EC450 Sargent checking battery drain (1 Viewer)

[themountaintiger]

Is there any way to check battery drain to either cab or leisure batteries? I can see solar input, but not anything outputted..

T

 

[tonka]

Unplug the solar or cover it up... Then you should see any drain..
My EC500 unit has a constant drain of 0.2 amps, checked with Sargent and they say thats normal. I leave my EC500 switched on and that way the smart charge facility operates and does both Can and leisure battery charging from the solar panel.

 

[themountaintiger]

Can I ask what level is your cab, leisure battery? Just to explain mine came with 2 x 60's, I've added a 150. But cab battery is constantly around 12.4, 12.5 unless I've driven it somewhere. Even the day after driving for 60-70 mins, it reverts to those figures. Newish motorhome so don't think its batteries. Also seemed ok before fitting extra 150 solar

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[PhilandMena]

Unplug the solar or cover it up... Then you should see any drain..
My EC500 unit has a constant drain of 0.2 amps, checked with Sargent and they say thats normal. I leave my EC500 switched on and that way the smart charge facility operates and does both Can and leisure battery charging from the solar panel.

Ditto!
Not quite sure what you mean when you say you had 2 x 60 and added 150 ? do you mean 2 x 60 AH leisure batteries and you have added 1 x 150 AH leisure battery. If this is the case the large difference between batteries sizes 60 - 150 is going to cause you problems at some time in the future. All leisure batteries should be ideally the same size.
As for the cab battery being at 12.4-12,5 (about 50% charged) it may well be on it's way out OR you are measuring it's capacity with a load on it, i.e. ignition on, alarm, on or other can services switched on. Otherwise it may be on it's way out. Suggest you fully charge, disconnect the terminals, wait for at least an hour to settle and then measure with a multi meter.

 

[tonka]

Any help.. I know nothing about the EC450..
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[themountaintiger]

Ditto!
Not quite sure what you mean when you say you had 2 x 60 and added 150 ? do you mean 2 x 60 AH leisure batteries and you have added 1 x 150 AH leisure battery. If this is the case the large difference between batteries sizes 60 - 150 is going to cause you problems at some time in the future. All leisure batteries should be ideally the same size.
As for the cab battery being at 12.4-12,5 (about 50% charged) it may well be on it's way out OR you are measuring it's capacity with a load on it, i.e. ignition on, alarm, on or other can services switched on. Otherwise it may be on it's way out. Suggest you fully charge, disconnect the terminals, wait for at least an hour to settle and then measure with a multi meter.

Sorry mean solar paels 2 x 60w then 1 x 150w added. The motorhome is in storage, so no load on anything albeit, there is a tracker and alarm fitted. I dont think the battery is on its way out as its about 4 months old and also this problem only seemed to occur after the 150w solar was added. I remember a summers day when the solar panels when just 2 x 60w had it up to 13.5-14v.

t

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[themountaintiger]

Any help.. I know nothing about the EC450..
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Thanks Tonka, but no, nothing in there..

 

[PhilandMena]

OK Thanks for that. On my Autotrail I have the EC500. Included in the EC500 is the Sargent Solar panel Controller/Regulator, already wired in and waiting to receive snap fitting connectors from the Solar Panel. However, the Controller/Regulator is limited to an input of 9 Amps and your 270 W solar panel would exceed this output and blow the Controller/Regulator. Sargent have a bigger Controller/Regulator and hopefully this has been installed ? (not expensive). The way my Sargent system works (I have a 120 W Solar panel) is that a pulse signal is sent to both leisure battery and Cab battery which measures their condition and then the intelligent system directs the power to the appropriate Batteries. Of course you may have a totally different system and automatic switching may not take place. If all is working well your batteries should be fully topped up and I suspect there may be an interruption in the power between from your solar panels and batteries. Hope this helps.

