to have room to do this, as have I have problem with flat batteries as TV is 12V, water pump and fridge.

What would be better to have a 2nd 12V alternator or or buy Sterling Power 24v [12-12v] Battery Balancer? Boat yard said sterling is not very good? what else would I use?

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24V to 12V converters are common on lorries as a way of running 12V loads. Might be worth finding out if any of the truckers on here have a recommendation. If you have batteries that keep going flat it may be a battery or charging problem, not a 12V / 24V one.

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I'm on 24v too (well not me exactly) I've done ok for bulbs up until recently. For some reason the bulbs in my bedroom as a strange size (I think they are bus rather than truck bulbs) which is a complete nightmare. Luckily I have two lights in the bedroom as one of them has been out for the majority of this year.

 

I must remember to take it with me next time I head anywhere sensible. And I must remember to stock up so I don't have to go through this again when the other bulb goes :lol:

We are 24 as well and there is a truck electric supply company on our industrial estate, got the bulbs there.

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I have a 24V system and have been think of adding 12V alternator to the 24V alternator on my Lister SR3 engine and seems to have room to do this, as I have problem with flat batteries as TV is 12V, water pump and fridge. LED 12v Lights are series and parallel.

Would it be better to have a 2nd 12V alternator or buy Sterling Power 24v [12-12v] Battery Balancer? Boat yard said sterling is not very good? what else would I use?

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