Leisure battery question

[TerryL]

I'm not an expert, so until someone confirms it take care, but I don't see any reason why the onboard charger should have been disconnected. As I understand it the solar controller "reads" the battery state and lets through whatever is needed and if fully charged will just stop it - it's really just a fancy name for a regulator. Although it is considered more professional to wire solar panels directly into the Electrobloc, it shouldn't matter if the solar is wired directly to the battery - mine is but then I don't have such a sophisticated system as an Electrobloc!

I'd just replace the fuse and see what happens - but if something goes bang please don't blame me..............................

 

[Howard B]

I was thinking similar. Does anyone know if the vehicle alternator charges via the same on-board charging system or would it be separate? If separate, then the vehicle charging would be the same as the input from the EHU.

 

[Pausim]

I don’t know about your model of Electrobloc but I had one on my Hymer and the alternator charging was not affected by removing the 20A charging fuse. I fitted a beefier mains charger for my LiFePO4 battery and sought advice from Schaudt. They said no problem connect the new charger direct to the battery and just pull the 20A fuse because it will leave everything else operating as normal. Perhaps your Adria had a different mains charger in the past and someone forgot to put the fuse back when it was removed.

 

[Off da Grid]

My ehu charger works fine with my votronic mppt solar controller as does the alternator

 

[autorouter]

Within an Elektroblock, the power from the alternator is switched by a split charge relay to charge the leisure battery. The alternator charging and EHU charging are independent of each other. When the engine starts, the EHU charger is cut off by a relay.

Inside the EBL is a shunt, which monitors all the current going into and out of the leisure battery,and keeps track of its state of charge. This is displayed on most, but not all, control panels.

The reason it's preferable to send the solar power through the EBL is so that the solar power goes through the shunt and gets measured properly. If instead you send the solar power direct to the battery, the state of charge indicator will no longer be accurate. Many people fit a separate battery monitor, with a shunt in the negative wire next to the battery, others just live with it.

All charging devices like mains chargers and solar controllers have a diode (an electrical one-way valve) on their output, so there will be no back-flow of current in an unintended direction. Whichever has the highest voltage at the time will take over the charging. They will all play nicely together.

Looking at the wiring diagram, the 3-pin plug labelled Solar-Regulator goes straight through the 15A fuse and shunt and to the leisure battery, so it could have been used for the solar controller. Pin 1 negative, pin 3 positive, pin 2 not used. There's very little point in disturbing a working solar circuit just to wire it through the EBL.

I'd suggest you fit the mains charger fuse and try it. As Pausim says, it might have been removed by the previous owner on order to use a different charger direct to the battery. Keep an eye on the voltage though, it just might have been removed because the charger was faulty and overcharging the batteries. If it gets to 15V or more, pull the fuse, it's faulty.

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[autorouter]

My handbook states not to use lead acid, so its either AGM or Gel.

Traditional lead-acid batteries, with the screw plugs to top up with water, are not a good idea in an enclosed space, especially a habitation area. They give off hydrogen/oxygen gas mixture as a normal part of recharging, which needs to be permanently ventilated.

There are newer designed lead-acid batteries which do not give off gas in normal use. Like AGM and Gel batteries, they may vent gases if faulty or overcharged. These batteries are sealed, with a pressure release valve in case of faults, just like AGM and Gel. They are termed 'maintenance-free'. Because the electrolyte (working fluid) is liquid, they are also called 'flooded lead acid'. So they would be suitable for the location in the hab area.

The EBL has a small switch which affects only the mains charger, to tell it which type of battery is present. You can switch between normal (flooded) lead-acid and Gel. It looks like there's no AGM option. Gel batteries are happier with an extended time for the second (absorption) phase of the charging process, but flooded batteries don't need that.

 

[Howard B]

Thanks for the comprehensive answer.

 

[Howard B]

Ok, just plugged it in and its now showing a charging voltage of 14v.