Running 12 volts off my 24 volt system. (1 Viewer)

[ohrly?]

So what is the deal with running high amperage 12 volt access off a single battery in a 24 volt system.


Does it wreck the alternator?

Does it wreck the batteries that are under warranty, so badly that I can take them back and get new ones all the time?



Thanks,


E. Rockefeller.

 

[BreckenridgeCruiser]

It will kill your batteries, but you wont know it until it leaves you stranded. Also, it won't be really warrantable until the battries are super fried and then it would have made driving it a pain. If you want to bring an extra set of battieries along with you, better to just take care of the batteries you have.

IF you need 12v, get a reducer with a high rating. They are pricey, but it is best for your rig.

K

 

[blis]

or slap 12volt alternator and third battery in your rig, that way you can have 12v for all your utilities but keep the truck running 24v...

 

[mailking]

never run 12 volt of one battery of your 24 volt setup..... or learn the hard way... Even if people tell you the radio doesn't consume that much at all..... don't do it.

 

[Lost]

i run my headlight pluged on one battery each. been doing it for over 6months now.

though many have warned of killing batterys. i think if the draw of each battery is equal, it will be fine.

say your running 12v radio of one battery, you run the risk of draining one battery and the other may not get charged proper

 

[Tim-HJ61]

Folks this has been done tonnes of times before.

The real solution - well at least a very very popular one - is to instal a solar convertor if you are in Canada, or a Redarc Balancer if you are in Australia - or either if you are somewhere else and can get either of those posted to you.

The other postings are correct, just the solutions not quite on the mark IMHO.

installing a second alternator is a suitable solution, but a bunch of work, unnecessary IMHO and you have to install a third 12v battery too.

A solar convertor or Redarc unit will balance both batteries no matter the draw from either.

Running a reducer is also fine, but limits your current draw to the capacity of the reducer.

The big advantage of the Redarc Home | Redarc Electronics solution is that you can pull whatever current you like from teh low battery and the Redarc will rebalance the batteries in due course with normal running. I've run my Redarc for over 5 years without any drama and on the same batteries. the Low battery is often drained down by the running of 12v fridges etc whilst camping, so it's been given it's workouts at time.

Do a forum search for redarc, solar convertor, etc and you will come up with many threads on the same problem and the way we have all resolved it.

 

[eleblanc]

So what is the deal with running high amperage 12 volt access off a single battery in a 24 volt system.


Does it wreck the alternator?

Does it wreck the batteries that are under warranty, so badly that I can take them back and get new ones all the time?



Thanks,


E. Rockefeller.

don't do that,

give more details on what is the truck model and year, and what exactly you have connected on the first 12V battery. But seriously it doesn't mather you shouldn't have anything except the head light tap. Even a .1 amp draw on the first 12V battery will cause a nightmare down the road, trust me, i've been there.

 

[Stone]

i run my headlight pluged on one battery each. been doing it for over 6months now.

though many have warned of killing batterys. i think if the draw of each battery is equal, it will be fine.

say your running 12v radio of one battery, you run the risk of draining one battery and the other may not get charged proper

Wait until you burn out one headlight and don't realize it for a while...lol.

Why wouldn't you just run 24V headlights? They're available practically everywhere.

 

[mikebj42]

Wait until you burn out one headlight and don't realize it for a while...lol.

Why wouldn't you just run 24V headlights? They're available practically everywhere.

You wouldn't happen to know the part number for them would you? I went looking for a sealed beam replacement and the guy at Lordco couldn't find one. I put it out of my mind till you brought it up. Either that or I'm going to change over to H3 bulb.

 

[blis]

You wouldn't happen to know the part number for them would you? I went looking for a sealed beam replacement and the guy at Lordco couldn't find one. I put it out of my mind till you brought it up. Either that or I'm going to change over to H3 bulb.

ANY decent HD truck shop should have 24v bulbs on shelf, just look for something that does maintenance on bigger rigs or sells parts for trucks...


ps. 24V/100W bulbs are quite nice here in arctic regions with long and dark winters

 

[Tim-HJ61]

on a slightly different topic, but it follows mentions of headlights, have you seen my pdf of the 12v HID kits I installed into my 24v twin headlight HJ61?


Tim

 

[Stone]

You wouldn't happen to know the part number for them would you? I went looking for a sealed beam replacement and the guy at Lordco couldn't find one. I put it out of my mind till you brought it up. Either that or I'm going to change over to H3 bulb.

Mike...are you looking to replace fog/driving lamps with an H3? If you're still running sealed beams for your headlights...just get a Hella H4 kit from Lordco and replace the bulbs with their 24V counterpart. There's a thread with the 24V part number IIRC.

 

[CruisinFJ60]

mine had H4 bulbs in it when i got it one of the lenses was cracked and when i went wheelin some water got in the housings and blew a bulb. checked voltage and found i had 12V at the headlamps so i went and got me some sealed beams and am much happier.

but how do u know what side is the "low side" battery?

 

[Stone]

mine had H4 bulbs in it when i got it one of the lenses was cracked and when i went wheelin some water got in the housings and blew a bulb. checked voltage and found i had 12V at the headlamps so i went and got me some sealed beams and am much happier.

but how do u know what side is the "low side" battery?

Hmm...interesting. Most people I've talked to like the output and beam pattern of the headlights with replacable bulbs...like the Hella H4 kits.

The low side battery will be the one hooked up to chassis ground.

 

[canucksafari]

You wouldn't happen to know the part number for them would you? I went looking for a sealed beam replacement and the guy at Lordco couldn't find one. I put it out of my mind till you brought it up. Either that or I'm going to change over to H3 bulb.

The guy didn't look very far. Lordco has at least three different wattages of 24V H4s in their lighting catalogues. In the Lower Mainland if they don't have any in stock, they should be able to get you some in under 3 hours from another store or their warehouse.

 

[CruisinFJ60]

Hmm...interesting. Most people I've talked to like the output and beam pattern of the headlights with replacable bulbs...like the Hella H4 kits.

The low side battery will be the one hooked up to chassis ground.

cool thanks for the info!

and on the lights my 60 is my dedicated wheeler but this one will see trails and some rocks and will get sliders and lockers bla bla bla. anyhow i had some h4's in the 60 and it didnt matter what i did i couldnt keep water out of em and i like to play in water, and on the 42 i didnt even hit anything deeper than maybe a foot or 2 and it still got water in both housings.

i got the sylvania halogens in there now but i will switch them out for the sylvania silver stars eventually, the silverstars are hands down the best halogen i have come across either by H4 or sealed. now i havent tried the round eyes or cibies but for half the price or less the silver stars rock. id love hid's but then i have to go back to H4 housing.

 

[BreckenridgeCruiser]

I run 70/75 DOT approved H4 Hella bulbs in IPF Headlight housings. I had the housings from a rollover i parted out and the ordered the 24v bulbs for around $13 USD a piece. After I ordered them I then realized that I had sealed beam 70/75s already installed! So now I have back up bulbs and backup sealed ones.

Oh, and they are all 24v.

 

[ambulancechser]

vanner power systems and surepower also make battery equalizers,similar to the redarc models.

www.vanner.com
www.surepower.com

if your in canada,battery direct carries surepower.

www.batterydirect.com

i have a vanner unit in my m-1010,and it's been flawless so far.(4 years).i recently bought a surepower 40 amp model for my cruiser,but have yet to install it.