12 supply from 24v

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David Smith about a year ago

What are the pro's and con's of a voltage reducer (24 to 12) and a battery equalizer on series connected 12 batteries? They appear to achieve similar results for lower power requirements.

Dylan @ REDARC

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Hi David,

Thanks for your inquiry. Firstly, the major difference between the two units is the with the voltage reducer you are running the load through the unit, whereas with the equaliser you are running your load direct from the battery and then recharging the battery with the unit.

Advantages of the voltage reducer are that the current supplied to your load is regulated to whatever the units current limit is. The voltage reducer will not be able to supply large loads such as winches or hydraulic pumps, but is great for supplying power for fridges, stereos, lighting and sensitive equipment.

Advantages of using the equaliser method are that there is essentially no limit* to the load that can be drawn. The load is drawn directly from the battery, so the load limit is determined by the battery itself. The equaliser method is suitable for supplying power to high rated loads, and is suitable for almost any load, however protection and current limiting need to be taken into consideration as the unit itself cannot achieve this.

* A battery can supply a very large amount of current (limited only by the battery internal resistance and wiring), that is until it becomes discharged.