Good old Lithium yet again. (4 Viewers)

[Toady]

Currently have 234 ah of gel, 280 ah of Lithium would give us a bit more power, currently only ever got really low on power once after two weeks on a Sellaplatz in a rainy October (I was in hospital).
But the plan is to use the new van differently as we are not having an oven & plan to run more electrical items so an extra £400 in the overall picture is not a lot as you get 180ah for it. So fairly certain I'll go for the 460ah it will upset 'er indoor she no like me spending money.

I love all this talk of adding all the lithium and add this and add that. What I am interested in is how you explain to the missus that it is absolutely necessary that you have the necessary gadgets?

I have had most of the toys added but every time I mention lithium, cost and need she bursts out laughing!

 

[Lenny HB]

I love all this talk of adding all the lithium and add this and add that. What I am interested in is how you explain to the missus that it is absolutely necessary that you have the necessary gadgets?

I have had most of the toys added but every time I mention lithium, cost and need she bursts out laughing!

You need to kill your existing batteries and then explain to her it's only a little bit more dear than replacing the original batteries. You keep quiet about the other bits you need until you have fitted the Lithium, then you man up and tell you have made a cock up and need a new B2B/Solar Reg & Charger or the new batties we have spent a fortune on will be wrecked.

There you are problem solved.

 

[WESTY66]

The grey water drain will be getting an electric valve and camera, I've got used to not moving from the driver's seat when dumping.

You may as well order TWO

 

[Lenny HB]

You may as well order TWO

You can fit your own, then we can all have a luaugh.

 

[Roger S]

Would Mrs HB like a lithium battery for Christmas ? Could be the answer

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[corconx]

I was referring to external ventilation for heat & safety, never seen an oven fitted without external ventilation before.
Anyway it's something I can always fit later if we want it.

That looks good, I was thinking a halogen oven would be better than a Romiska. The van is a long way off yet.

Lenny check size it’s huge. Reviews quite good but size for me at home is no too

 

[Lenny HB]

Lenny check size it’s huge. Reviews quite good but size for me at home is no too

Yes I have a bit too big I think a small Air fryer is the way to go.

 

[WESTY66]

You can fit your own, then we can all have a luaugh.

You know that won’t happen, that’s why I’ll let you practice on mine, you will be competent by the second fit

 

[Ditcha]

Currently have 234 ah of gel, 280 ah of Lithium would give us a bit more power, currently only ever got really low on power once after two weeks on a Sellaplatz in a rainy October (I was in hospital).
But the plan is to use the new van differently as we are not having an oven & plan to run more electrical items so an extra £400 in the overall picture is not a lot as you get 180ah for it. So fairly certain I'll go for the 460ah it will upset 'er indoor she no like me spending money.

I have 280ah if you can fit 460ah I would go with that only ever had the 280ah down to 40% like but you can claim to be one of the "lithium big boys" with 460ah I not jeal or anything like

 

[Hoovie]

Hhhhhhmmmmm

I have only just noticed the relays on my BMV700. What can I use them for and how I wonder? But if I start looking at the manual I will probably get lost after the first sentence. Victron manuals always assume that I understand what they are talking about.

what can you use them? how long is your piece of string?

Ok, some ideas ....
Use in conjuction with Solar Harvesting as an excess energy dump - when the battery SOC hits say 95%, have the relay activate to turn on the Electric Water Heating, or switch the fridge to Electric Power (if AES).

Example: I supplied a BMV-712 + SSR (Solid State Relay) setup that would provide power to the Fridge once the SOC went upto 90% and stayed on until the SOC dropped to 70%. This chap found when he went to Portugal, he went from having to get gas every few days to not needing gas refill for 2 weeks.
Obviously you can do this kind of switching manually, but the benefit of programmable relays and automation is they work when you are not there, or when you are there but want to chill and not monitor-watch

On my previous van, I used a BMV-712 with a combo of a 200A Power Relay and a 30A B2B charger, switching which one was active depending on Leisure Battery SOC. This allowed high-current bulk charging via the Relay, changing to Smart Charging at around 75% SOC to give a proper charge profile to finish the job (This happened to be an example of where the NC and NO of the '712 were useful, as one device wanted 0V control and one device wanted 12V control)
The above combo is what the CTEK B2B + SmartPass does,but that is a £450 pound solution. Mine was a standard B2B plus a £6 relay


When choosing between the various Victron SOC monitors, I will ALWAYS recommend the BMV over the Smartshunt because of the Relay feature. There are loads of different uses for programmable relays.
Here's another example I did to my Motorhome just a couple of days ago .... Installed a couple of new AC sockets and used on of the Victron relays to turn on the circuit when the temp drops below 2C, and then back off again when up to 4C. Got a mini oil-rad plugged into the socket and the rad comes on automatically for frost protection. This was yesterday - the relay kicked on just before 7AM

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[Hoovie]

Yes I have a bit too big I think a small Air fryer is the way to go.

