Hank the Tanks Dodgy battery and solar system

gasgas said:
I hope this is on topic . . . . . .
With reference to putting a fuse in between solar controller and batteries I was just browsing a Victron supplier yesterday and saw that Victron do a 'special' solar - controller - to - leisure battery cable, (price £69) and it contains an in-line fuse. I can't remember what the current rating was though . .. .
Click to expand...
The job of a fuse is to protect the cable in the event of a short circuit and a solar panel isn't capable of supplying anything like the kind of current to burn out a supply cable, so a fuse is pointless for that use. It would however serve as a means of isolating the panels which is desirable but a cheap switch and pattress from Screwfix would be way more practical and cheaper.
 
barryd said:
No I know! :D Its how they come if you look at the Amazon link. One red wire has a black line through it I think. Bit daft really but they are good sockets.

Anyway. A meeting has been held and we are going with the additional battery to start with and possibly another panel if its not enough. Im leaving the existing controller unless I can find an MPPT with two outputs for the cab battery. Ill probably wait until after Christmas now when we have been away. I think ill need help removing that clamp.

However I think ill revisit the weighbridge first. We had 700kg free on the back when the van was empty out of over 1000kg I think of payload so we should be fine but Ive added the scooter and rack and all our stuff since then. Will be interesting to see where we are at. I did the calculations but never actually got it weighed after. :D
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Blind and brainless. 😂
votronic regulator.png
votronic dia.png
 
Due to the change in standard wiring colours in houses a few years back if you see one of these labels on the consumer unit there's no guarantee of what's what.

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels - in Full Colour with Diagram

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels with Diagram are required to clearly indicate that an installation has cable colours to two versions of British Standard 7671. Printed with a clear Full Colour Diagram to illustrate the correct wiring colours, our Extra Large Caution Cable...
www.patlabelsonline.co.uk www.patlabelsonline.co.uk
Blue can be either live or neutral.
Black can be either live or neutral.
Live can be either red, yellow, grey, brown, black or blue.
Apparently a sticker on the fusebox makes everything dead safe tho 🫣
 
merl said:
Due to the change in standard wiring colours in houses a few years back if you see one of these labels on the consumer unit there's no guarantee of what's what.

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels - in Full Colour with Diagram

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels with Diagram are required to clearly indicate that an installation has cable colours to two versions of British Standard 7671. Printed with a clear Full Colour Diagram to illustrate the correct wiring colours, our Extra Large Caution Cable...
www.patlabelsonline.co.uk www.patlabelsonline.co.uk
Blue can be either live or neutral.
Black can be either live or neutral.
Live can be either red, yellow, grey, brown, black or blue.
Apparently a sticker on the fusebox makes everything dead safe tho 🫣
Click to expand...
Remember it well, 3 phase gear I worked on R.Y.B. & Black neutral if fitted, all became, well, sommat else. 🤔. Anyway, finger in ears and cut the BLUE wire!
 
merl said:
Due to the change in standard wiring colours in houses a few years back if you see one of these labels on the consumer unit there's no guarantee of what's what.

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels - in Full Colour with Diagram

Extra Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels with Diagram are required to clearly indicate that an installation has cable colours to two versions of British Standard 7671. Printed with a clear Full Colour Diagram to illustrate the correct wiring colours, our Extra Large Caution Cable...
www.patlabelsonline.co.uk www.patlabelsonline.co.uk
Blue can be either live or neutral.
Black can be either live or neutral.
Live can be either red, yellow, grey, brown, black or blue.
Apparently a sticker on the fusebox makes everything dead safe tho 🫣
Click to expand...
You've got a pretty big gaff if the distribution box has one of those labels.

This would be the one found on most domestic consumer units.

Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation - Harmonised Wiring Labels

Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels are required to clearly indicate that an installation has cable colours to two versions of British Standard 7671. Printed Black on Yellow, our Large Caution Cable Colour Harmonisation Labels are highly visible and should be applied to all...
www.patlabelsonline.co.uk www.patlabelsonline.co.uk
 
I helped the sparks rewiring some of the control panel on one of the asphalt plants after a fire. Multi core cables with varying amounts up to around 50 individual cables in each. Every cable in the panel was white on the control side lol

luckily they did have numbers on the cables but was fiddly
 
barryd said:
Funny you should mention that. There are two clamps in the battery box. @yeoblade could not get the one on the left off. The threads are knackered under the van I think (marked with the arrows). Not sure how to tackle that. Also Ill need a battery bag I think like the one the current battery is in.

View attachment 137343
Click to expand...
The battery bags are a throwback to vented batteries to retain acid spills. Your AGM will be sealed and can't leak so no bag needed.
Assuming the new battery comes with post terminals you'll need a couple of clamps for those. To save crimping lugs you can order made to measure battery leads on eBay where you can choose colour, length, gauge, and terminal size, the terminal size will need to match the bolt in the terminal so best to get the terminals before ordering the cables just in case.
 
Consider this MPPT charger too Barry.

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk
You leave the PMW in place to keep the cab battery topped up and ADD the new controller too. It's a simple job you could do yourself, just 2 link wires.
The controller is genuine MPPT, and lithium compatible for the future when you move over and has several battery type options but is also completely adjustable with user defined settings, for £25 it's a very nice unit.
20A maximum so it'll take 250W of panels if you increase those later too.
 
merl said:
Consider this MPPT charger too Barry.

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk
You leave the PMW in place to keep the cab battery topped up and ADD the new controller too. It's a simple job you could do yourself, just 2 link wires.
The controller is genuine MPPT, and lithium compatible for the future when you move over and has several battery type options but is also completely adjustable with user defined settings, for £25 it's a very nice unit.
20A maximum so it'll take 250W of panels if you increase those later too.
Click to expand...
I'd be suspicious of that controller actually being mppt from the looks and price ....

I've seen very similar types labelled mppt but actually being pwm before
 
merl said:
Consider this MPPT charger too Barry.

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk
You leave the PMW in place to keep the cab battery topped up and ADD the new controller too. It's a simple job you could do yourself, just 2 link wires.
The controller is genuine MPPT, and lithium compatible for the future when you move over and has several battery type options but is also completely adjustable with user defined settings, for £25 it's a very nice unit.
20A maximum so it'll take 250W of panels if you increase those later too.
Click to expand...

Thanks but not sure how that would work as presumably the current panel only has one set of wires coming into the current controller. I don't think ill over complicate it at this stage. I think the one Trev linked to had outputs for both but again. Ill see how it performs as is with a second battery.
 
mistericeman said:
I'd be suspicious of that controller actually being mppt from the looks and price ....

I've seen very similar types labelled mppt but actually being pwm before
Click to expand...
Deffo MPPT in this video review.
mistericeman said:
I'd be suspicious of that controller actually being mppt from the looks and price ....

I've seen very similar types labelled mppt but actually being pwm before
Click to expand...
There's several reviews and tear downs on tinternet and performs well in all of them. 3.3A in and 4A out so Deffo MPPT in that case.
A quick check with a DC clamp meter would confirm and if bought from Amazon or Ebay it could be returned for free but you'd need a DC clamp meter for that.(Did I ever mention that every motorhomer should own one?)🥱🥱
 
barryd said:
Thanks but not sure how that would work as presumably the current panel only has one set of wires coming into the current controller. I don't think ill over complicate it at this stage. I think the one Trev linked to had outputs for both but again. Ill see how it performs as is with a second battery.
Click to expand...
You just link the input to the 2nd controller from the 1st and connect your hab battery to the new controller output, then swap the cab battery wires into the old hab battery connection point. Not hard Baz.
 
merl said:
You just link the input to the 2nd controller from the 1st and connect your hab battery to the new controller output, then swap the cab battery wires into the old hab battery connection point. Not hard Baz.
Click to expand...

There would be no need to do anything with the cab battery wires though as they are already connected to the original controller. There are two sets of outputs. Battery 1 and battery 2. I suppose it would be straight forward, I'm just not convinced there would be much benefit and it adds another variable to the system which we are still not that familiar with.
 
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