[Dannyh]

Yes, it has two positive wires connected to the charger, one to the house bank and the second to the engine bank.
I'm going to put a load on the house bank to see to see if the charger increases the amperage (bulk charge) to the house bank batteries.

[Chris Burkard]

Ok........... The Tiara 41 should only have one charger. It may be located behind the cabin electrical panel (you may have to unscrew the panel (it should have a hinge on one side) that will swing open one the screws are removed. It could also be under the seating section port side, possibly behind a screw down panel. There is also a screw down panel in the lower locker just to the Stbd. side of the cabin door in the galley. It could be in there.

Your vessel originally came with Gel batteries. Gel batteries require a lower charging rate. Now that you have switched over to AGMs, you are not charging them fully. There is a set of dip switches on the Charles Battery Charger that can be adjusted to charge AGM/Flooded Wet Cell batteries. So once that is complete battery charger will take care of the batteries when the engines are not running, however your alternators are something different. Those are likely Balmar externally regulated. You will have to check to see if they are set at a level that will charge AGM batteries when the engines are running. If not, you may have to replace the regulators with ones designed to charge AGMs.

Good Luck!

[anthem]

My recommendation at this point is to try and look at the connections on the battery charger you can get to and see if 2 of the banks are connected. On my 12405, 40 amp not 60 as I stated above (my bad), there is a small screw on the cover that once removed you can slid the cover up to see the connections. My guess is that this one charger is charging both port and starboard battery banks. If 2 banks are connected with a thick wire, then that is most likely the case. 

Look behind the aft back cushion in the dinette.  Not the seat cushion, but the back cushion.  Mine is just Velcro'd there.  There is a compartment there and that's where the Charles Charger is.  Mine I think is 40 Amp and does just fine with all my 31 Series batteries.  I have a 2002 38 Open

[Dannyh]

Thanks Chris. My charger is in a cabinet in the galley under the stove top.
This must be a first generation smart charger, it does not have dip switches. The model is for gel batteries. I'm looking at newer models to replace the my gel charger.
My Charles voltage regulators connected to Balmar alternators do have dip switches and they are set for AGM batteries. No problems charging the batteries when the motor is running.

Today I left all the interior lights on for 90 minutes and the house batteries showed 12.5 volts at the volt meter on the panel. I expected the battery charger to have started a bulk charge at this point.

[trit21]

I just read the manual for my Charles charger and here is what it reads:

When properly installed and connected, the C-Charger will automatically charge and maintain the batteries. When power is applied, the C-Charger will enter a bulk or “constant current” mode, during which a higher rate of charge is achieved to fully replenish the batteries. When the batteries near a full charge, the output current will decrease and the charger will enter a timed absorption mode. After four hours in absorption mode, the output will drop to a float rate to maintain the batteries at a temperature compensated finishing voltage (13.65 VDC @ 25_C for lead acid). 


It never states that the charger will return to a bulk charge unless it is power cycled, not sure if that is how it works or not but I know mine does similar to what you state. When i get to the boat, I cycle my breaker so the charger enters bulk rate. I will keep an eye on it more closely just to confirm the operation of the charger. 

[Dannyh]

Thanks Tom
I've often had to cycle the battery charger breaker to start a bulk charge in preparation to start the stbd motor.

[David S]

Thanks Tom  
I've often had to cycle the battery charger breaker to start a bulk charge in preparation to start the stbd motor.

Dannyh,  If you send your charger back to Charles they can set it to charge any type of battery you wish to use.  They did this for me for free and are a very good company to deal with.

David