jake2250
Sacramento
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Joined: 01/31/2011
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Just finished installing my system. Everything works great. But, I have to store my trailer in a yard (CC&Rs can't park at home).
I remove my batteries when in storage so they do not grow legs!!
Problem is, as the sun goes down and the voltage drops below 12v, the LP alarm chirps in a long beep every minute until there is no longer voltage from the panel.
LP alarm is wired directly into the 12 side of the system. I tried last night to remove fuses one by one. But the LP alarm still kept sounding.
Removed and cut wires to LP alarm and capped off,,,
Question is,,,, Has anyone installed a switch on there solar either incoming (panels to controller) or outgoing (controller to 12 system)?
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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Joined: 12/06/2007
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Why did you remove the batteries? On "disconnect" and solar panel connected to batteries they will do just fine. The solar-panel should be connected to by-pass the disconnect solenoid for house-battery(s).
The LP alarm does chirp when batteries are disconnected, but no reason for it to be powered on a stored RV.
Mark & Jan "Old age & treachery win over youth & enthusiasm"
2003 Fleetwood Jamboree 29
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smkettner
Southern California
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Yes I have a switch to cut power from panels to controller. I have a fuse between controller and battery. In which case I would remove the fuse.
I think it is best to cut power to the controller before removing the batteries.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
675 watts solar
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jake2250
Sacramento
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smkettner wrote:Yes I have a switch to cut power from panels to controller. I have a fuse between controller and battery. In which case I would remove the fuse.
I think it is best to cut power to the controller before removing the batteries.
Question on that. My panels deliver 18.8 Volts max and 10 amps.
Will a standard 12v 10 amp switch be sufficient?
My controller set point is at 14.4 volts, so that might be better, but my controller would always be hot.
Note; I have my system wired into the 12volt fuse panel of my trailer.
I tapped into the battery input of the bus panel.
Thanks for your help..
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jake2250
Sacramento
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MNtundraRet wrote:Why did you remove the batteries? On "disconnect" and solar panel connected to batteries they will do just fine. The solar-panel should be connected to by-pass the disconnect solenoid for house-battery(s).
The LP alarm does chirp when batteries are disconnected, but no reason for it to be powered on a stored RV.
Batteries are removed by me, I store them at home. I store the trailer in a storage yard. Batteries and other things seem to disappear (get stolen) at storage yards.
I wired my system into the 12v bus panel of the trailer. My controller feed the the battery input of the bus panel. With batteries disconnected, The 12v system is still live, hence the LP detector/alarm is hot when the sun shines..
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Joined: 02/15/2006
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My simple controller is not supposed to carry a load without a battery connected, so it is convenient to have a switch to shut off the solar before removing batteries for whatever reason. I have the switch on the panel side but it could be on the battery side.
A friend bought a used MH and it has solar. While discovering what was what with the rig, batteries were disconnected and shore power unplugged. It still had 12v. Looked for another set of batteries somewhere or connection to engine battery .
Nope. Soon the 12v was pulsing in a nasty way and it turned out to be the solar was running the 12v loads. It was wired to the DC dist panel instead of the battery bank and there was no cut off switch.
The nasty pulsing and fading power with that is no doubt why not to put loads on the controller with no battery. This is different from controllers that have a set of load terminals as well as battery terminals, not sure if those need a battery to run loads.
2003 Chev 2500HD Gas, 2003 Komfort 26FS 5er
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mike-uswest
Central Point, OR, USA
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I put a switch on my alarm, I hate hearing it when working on the propane tanks, or any other cleaning agents or whatever might set it off, but there should be no problem with putting a switch on either.
Mike
2003 Dodge 2500 CTD, 4X4,
1994 Alpenlite 26'fifth wheel
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smkettner
Southern California
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Most 12v stuff is actually rated 36 or 48 volts so most any 10a rated switch will be fine.
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jake2250
Sacramento
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smkettner wrote:Most 12v stuff is actually rated 36 or 48 volts so most any 10a rated switch will be fine.
Thanks for the reply, will buy a switch this weekend and install,, I was concerned that the system was hot all the time. I read the owners manual and it did not indicate an issue with out a battery connected.
It cautioned about running a load without a battery, So I disconnected the LP detector.
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PatrickA51
Lost
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Joined: 04/05/2012
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To keep your battery's from growing legs and Running away from homelook here
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