How to Use a 4 Position Battery Switch

[@jamesdeanboatrv]

This is good information. Thanks for sharing. Our boaters. Need to know this.

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamesdeanboatrv]

@@tomspontoons you are welcome

[@mirelroberts7007]

I've got my pontoon completely refurbished and on the water thanks to you!😁 Big thanks to your discount code too. You're a hero for do-it- your-selfers like me!

[@tomspontoons]

Awesome! That’s seriously the best feedback I could ever hope to get, thanks for sharing. Now go enjoy that “new” boat!!!

[@DaSween]

Good video as always! 2 years ago I shut off my battery switch while the engine was still running just to see what would happen. What happened was I had to buy a new starter solenoid!

[@tomspontoons]

Lesson learned!! That voltage coming from the motor MUST go somewhere or else trouble happens

[@DaSween]

@@tomspontoons yep! Instead of the stator charging the battery, the voltage got blocked and burnt the solenoid out. Didn’t realize until I went to turn the key the next day. Lesson learned indeed! 1984 90hp Evinrude.

[@tomspontoons]

@@DaSween just glad it wasn’t something more serious!!!

[@eugenebatiste]

Great explanation. I will add (as an US Naval electrician) BATTERY 1 is used for sensing circuits (bilge pumps, fluid level switch *gas tank*, C2O detection, Radar, Wind, emergency radio and any other sensing circuit that lets you know something going bad.) You always want that kind of equipment getting power even when the boat switch is set to off. THAT'S why you don't want to use it INDEPENDENTLY from BATTERY 2. AND WHY you charge as often as possible when the engine's alternator is running. A great practice is to idle the boat for several minutes (10-30 minutes) before to go underway. This give you time to verify BATTERY 1 has enough power to save your life in case of a mishap. If Battery 1 is really LOW on charge. WHEN YOUR ENGINE IS RUNNING switch to position 1 to charge your emergency detecting equipment before any other accessories. Lastly, Go NAVY- the Army sucks. Had to add that. 🤣

[@eugenebatiste]

For small boats 20ft and less. You'll probably run a bilge pump and a VHF radio on battery one. And if you crazy about safety; you can add the boat's horn. I also put digital clocks (small display) on Battery 1. Bigger water (1000 acres and up) a GPS system like Lowrance's POINT-1 goes on battery 1 too.

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for your input, especially coming from a Naval Electrician! And thank you for your service!

[@jamesbrown3920]

Best explanation of how the Perko 4 post switch works. Thank you so much. You totally cleared everything up for me!!😁

[@tomspontoons]

Wonderful!!! Glad to help. Thanks for watching

[@jonjackinsky1002]

This is great. I’ve been trying to decided what/how I wanted to set up my battery’s as I have a trolling motor and don’t want to be manually switching battery’s around but also done want them just wired in parallel as I could then strand myself. This will allow me to switch over to 2 an run the trolling motor. If I go so long it dies ow well. Switch to 1 and fire up the 50hp and cruise home on all charging away.

[@tomspontoons]

Yep, you've got it figured out! This system is great for someone with a 12V trolling motor. You'll need some pretty heavy gauge wire to make that run from the stern to the bow, but MinnKota has a chart on their website for what to use on different length runs with each of their trolling motors. You can definitely run two deep cycle batteries in parallel to increase the longevity of your trolling motor too. Just attach the positive coming off of the paralleled batteries to the switch and the ground to the starting battery's ground or a ground buss block.

[@boat165]

Excellent video. Very well explained. I have that same switch and had a lot of questions. (I have a pontoon), Now I'm a subscriber!

[@tomspontoons]

So glad it was helpful!! Thanks for subscribing!

[@GeorgieCt]

Good explanation my only question is that if your starter battery and house battery have different amp power loads than I’ve heard that you can possibly overcharge the smaller one or discharge battery number one quite a bit if battery number two is dead because I thought they tried to compensate and equalize unless the switch prevents that

[@tomspontoons]

I've asked those questions to the marine mechanics that I used to work with and they've always told me that as long as the battery types are the same (lead acid, AGM, lithium) then the amp hours and size of the battery don't matter with that switch. You just can't mix the battery types. I've installed a whole bunch of these battery systems with a variety of battery sizes and amp hours including 24 class starting batteries combined with big 31 class deep cycle batteries, sometimes with the deep cycle batteries in parallel to make the house battery setup last even longer. It's never been an issue with the smaller battery. Someone recently commented about testing their voltage when on battery 1, 2, and both. When on both the voltage was balanced out between the house and starting batteries which would tell me they're both receiving the same charge, not one being drained, etc.

[@piper8463]

Great overview

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks! Hoped to take care of some of those questions I got from the install video for folks!

[@donnalinestevenson1315]

I just purchased a 2009 paradise elite pontoon. Honda 200hp. Motor has 198hr😮. I did not get an owners manual with it and I have this green vase shaped light with an arrow on each side? What does this mean?

