Installing Power Bubbles

[brianb40]

I have an Alumacraft 2072 with the livewell and 24v trolling motor batteries in the front deck. I plan on installing a Power Bubbles unit for the livewell and I was wondering if I could just run the unit off of a trolling motor battery. The unit doesn't draw much power and the batteries are literally a foot away. Would this be a problem?

[tritondriver]

the only thing hooked to your TM batteries should be the TM. add a 3rd battery when needed.

[WIGuide]

It think it could be ok but, but it'd be a lot better to have it on it's own battery. If you don't have a starting battery or one for electronics, I'd suggest getting something a lot smaller series than a normal marine battery.

[Way2slow]

It's not a problem running it off one of the TM batteries if you have enough reserve. Hook it up and when you come in from fishing the next couple of times compare the voltages on the two batteries with a digital voltmeter, if the one you connect it to is not more than one or two tenths lower you should be fine.

I will say, it would be better to run it off the cranking battery because it gets recharge some during the day when you are running the motor, and as mentioned, it's best to only run the TM of its batteries. That way they are discharged equally and does not over work one battery over the other.

[stfreed]

I did this for years in my old boat.  I mounted it in the rear compartment and after I would get two or three fish in the livewell I would just open the rear compartment and hook up the pos clip. I had a 24 V trolling motor and I would just switch which battery I was using to power my bubbler a couple times per year.  I kept that bubbler and hard wired it of a dash switch on my new boat but it is now powered off the engine battery.