Not in the MH, but I have both an Air Fryer and a Halogen Oven
The Halogen oven lives virtually full time in a cupboard. Occasionally give it another ago and it doesn't cook the food right - too intense a heat means too cooked on top, not cooked properly underneath. I am sure some folk get good results with them, but don't think it has ever really be successful for me.
The Air Fryer lives on the counter top and gets used maybe 3 or 4 times a week - not used the main oven since we upgraded the Air Fryer from a small single basket to a dual basket version. I was going to use the original small Air Fryer in the MH but we gave it to the OHs dad.

 

[donkey]

Not in the MH, but I have both an Air Fryer and a Halogen Oven
The Halogen oven lives virtually full time in a cupboard. Occasionally give it another ago and it doesn't cook the food right - too intense a heat means too cooked on top, not cooked properly underneath. I am sure some folk get good results with them, but don't think it has ever really be successful for me.
The Air Fryer lives on the counter top and gets used maybe 3 or 4 times a week - not used the main oven since we upgraded the Air Fryer from a small single basket to a dual basket version. I was going to use the original small Air Fryer in the MH but we gave it to the OHs dad.

I have had a Halogen oven for many years. I cook anything that would normally go in the oven. Chips, pies, burgers, Chicken kievs, fish steaks... I also have the extender for above the glass cooking bowl, which is primarily for chips, so with say burgers on the rack and the chips in the extender I can cook them all to perfection at the same time. Because it is basically a fan oven I usually set the temperature between the normal and fan oven setting. The conventional oven very rarely gets switched on.
By the way it cooks the very best roast potatoes and I mean the very best. Parboil for a few minutes, set halogen to 210 degrees, a bit of oil in the bottom and away you go. Turn often.
PS: why don't keyboards have a button for 'degrees'?

 

[Lenny HB]

I have had a Halogen oven for many years. I cook anything that would normally go in the oven. Chips, pies, burgers, Chicken kievs, fish steaks... I also have the extender for above the glass cooking bowl, which is primarily for chips, so with say burgers on the rack and the chips in the extender I can cook them all to perfection at the same time. Because it is basically a fan oven I usually set the temperature between the normal and fan oven setting. The conventional oven very rarely gets switched on.
By the way it cooks the very best roast potatoes and I mean the very best. Parboil for a few minutes, set halogen to 210 degrees, a bit of oil in the bottom and away you go. Turn often.
PS: why don't keyboards have a button for 'degrees'?

I know they are good it's juat the size in a small van.

 

[Lenny HB]

PS: why don't keyboards have a button for 'degrees'?

Just use the ASCII code 0176.

 

[Delboyarapaho]

Hi Lenny. This may not bother you given your comment about not being on ehu often but carthago owners who have the CBE charger fitted and also have lithium batteries are noticing that this make of charger switches off after a given period once the batteries are fully charged. The batteries then discharge until they reach a certain Soc (not sure but mine seemed to be about 65% then the charger seems to cut in again. Not sure if this is deterministic or just what I observed. Anyway I had carthago replaced my charger with a schaudt charger under warranty and it lets the bms worry about overcharging.
Since you mention that you may chose an alternative charger knowing this may influence your choice

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[donkey]

Just use the ASCII code 0176.

Explain please.

Geoff

 

[Lenny HB]

Explain please.

Geoff

Hold the Alt key down and type 0176 on the numec keypad. Just like you when you want fractions. e. g. ½ is Alt 171.

 

[CazPaul]

Hold the Alt key down and type 0176 on the numec keypad. Just like you when you want fractions. e. g. ½ is Alt 171.

I have to hold the ALT key down and press 0163 to get the £ sign on my laptop.

 

[donkey]

Hold the Alt key down and type 0176 on the numec keypad. Just like you when you want fractions. e. g. ½ is Alt 171.

OK, so I have just gone to my office software and opened a document, typed in 65 Alt0176, nothing, just nothing has appeared. All I want is the little '0' that denotes degrees.

Geoff

 

[Lenny HB]

Easy
65°
You don't type Alt just hold the Alt key down.

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[68c]

Alt as in Alt key, not A-l-t

 

[Tombola]

 

[Rob Turner]

Your van should come fitted with a Schaudt 25a B2B

 

[Lenny HB]

Your van should come fitted with a

That won't be much good then.

 

[Lenny HB]

what can you use them? how long is your piece of string?

