T&T: Battery charging - more questions

[Wayne Bailey]

The 3 1/2 year old (donated used ) AGM house bank on Bermuda gave up the ghost
last weekend. I am planning to upgrade
 
Have
150 amp Xantrex inverter/charger
(2) 100 amp alternators on main engines
(2) 8D flooded starting batteries
 
Plan to install
 
new house bank - (4) West Marine /DEKA 245 ah AGMs (fyi $365.00 each - no
shipping chgs)
 
2 yandina combiner 150s between house and starting batts
 
Now that we have the stabilizers working (LOVE 'em) and fuel is $$,  we  use
port engine only to cruise at 7-8 knots,  so I am planning to install Balmar
MC612-H on the port alternator (with alternator temp sensing) leave the
existing  regulator on stbd engine which we shut down after maneuvering from
anchor or slip.
 
Questions:
 
I have  read AGMs should be charged at no less than  25% of capacity - so I am
considering adding IOTA DLS-90 W/ IQ smart charger module  to provide 240 amps
of bulk when on genny and the ability to disable charger/inverter while on
shore power (we live aboard and xantrex fan is pretty loud).  Alternator and
bothchargers will be 3 stage charge sources - any problems operating
simultaneously?
 
Little worried about long run times with combiners feeding starting batts with
bulk charging voltage - but shouldn't  higher charge capacity should reduce
that time/minimize problem?
 
Also,  isn't keeping the starting batts at bulk/absorption voltage when they
really should be at float voltage just the same as an equalization overcharge
- so if  one watches  electrolite or has recombining caps on starting batts it
should be OK?
 
What is the best way to interconnect the parallell house bank?  I have read
that there should be equal length leads to a buss then connect loads/charger
to the buss.
 
Thanks,

Wayne
Bermuda