How do I connect a lead acid battery?

There are three ways to connect your lead acid batteries—parallel, series, and a combination known as series/parallel. We cover each of these battery configurations in greater detail in our Battery Basics tutorial section of the site should you want to delve in a little deeper or reinforce what you already know.

How do you wire a battery together?

There are two ways to wire batteries together, parallel and series. The illustration below show how these wiring variations can produce different voltage and amp hour outputs. In the graphics we’ve used sealed lead acid batteries but the concepts of how units are connected is true of all battery types.

Should a lead acid battery be positive or negative?

Safety Rule #2 -- When Installing a Battery Start with the Positive There is a serious amount of stored potential energy available in a sealed lead acid battery. A shorted car battery, for example, can deliver several hundred amps in the blink of an eye. To put that in perspective that is more than an arc-welding machine.

How do you connect multiple batteries?

The best way to connect multiple batteries is to use a battery hookup. This involves connecting the positive terminal of one battery to the negative terminal of the next battery in line. This creates a series connection, where the voltage of the batteries adds up.

How to connect batteries safely?

Remember to fasten the cable attachments securely to prevent any loosening or detachment during operation. When it comes to connecting batteries safely, one of the most important aspects is the battery link. The battery link is the wiring connection that allows the power from the batteries to flow to the desired source or load.

How to connect a battery in series?

Connecting batteries in series means to connect the positive terminal of the first battery to the negative terminal of the second battery and so on down the string. The interconnecting cables must have equal lengths and resistance to equalize of the load.