Ok, some ideas ....
Use in conjuction with Solar Harvesting as an excess energy dump - when the battery SOC hits say 95%, have the relay activate to turn on the Electric Water Heating, or switch the fridge to Electric Power (if AES).

Example: I supplied a BMV-712 + SSR (Solid State Relay) setup that would provide power to the Fridge once the SOC went upto 90% and stayed on until the SOC dropped to 70%. This chap found when he went to Portugal, he went from having to get gas every few days to not needing gas refill for 2 weeks.
Obviously you can do this kind of switching manually, but the benefit of programmable relays and automation is they work when you are not there, or when you are there but want to chill and not monitor-watch

On my previous van, I used a BMV-712 with a combo of a 200A Power Relay and a 30A B2B charger, switching which one was active depending on Leisure Battery SOC. This allowed high-current bulk charging via the Relay, changing to Smart Charging at around 75% SOC to give a proper charge profile to finish the job (This happened to be an example of where the NC and NO of the '712 were useful, as one device wanted 0V control and one device wanted 12V control)
The above combo is what the CTEK B2B + SmartPass does,but that is a £450 pound solution. Mine was a standard B2B plus a £6 relay


When choosing between the various Victron SOC monitors, I will ALWAYS recommend the BMV over the Smartshunt because of the Relay feature. There are loads of different uses for programmable relays.
Here's another example I did to my Motorhome just a couple of days ago .... Installed a couple of new AC sockets and used on of the Victron relays to turn on the circuit when the temp drops below 2C, and then back off again when up to 4C. Got a mini oil-rad plugged into the socket and the rad comes on automatically for frost protection. This was yesterday - the relay kicked on just before 7AM
View attachment 698262

peterc10 has just gone for a long lie down.

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[peterc10]

peterc10 has just gone for a long lie down.

I have been trying to find a dark room first. Can my BMV help me with that.

 

[Pausim]

Hi Lenny. This may not bother you given your comment about not being on ehu often but carthago owners who have the CBE charger fitted and also have lithium batteries are noticing that this make of charger switches off after a given period once the batteries are fully charged. The batteries then discharge until they reach a certain Soc (not sure but mine seemed to be about 65% then the charger seems to cut in again. Not sure if this is deterministic or just what I observed. Anyway I had carthago replaced my charger with a schaudt charger under warranty and it lets the bms worry about overcharging.
Since you mention that you may chose an alternative charger knowing this may influence your choice

I have a Carthago with a CBE charger and have no problem with charging my LiFePO4 battery. I use the lead acid setting because it is only a 14.1V charge and has a shorter equalisation period of 90 minutes before dropping back to 13.5V, rather than the 8 hours of the gel setting. The charger does’t switch off it just switches to a lower maintenance voltage. This lead acid setting slightly undercharges the battery which is better for it and when on hook up I don’t need a permanently full battery. This shortens battery life. I only need a full battery when I am not on a hook up and the B2B takes care of that.

The BMS is a backstop for over voltage and does not regulate charging. My BMS has a 15.6V cut off which protects the cells from sustained over voltage damage however it is far too high for regular charging. Charging needs controlling by the charging devices that regulate their voltage not the BMS which is an emergency cut off.

 

[bigtwin]

The BMS is a backstop for over voltage and does not regulate charging.

It’s only a backstop if it’s set too high (as I suspect yours is).

My BMS has a 15.6V cut off which protects the cells from sustained over voltage

That sounds way too high! That sounds as though it’s the summation of the four cell over-voltage settings. Does your BMS have separate protection for cell over-voltage and for battery over-voltage or do you only have a single over-voltage protection parameter?

however it is far too high for regular charging.

Indeed.

Charging needs controlling by the charging devices that regulate their voltage not the BMS which is an emergency cut off.

At 15.6V it’s certainly in the realms of an emergency.

Ian

 

[Pausim]

It’s only a backstop if it’s set too high (as I suspect yours is).


That sounds way too high! That sounds as though it’s the summation of the four cell over-voltage settings. Does your BMS have separate protection for cell over-voltage and for battery over-voltage or do you only have a single over-voltage protection parameter?


Indeed.


At 15.6V it’s certainly in the realms of an emergency.

Ian

It is the BMS within my Relion battery, I have no control of the settings. I was surprised by the 15.6V but the charging instructions are clear and like any other battery the user needs to provide charging within the the specified parameters. The principal function of the BMS is cell balancing but it does have voltage, temperature and current protection too.

 

[eurajohn]

Alt as in Alt key, not A-l-t

There is an app called character map (Microsoft) has all the various signs and features you'll ever need, no messing with Alt key, which by the way doesn't work for me either

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