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« Last post by Aria56 on May 10, 2022, 11:51:11 AM »
We completed the conversion last month. We only changed the house bank so ours was a hybrid install.(We left the starting battery and 2 bow thruster batteries AGM) We replaced the 4 8D 255 Ahr ea house batteries with 300 Ahr LiFePo with internal 150 amp BMS. We started by making and laying out the 2/0 cables, all the positives being the same length, all of the negatives being the same length. We used 2 big bus bars to accomplish this. The new batteries are wonderfully light, so getting them in was easy. We used the boom and sheet blocks to get the old ones out through the aft cabin hatch. I reprogrammed the master volt charger and installed a Balmar regulator on the house 150 Amp alternator. Also reprogrammed the 1200 watts of solar and the wind generator to LiFePo. One surprise is that the house bank was connected to the thrusters bank. When I tested this I had 200 amps drawing from the house lithiums! I separated the connection from the house bank to the AGM bow thrusters and installed a Victron battery to battery charger with a on/off switch at the Nav station. Also use the engine alternator to charge the thruster bank with a Victron Cirux charging relay. I changed the tie switch to connect the thruster bank with the starting battery for back up starting.
We live aboard and I have been running between 30% and 70% with just renewable. We only use the genset when we want to spoil ourselves with AC. I am not stern heavy anymore, lost 400 lbs back there. The DC water maker kicks but now with a steady 13 volts.
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