 

[PhilandMena]

This is the controller fitted in mine as standard.
http://sargentshop.co.uk/Solar-Panel-Regulator

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[themountaintiger]

OK Thanks for that. On my Autotrail I have the EC500. Included in the EC500 is the Sargent Solar panel Controller/Regulator, already wired in and waiting to receive snap fitting connectors from the Solar Panel. However, the Controller/Regulator is limited to an input of 9 Amps and your 270 W solar panel would exceed this output and blow the Controller/Regulator. Sargent have a bigger Controller/Regulator and hopefully this has been installed ? (not expensive). The way my Sargent system works (I have a 120 W Solar panel) is that a pulse signal is sent to both leisure battery and Cab battery which measures their condition and then the intelligent system directs the power to the appropriate Batteries. Of course you may have a totally different system and automatic switching may not take place. If all is working well your batteries should be fully topped up and I suspect there may be an interruption in the power between from your solar panels and batteries. Hope this helps.

Yes agree something isnt quite right. just to clarify, the 2 x 60w solars came fitted to motorhome and work with sargent controller regulator which can cope with up to 150w in total. then ive had added another solar panel of 150w which has had a sunworks regulator (need to confirm that name) been fitted as advised by installer. I was told that the 150w solar would put current into the cab battery so no need for smart charge from sargent ec450 required. What seems to be happening though, is that as cab battery is low at 12.2v the sunworks controller goes into Winter mode then charges cab battery, however the leisure batteries have never been above 12.7v, but more often than not are at 12.5v. I wonder if its a pulse issue

 

[PhilandMena]

Found this in the EC450 manual.

3.6 Solar Charge Management
EC468 and EC469 PSU’s incorporate a built-in solar charge management feature, which will control the input from a separate solar panel and regulator. Depending on the charge state of the batteries, the solar power will be directed to the required battery, and continuously monitored to ensure optimum operation. For this system to operate intelligently, the shutdown button should be left switched on. If the shutdown button is turned off then the solar panel will charge the vehicle battery only.

 

[themountaintiger]

Found this in the EC450 manual.

3.6 Solar Charge Management
EC468 and EC469 PSU’s incorporate a built-in solar charge management feature, which will control the input from a separate solar panel and regulator. Depending on the charge state of the batteries, the solar power will be directed to the required battery, and continuously monitored to ensure optimum operation. For this system to operate intelligently, the shutdown button should be left switched on. If the shutdown button is turned off then the solar panel will charge the vehicle battery only.

Thanks Phil
Im presuming though that as im not plugged into electric via EHU, the shutdown button is always left on..

So the solar panels are always charging both..

lol.. its a tough one.. think i might need to speak to Sargent about this.

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[PhilandMena]

OK Just got your last post after posting above.
I'm now out of my depth! If I have understood this correctly a second system/regulator has been added to the existing Sargent system. My gut feeling is the Sargent system is in some form of conflict now with the additional voltages coming from another solar panel regulator.

I would talk directly to Sargent, they know there systems inside out and are very helpful. Last thing I want to do now is give bad/ wrong advice.

 

[PhilandMena]

lol.. its a tough one.. think i might need to speak to Sargent about this.

Yes! Yes! Yes! I would be interested in knowing how this is resolved. Hope it gets sorted.

 

[themountaintiger]

Thanks Phil
One thing im unclear about is whether the fact that ive not plugged into an electric point and charged them via EHU could be an issue. I thought what I would do is pay for electric (did I just use the pay word!!) and see if that gives them a boost and check the week after to see if I get the same pattern/levels of voltages on cab and leisure. Its probably about 8 weeks since I had the second one fitted and have not been plugged in since...
Thanks for your time on this guys.. do appreciate your comments.. a problem shared and all that....

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[Derbyshire wanderer]

If I understand correctly what you say is that the new panel is wired directly to the battery while the original 60w panels go through the Sargent ec450.
If this is the case, the intelligent charging from the Sargent will be getting conflicting readings from the battery wired directly.
The Sargent can be set to direct all solar to one battery only which I would suggest that you do ( the one not fed directly from the new solar controller). This should prove if both solar chargers are charging their own batteries without false readings.
The display panel voltages (above the door) are only indications and not accurate enough to determine the actual true battery voltages.
On the ec450 basic display you will find the charge/discharge readings but not in the advanced display.
The battery voltages after standing without a change input from engine, solar or mains will not be above 12.5v on the display (accuracy and quintessential drain being the cause).

