What Charger is Sargent Ec176 enough

[landoboguy]

I have a 2019 Autotrail Imala, and am upping the batteries to be 3 x 120ah lead acid along with solar upgrade etc. Im looking for advice if the exisiting charger is up to it.
The psu is a Sargent EC176 which includes the charger, now info on this 176 is very sparce to say the least, but am told the EC175 is all but identical apart from button placement.

My question is , if we assuem zero (or very little leisure load when on EHU) mis this charger spec below in the EC176 (175) good enough to get my 360 ah 12v up to full charge and float ? it seems a bit flimsy. I seem to remember a charger should be min 15% amp of the batteries.

If its not, any recommends on upgrades/exchange. I have emailed Sargent, and am awaiting a reply in the new year but though the knowledgeable folk here could shed some light. The only info I have is from the 175 manual below. Any advice appreciated.
John
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"The EC175PSU incorporates a fixed voltage battery charger / power converter. The battery charger / power converter also powers the leisure equipment when the mains supply is connected.
This module supplies 13.8V DC to the leisure equipment up to a maximum of 12 Amps (155 Watts), therefore the available power is distributed between the leisure load and the battery, with the leisure load taking priority as per the following example:
Leisure load Available power for battery charging

load /available for charging
3A - 9A
6A - 6A
9A - 3A
12A -0A

For optimum performance and safety it is essential that only a proprietary brand LEISURE battery is used with a typical capacity of 75 to 120 Ah (Ampere / hours).

WARNING Under heavy loads the power supply unit case may become hot. ALWAYS ensure the ventilation slots have a clear flow of air. Do not place combustible materials against / adjacent to the EC175.

The PSU will shutdown if overheated and will restart automatically when cool.

EC175 Power Control System Issue 1 Page 6 of 14 20 July 2014 3.3 Leisure Battery 3.3.1 Type / Selection

For optimum performance and safety it is essential that only a proprietary brand LEISURE battery is used with a typical capacity of 75 to 120 Ah (Ampere / hours). A normal vehicle battery is not suitable. This battery should always be connected when the system is in use. The PSU is configured to work with standard lead acid leisure batteries, and in most cases is also compatible with the latest range of Absorbed Glass Matt (AGM) batteries. Before fitting non-standard batteries please check that the fixed charging profile described in 3.2 is suitable for the type of battery by referring to the battery documentation or battery manufacturer. The battery feed is fitted with an inline fuse between the battery and the electrical harness, which is usually located immediately outside the battery compartment or within 500mm of the battery. The maximum rating of this fuse is 20A.

 

[harrow]

The starting point is how much are the batteries discharged at the start of charging and how much load will you place on the batteries while the charger is in use ?
You see if the batteries start off fully charged they need hardly any charging BUT if you have your TV, lights and heating running then the charger has to cope with that consumption.

 

[colinm]

It's not just a case of if the charger can get the batteries up to voltage, it's also if you will overheat it with maximum charging for prolonged periods if the batteries are low. If you don't run the batteries to low you might get away with it, but then it would beg the question as to why have that size of battery bank. The best solution would be a charger of 36amp, plus you need to consider what alternator you have as this will be under extra strain as well.

 

[QFour]

For optimum performance and safety it is essential that only a proprietary brand LEISURE battery is used with a typical capacity of 75 to 120 Ah (Ampere / hours).

This bit seems to say it all. You are going to have 3 x the battery capacity so things could go wrong big time. Charging a battery at 4A per battery will take forever and the charger is going to get very hot running flat out at 12A for hours on end. As the charger is part of the onboard electronics do you really really want to risk it.

 

[landoboguy]

Thanks for the replies, yes I see the issue with the 3 batteries (actually Ive not 100% decided on 2 or 3 yet) I think the 2 batteries would be sufficient, so was using an over spec scenario, wrongly I suppose and have emailed Sargent to see what replacement if any would be suitable.
thanks for the tip about the higher rated charger, and also about the alternator , both as you say depend on how much I make them do the graft.

I cant see any info on Sargents website about a possible upgraded charger PSU unit, has anyone done this with this type of set up, and recommend a suitable alternative.
Ill monitor the Victron BMV700 and see what the MPPT does withthe solar when it gets nice enough, after Ive installed and see what it tells me my overall draw etc, tbh

 

[Canalsman]

I would phone Sargent to discuss your requirements.

Their support people are helpful.