Wiring Batteries In Series And In Parallel Jun 21, 2016

Connecting batteries in series helps to stack up the voltage of each battery, allowing for a higher electrical force. This type of set-up is necessary to start vehicles that require a large amount of voltage. Wiring in series does not affect the amp hours (overall capacity) of a system of batteries, wiring batteries in series only affects how much power it can output at once. In order to connect batteries in a series, the negative terminal of one battery connects to the positive terminal of the next battery (and so on in this pattern) until it feeds back into the system (i.e. the boat's electronics), while the positive terminal is attached directly to the vehicle's engine and the first battery in the series. If you are considering wiring batteries in a series for your boat, consider a NOCO GEN series On-Board charger.

Connecting batteries in parallel stacks up the amp hours of each battery, allowing for a longer use. This type of set-up is for systems that use a lower voltage, but are used for longer periods of time. Wiring batteries in parallel does not affect the voltage (power delivered) of a system of batteries, just how long the batteries can be used until they die. Connecting batteries in parallel requires you to connect the negative terminal of one battery to the negative terminal of the next, as well as connecting the positives to the positives. Using each battery terminal lead ensures that the voltage stays the same, but the overall capacity increases.