[@tomspontoons]

I'm not familiar with that sort of indicator light. You may want to reach out to your local Honda dealer to get more information on that. I know that some of the older Hondas I've worked with have alarm lights for temperature and oil pressure. I'd imagine that is what you're seeing.

[@MolsonB]

When you would use "1" only, is if you completely completely drained your 2nd battery jamming out on music all day. You wouldn't want to switch to "all"to start the engine then. The drained battery would instantly start to rob power from your good battery in a rush. Maybe enough to drain your starting battery (if it was weak starting battery) Start the engine on "1", then switch to "all" once charging has begun. (Only if your 2nd battery is drained flat) I know it says to not turn while the engine is running but keep power draw at a min, once 2nd battery is charging, then turn on the accessories.

[@tomspontoons]

Very well said, thank you!

[@bryincda]

Great explanation!

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks! I know others have mentioned they use it a little differently, but it's how I've been using them for years and they've kept me from having a dead battery all this time!

[@mexiswoop]

Great video, with that being said. If have everything on the common post (motor, amplifier, lights etc) then in theroy you can start your motor on either 1, 2 or all is that correct? Because you can't pick where the power is coming from? So much helpful in all your vids!

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for watching…YES. You can start the motor from either battery or start it from both batteries in parallel (1+2 or “both” or “all” depending on the switch).

[@mnomad9173]

Question. Can you check your switch to see if you have damaged one of the positions or the whole unit it without volt meter while in your slip?? Say turn engine off. Then turn switch to position 1 and start. Turn engine off. Turn switch to 1 & 2 turn engine on. Turn switch off. Turn to position 2. Turn engine on. Would that be a way of checking each position in a pinch? 😁 Or, in general, would the whole switch just fail and the boat would not start in any position? Thanks.

[@tomspontoons]

You could certainly try working through those positions to see if one is not working. Double check your connections to the switch and that the grounds and ground jumper wire is connected tightly and properly. Also, consider unhooking the motor battery cable from the switch and run it directly to each battery to make sure it's the switch and not another issue.

[@Eighty8Fitter]

Where do you guys source your rails? I’m looking to refurb a toon that was left in the weeds!

[@tomspontoons]

The railings we've been using were prototypes. As far as I know Pontoon Stuff should have their full line of railings on their website in the fall.

[@tamaravolovik9423]

Very informative, Thank You

[@tomspontoons]

Glad to be helpful!!

[@vicesparis]

Very good video

[@tomspontoons]

Thank you!

[@kw7796]

Question: What position do I put switch on when charging (trickly charge). Thx!!

[@tomspontoons]

I charge my setup with the trickle charger/maintainer hooked to each battery individually with the switch in the off position.

[@mahall75]

Awesome video and explanation! I have a question about charging the 2. If you throw them on a trickle or battery charger do you have to do each battery separately or put it on one and set the switch to ALL? Also, do the batteries have to be exact matches or can you mix and match to a certain degree?

[@tomspontoons]

I always run a charger or charging lead to each battery individually. I try to stick with the same type of battery…meaning lead acid together, or lithium together…NOT mixing lead acid and lithium and so on. I often use a 24 class lead acid starting battery as battery 1 and a big 31 class lead acid deep cycle as battery 2

[@mahall75]

Great info, lead acid for cost of course but that is great news!@@tomspontoons

[@tomspontoons]

Happy to help!

[@robertjaramillo4822]

Great content helped a bunch 👍🏼👍🏼

[@tomspontoons]

So glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@eugenebatiste]

Do think of it as a cut-off switch, think of it as a charge selection switch.

[@tomspontoons]

Yep, I definitely like to think of it that way too.

[@dwaynebeaty9259]

If need arose how do we hook up a trickle charge to both batteries?

[@tomspontoons]

Wire each positive and negative from the charger DIRECTLY to each battery positive and negative post.

[@markaword1561]

I got a 5 position with AFD protection. I cant find a video anywhere to explain how to wire my AFD though. I found diagrams where it says to wire to the alternator and regualtor but i dont know what im doing with that... do i need to do any additional wiring? Or can you help me out?

[@markaword1561]

I have a g3 yamaha 2008 50hp 1756 dlx cc

[@tomspontoons]

Oh man, that’s quite a bit over my head as I’ve never even seen that type of switch! I would start by contacting the manufacturer and trying to see if they have any resources for installation or can get you in touch with one of their tech reps.

[@markaword1561]

@@tomspontoons thanks for the response, its a 9002e blue sea systems switch. Very similar to all of these in your videos. I just have looked everywhere and cant find any video for an alternator field disconnect option for how to install or if there is no install lol. Ill reach out the blue sea systems and ask, thanks!

[@tomspontoons]

@@markaword1561 From what I've heard they have a solid customer service team so hoping they can get you taken care of!

[@GeorgieCt]

@@tomspontoonsfigure it out. I found this. Here's how AFD works: When the battery switch is turned off, the AFD port is cut off about halfway through the process. The main circuit is cut off. When the battery switch is turned back on, the AFD ports are reconnected right before the main path.