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edmuuund avatar image
edmuuund asked

Wiring Diagram Feedback for Narrowboat

Hi all, I've put together this wiring diagram for a narrowboat setup I plan to put together in the spring and just wanted to get some initial opinions from people who know the Victron systems well.

I'll be using a Victron Multiplus 12V/3000/120 with 2 or 3 Victron 340w panels in series, a Fogstar 460AH battery. I wouldn't mind adding in a CerboGX later on for monitoring but its been cut due to budget to begin with...

It is for a narrowboat that will be lived on full time with 2 work from home people that use a decent amount of power on laptops with monitors, washing machine (cold), dishwasher (hot water inlet), gaming devices etc. I haven't shown the DC loads but will try to make as much as possible DC ie router, fridge, lights etc.

Many thanks!

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wiring diagram
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1 Answer
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pwfarnell answered ·

Fist off, do you have experience living on a narrowboat and keeping up with power.

Have you completed a power audit to calculate how much power you will use each day and decide how you will replace that energy. You have listed a large heavy demand here. Most boaters will use around 100Ah daily at 12V, you may well be much higher than this and all this needs to be replaced.

In the winter the solar will not generate enough power so you will need to either be in a marina with shorepower, run a generator or run your engine for alternator charging. You do not show alternator charging on here, what alternators do you have on your engine. Most modern engines can charge continuously at 100A but you have shown a 30A DC to DC converted from start battery to domestic. One of the great points with lithium on a narrowboat is that they can be charged up very quickly, reducing the number of hours spent running an engine. If you have a 2kW generator then you can run this into the Multiplus and that will charge the batteries in 1-2 hours at 120A. If you plan on using your engine then you will need 4-6 hours at 30A. This is something you need to think about.

If you get the newer Fogstar Drift Pro battery, when you eventually get a Cerbo GX then you can connect the Drift Pro batteries direct to the BMS CAN port of the Cerbo GX and you will be able to monitor the battery from the Cerbo GX. The Drift Pro range also have a higher rated BMS, 300A which would be more suited to the rating of the inverter.

The one downside to this type of drop in battery is that if there is an issue such as high cell voltage, it just isolated the battery and does not do anything to stop the chargers so there is a possibility of overvoltage spikes as the battery switches off.

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kevgermany avatar image kevgermany ♦♦ commented ·

@Edmuuund

To add to @pwfarnell informed reply.

My 2500W panels peak at about 500W in winter. When it's cloudy, this can drop to zero. Just running the fridge freezer in an unheated boat is taking about 1.5 to 2kW/hrs per day. I was checking consumption of modern units yesterday. It's no different.

An observation. You have what looks like a smart shunt or BMV shown. If it's a smart shunt, it's close to useless without a GX. Might be better to ditch that and put the money towards a GX, or the multiplus with built in GX.

Guessing, perhaps @pwfarnell knows, but the BMS should give you most of the info that the shunt/BMV does.

Don't forget the galvanic isolator if you have shore power. And earth to the shell.

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pwfarnell avatar image pwfarnell kevgermany ♦♦ commented ·

@Edmuuund

The Fogstar BMS will give SOC but there are varying reports on its accuracy, especially during the first few cycles but I do not have first hand experience. Like most SOC meters you need occasional charges to 100% to reset the meter and avoid accumulating errors.

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