Battery Problem, need help ASAP

[Abacist]

You have probably blown your solar controller if you have had the solar panels connected and not covered without connections to the hub batteries. The power generated has nowhere to go and most controllers that I have come across are like this. You need to cover the panels so that they are not generating any power and then disconnect them if you are fiddling about with your system. Otherwise fit an on/off switch before the wires from the panels go into the controller.

 

[andy63]

with just the battery connected with 12.6v as shown on the control panel, and just connected the battery to the fridge it then went down to only 10.4v,

that still indicating the most likely problem is that your battery has no capacity.. has it been fully charged ?
if you are sure it has and the voltage drops to 10.4v immediately you have a duff battery..

You have probably blown your solar controller if you have had the solar panels connected and not covered without connections to the hub batteries.

unless the instructions say its likely to be damaged under those conditions then id say that was unlikely.. the logic behind that would be if your output fuse on the controller to the batteries ever blew it would also destroy the controller,, as they would be connected to the panels with no output..
Andy

 

[Ian Paul]

Thanks for that. , Why is it so difficult to set this up, the instructions are so vague ? I paid £53 for the controller, I have my own home DIY solar panel system for water and tie grid (6 years and still going strong) and was a doddle to set up, it seems anything with 12v involved is complicated. I wish I never started my conversion now !

 

[Lenny HB]

You need to charge the battery fully using your mains charger it will take at least 24 hours, then try again.

Like Andy says unlikely to have blown the regulator but it could be a faulty one.

If you tell us what your mains charger is also your solar regulator it may help & you could post photos of them.

 

[andy63]

Thanks for that. , Why is it so difficult to set this up, the instructions are so vague ? I paid £53 for the controller, I have my own home DIY solar panel system for water and tie grid (6 years and still going strong) and was a doddle to set up, it seems anything with 12v involved is complicated. I wish I never started my conversion now !

im not sure what the problem is with the controller if indeed there is one... my comments above are just about my opinion on the connection of a load to your battery..
treat and check your controller separately...set up by connecting the battery to the controller first... then connect the panel to the controller..
you could check the panel no load voltage before connecting it to the controller... should be in the region of 18 to 20v.. that rules out a duff panel..
if you were then able to check with a meter the current output from the controller by applying a load of 3 or 4 amps as you said you had a 100w panel...
in good sunlight your panel should produce that..
Andy

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[andy63]

I wish I never started my conversion now !

don't be daft ...it always feels like that when things don't go right, but by plodding on and getting to the bottom of things you learn , and when your done you know your van inside out
Andy

 

[Ian Paul]

Spent a whole day on this in temps of 33 degrees in sunny Norfolk. IFrom suggestions on here I first charged the battery up with mains. Then I wired the fridge direct to the battery using the wire that came with the unit via the fusebox. The battery read 12.8v I then connected fridge it then went down to 11.8v on half load, after an hour its still steady on 11.8v. So some success there.
I have ordered another solar charge controller one that has a display to show the charge, also a trip to connect to solar. While I am waiting for the new solar charge controller I have hitched up the solar panel to my grid tie inverter, the 100w panel is giving off 60w in full sun, my 6 year old 100w panels on my flat roof elevated at 60 degrees are producing 89w.

Thanks for all the comments. keep them coming. Where is the best place to get cable/wire for wiring, suggestions for size to use from fridge, as at the moment I have had to move it out of its housing for the above test.

 

[Pugsy]

Hi Ian,
Might be a bit late for this post,but one of the electrical suppliers i used was

https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/

Has good info and a cable calculator for working out voltage drop.

Cheers Cris.