Does the big switch need to be in the on position? We have forgotten everything 😏

[RayandLinda]

 

[daveandsan]

I’m sure someone will be along who has one of those units, but I would say it should be turned on.

 

[pappajohn]

If you're referring to the red switch then yes.
If its the big breaker switch push the black test button when on hookup.
If it doesn't move the switch move it manually upwards.... Up on/down off.

 

[Gerby]

without meaning to sound a bit glib, if everything is working then no if something isnt (probably charger) then yes.

I did note from the stickers on the PSU that the charger has an MCB allocated (3) and a fuse also (8) so my guess (albeit a mildly educated one) that it is a generic charger switch for the PSU and Auto trail may have fitted alternatives.

If its been in the off position since you have had it check battery and if it is staying charged whilst on hookup probably not an issue.

 

[RayandLinda]

It has always been off but when we used the lights of the battery etc at night the power went flat so we had solar panels installed and all good now. If only we had realised that if switch was on, it would have charged up the leisure battery again

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[PhilandMena]

The big red switch is your battery charger !!! I know this, not because I'm a man genius, although when younger my wife would often to refer to me as Oh God ! it's because my very high I.Q. has figured out the lettering underneath the switch that states CHARGER is in fact...........wait for it......... Yes! Its your battery charger. Switch on when on hook up ! Keep Safe.

 

[RayandLinda]

The big red switch is your battery charger !!! I know this, not because I'm a man genius, although when younger my wife would often to refer to me as Oh God ! it's because my very high I.Q. has figured out the lettering underneath the switch that states CHARGER is in fact...........wait for it......... Yes! Its your battery charger. Switch on when on hook up ! Keep Safe.

LOL. Okay so only switch it on when on electric hook up. Thank you

 

[PhilandMena]

LOL. Okay so only switch it on when on electric hook up. Thank you

You have nailed it Obi Wan. That's not a taffy name by the way, pure Jedi, Like me!

 

[gus-lopez]

If only we had realised that if switch was on, it would have charged up the leisure battery again

Yes I could never get my mate to understand tha he was wasting his time leaving it plugged in at home if he didn0t turn that switch on.

 

[tonyidle]

LOL. Okay so only switch it on when on electric hook up. Thank you

No ...... never, ever, switch it Off.

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[pappajohn]

LOL. Okay so only switch it on when on electric hook up. Thank you

You can leave it ON all the time. If there's no hookup there's no power going to the charger so it doesn't matter if its on or off. .
You only need turn it OFF if you DON'T want the battery to charge.

 

[gus-lopez]

You can leave it ON all the time. If there's no hookup there's no power going to the charger so it doesn't matter if its on or off. .
You only need turn it OFF if you DON'T want the battery to charge.

Reason my mate didn't like it on was that it is fan cooled & in the locker immediately behind drivers seat at high level. I must admit even I couldn't sleep with the fan running.

 

[Dorset Diver]

Can't help, but I know exactly what you mean by "we have forgotten everything". I took the MH out yesterday for a night away. I couldn't find things nor could I remember how much of it worked. I felt like a total newby .

 

[63720]

Didn't use the car much during lockdown so first trip to fill up the fuel flap wouldn't open, lifted the carpet looking for a non existent lever left me baffled. In a hurry drove away without filling. Looked in the handbook and the flap opens when pressed but it didn't. Out with the WD-40 and left it overnight and bingo. Sad but true.

 

[Dorset Diver]

Just had another thought about the switch. It's big it's red so it just has to be pushed; it's just human nature. it may even light up. Yeeeeah!

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[Chris CM]

Unless it’s really overcast I never switch on the charger in my EC200, the charge profile is pretty basic and, I feel, with constant use, would shorten the life of the batteries, I’d rather rely on my Victron Mppt and solar panels to keep them topped up. Also, you don’t need the charger switch to be on to power the 240v equipment such as fridge, heating etc.

 

[Ian Bosman]

I now realise how lucky I am to have a CBE system most of which is tucked away behind the steps inside the van (there is a double floor) so I only ever need to turn on the system from the control panel above the door including the water pump, check the batteries and the water and waste tanks. The switch for the charger is well nigh inaccessible anyway on the mains charger. As someone earlier said, if it is not on hook up the switch can be left on as their is no juice anyway so I never turn the charger off even with the solar panel up top keeping everything charged and on hook up to save on the gas for the fridge.

 

[TheBig1]

I would suggest you turn it OFF if not on EHU and running an inverter wired directly in. Otherwise it will take power from the battery to er charge the battery. It doesn't work

 

[Ian Bosman]

I would suggest you turn it OFF if not on EHU and running an inverter wired directly in. Otherwise it will take power from the battery to er charge the battery. It doesn't work

That suggestion, with all due to respect to The Big 1, about turning it off while not on hook up as it powers the battery etc is a nonsense electrically. The charger is essentially a transformer to drop the mains 230volts ac down to 12 volts and a rectifier to change the ac to dc non of which works the other way about unlike an inverter which steps the voltage up and dc to ac. While connected to the battery, the charger not on ac supply does not draw anything from the battery or solar panel. It don't work in reverse!

 

[autorouter]

There's many ways of wiring in an inverter, but the obvious one is to switch all the mains power circuits between the EHU and the inverter output. In that case, the inverter will send power to the charger.

Of course once you realise that, it's simple to rearrange the wiring so that the charger is not powered by the inverter. But you wouldn't be the first to make that mistake.

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[tonyidle]

In that case, the inverter will send power to the charger.

And to the, probably AES, fridge.