Battery Switches and Battery Management

A battery switch is required by ABYC in every boat with a battery over 800 Cold Cranking Amperes. This requirement exists so that the potentially destructive energy in the batteries can be isolated in the event of a fire. Battery management is central to safe boating.

Blue Sea Systems are leading manufacturers of battery switch components. Outback Marine have been exclusively selling Blue Sea Systems components for over 10 years.

The primary function of all battery switches is to isolate the batteries from the electrical circuits in cases of emergency. Remote and automatic battery switched add to the base functionality.

Manual Battery Switches

These are familiar to most boaters as a large, usually red switch with a round face and prominent knob. The 4-position selector switch has long been the industry standard for managing the selection and charging of two battery banks. Blue Sea Systems has three families of manual battery switches.

• The compact m-Series is ideal for outboard motors or small inboard engines.
• The standard e-Series has a 350A continuous current rating and is a popular replacement switch.
• The heavy duty HD-Series can carry up to 600A of continuous current, making it an excellent choice for boats with large diesel engines.

Remote Battery Switches

Using a solenoid, remote battery switches add another level of safety and convenience to battery management by allowing control of the battery or batteries from a remote location. All Blue Sea Systems remote battery switches carry a minimum 300A continuous rating and allow high-amp switching under load. Models with manual control have “lock OFF” capability for servicing or emergencies.

Automatic Charging Relays (ACRs)

ACR's share the output of a single charge source with a second battery, whether the boat is underway or on the charger. A simple three-wire connection is all that’s required for basic operation.