Can I connect LiTime batteries in parallel or series, and how many?
Short answer: Yes. LiTime rates its 12V house batteries for up to four in parallel and four in series (4P4S), using identical batteries. The 24V 100Ah models allow four in parallel and two in series. The dual-purpose 1200 CCA battery may only be connected to the same model.
LiTime's own limits
| LiTime battery | Maximum configuration |
|---|---|
| 12V 100Ah Group 31, Group 24, Group 27 | 4 in series x 4 in parallel (up to 20.48kWh) |
| 12V 165Ah, 230Ah, 320Ah Mini | 4P4S |
| 24V 100Ah and 24V 100Ah Bluetooth | 4 in parallel x 2 in series |
| 12V 100Ah OBM (outboard) | up to 5S5P |
| 12V 165Ah 1200 CCA dual-purpose | same model only; LiTime says do not mix with other LiTime models |
| 48V ComFlex 100Ah | up to 16 in parallel with communication |
Rules that keep a bank healthy
- Same model, same age. Batteries in a bank share current according to their internal resistance. A new battery beside an old one, or two different models, will not share evenly.
- Charge each battery full before you connect them, so they start at the same voltage.
- Parallel for capacity, series for voltage. Two 12V 200Ah in parallel give 12V 400Ah; four 12V batteries in series give 48V.
- Fuse each parallel string so one battery's fault cannot dump the whole bank into it.
Series banks benefit from a balancer
When 12V batteries are wired in series for 24, 36 or 48V, small differences add up and one battery can end up fuller than the rest. LiTime's 48V battery balancer has four ports and is built for 24V, 36V and 48V banks, including a 4S4P bank of sixteen 12V batteries.
One reading for the whole bank
The LiTime app reports each Bluetooth battery separately. A shunt monitor such as the Victron SmartShunt measures everything flowing in and out of the bank, which is the number you actually manage by.
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