Solar Power

[Bucket2]

Some time back, maybe 60 days ago many of you folks helped me so much when I was contemplating solar power, well I ended up with a 4000 watt pure sine inverter, added two 160AH batteries same make as original and less than a year old, 30 amp transfer, battery monitor from renogy and kept the original converter/ charger model IOTA..DLS 45.
I love the outcome except the slow recovery in re charging the batteries. I had a real cold night a couple of days ago at 25 degrees and used the furnace more that I forgot at night, the monitor showed zero percent.
After driving about 10 hours and it only came up about twenty percent and now it has been connected to shore power for eight hours and now it 30 percent.
I really get a little confused with volts, amps and watts because i domt understand why the monitor shows 13.5 volts and 112 amps.
While connected to shore it is charging about .35 amps that will take forever to get back to 480 AH
Help... I am thinking the original charger is not enough...sorry for such a lengthy story.
Mel
Mel

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Bucket2

After driving about 10 hours and it only came up about twenty percent

Your alternator has to charge four batteries, maybe that's why you only got to 20%. Odds are the chassis battery is "not the same" as the other three.

When a lead acid battery is VERY DISCHARGED, your converter / charger is supposed to go into what's called "Bulk" charging mode. Typically you should see a voltage of 14.3V or more being applied to the batteries. One thing to do is to go out and put a multimeter on the battery terminals. In case the inside meter is off.

Once a battery reaches about 80% charged, the converter is supposed to go into "Absorbtion" charging mode and now you'll see the voltage drop to 13.2 or 13.4V.

When the battery is fully charged, the converter should go into "Float" mode.


Now - there are a few things that could be causing your converter to skip over Bulk mode. The converter could be broken, or it could be *thinking* the batteries have more charge than they do. Thin wires, poor connections, increased resistance could fool the converter. Or maybe the batteries are unbalanced - not equalized.

[ Some converters have an automatic equalization mode that'll limit the charge but I'm not sure this is what's happening to you. ]

I'm no expert but I agree, when plugged into Shore Power, I would have expected the three house batteries to be charged within a day.

Hopefully someone smarter will chime in here, but I'd be underneath with a voltmeter and clip on ammeter and taking some measurements at each battery.

[craigav]

I seem to remember the posts a couple of months ago, however I think it would be best to start over, how are the batteries being charged now, straight from the alternator or solar or the converter or possibly an inverter\charger (or switched over depending on running or parked and how that is setup) and how many charge amps do you have along with what type of batteries and their amp hour capacity.

[Bucket2]

I'm about over my head with your questions I had an electrical guy do the actual wiring...so we used the original moyorhome setup....generator charger setup.
We installed inverter and 30 amp automatic switch thats kind of the meat of it but I think i need to get in touch with him.

[craigav]

In any case, it doesn't sound as if the batteries are getting much of a charge. I would get in touch with the installer if you can and ask about the charge circuit setup. It sounds as if the engine alternator isn't charging the batteries as it should. ~CA

[Bucket2]

I agree and will follow up with him what you suggested....the wiring in these things should be criminal...but mine isn't the only one with a rats nest for wiring.
Thanks for your time

[Bucket2]

Thanks for your help...especially CRAIGAV.. as it turned out my battery monitor got out of calibration for some reason, maybe the cold weather, but it had charged up well and was only showing 30% re-calibrated and all is well after draining the battery bank about 10% and charged back to 100%.
thanks again

[Lmbrjk]

I have seen battery monitors mis-wired many times that causes them to get out of calibration quickly. Double check that circuit to make sure it is reading ALL of the in and out current. Only one lead from battery side of the shunt to the Negative on the battery bank being monitored. All other negative leads must go to the load side of the shunt.