 

[PhilandMena]

Yes Try on hook up to see if charge going to both sets of batteries from EC450. I'm not familiar with EC 450 but on my control panel the readings are quite accurate and obtaining voltages above 12.5 on both sets of batteries from Solar Panel input only is commonplace except when I have a load on them.

 

[themountaintiger]

If I understand correctly what you say is that the new panel is wired directly to the battery while the original 60w panels go through the Sargent ec450.
If this is the case, the intelligent charging from the Sargent will be getting conflicting readings from the battery wired directly.
The Sargent can be set to direct all solar to one battery only which I would suggest that you do ( the one not fed directly from the new solar controller). This should prove if both solar chargers are charging their own batteries without false readings.
The display panel voltages (above the door) are only indications and not accurate enough to determine the actual true battery voltages.
On the ec450 basic display you will find the charge/discharge readings but not in the advanced display.
The battery voltages after standing without a change input from engine, solar or mains will not be above 12.5v on the display (accuracy and quintessential drain being the cause).

No apologies.. my poor explanation.. the 2nd solar goes via a sunworks regulator/controller.

I have changed Sargent settings to see if that would make a difference.. i.e. from smartcharge to just leisure etc to see if any would make a difference.

I have only ever seen a charge reading on the ec450

when I had the 2 x 60w only solar panels and it was a nice hot day the cab battery was almost at 14.5v so im aware that the solar panels were making a difference. Ive noticed 3-4 sunny days during last 8 weeks after addition of new 150w solar however cab battery may improve but im talking 12.3v to 12.5v.

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[themountaintiger]

Is it possible that a cable has come loose somewhere on the roof.. or is it that it either works or doesnt. Just that ive noticed on roof some cabling within casing has moved from where it was installed to where it is now...

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

It would be worth checking the voltage into and out of the solar controller. For a bright day I would expect to see something like 16 to 20v in and 13v+ out.
Low voltage in will require the panel wiring checking. Low output could be a faulty controller.

 

[PhilandMena]

Work within your capability. If I understand your set up correctly, you have 120 W SP fed through the Sargent system feeding both sets of batteries, as required AND a separate 150W S P feeding your Cab battery via a separate controller. (?) (Why oh why?) Anyway, if this is right, you can check if power is going to each controller and if so all is well to that point. If power is coming out of each controller ( I assume the batteries will have to be partly discharged to draw that power unless it's a float charge (13.7V) which you should be able to measure at the battery terminals with a cheap multi-meter. Your problem as you state is no charge going to the Cab battery (or the cab battery not holding the charge being received.
That's about as far as my knowledge will take me I'm afraid. If your sending a charge to the batteries from the controllers then I think the Sargent system is not happy and causing your issues. It will be unable to switch power to the Cab battery and this may be causing it a conflict. Talk to Sargent, explain your set up ask them if you can feed all S P into the Sargent system through one Controller. Best of luck and yes check your connections with respect to your last post.

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[themountaintiger]

Hi Phil above is correct however the 150w SP does feed the leisure batteries... however... when the cab battery goes below 12.4v (which happens every day) the additional 150w SP Sunworks controller goes into winter mode to start topping up the cab battery instead. This is why Im wondering if the cab battery lets say maintained above 12.4 all the time, would that mean the 150w SP charge more of the leisure batteries to take them above 12.5v which is as far as they seem to charge.

I will check with Sargent

 

[PhilandMena]

Yes, speak to Sargent you have 2 sets of S. P supplying all batteries through 2 different controllers. I think this is causing a problem with the Sargent system.
Let me know what they say. Hope it gets resolved.

 

[Charlie]

Is there any way to check battery drain to either cab or leisure batteries? I can see solar input, but not anything outputted..

T

I posted this link in thread all of its own. It shows how to test for a parasitic draw. Watch the video a couple of times and its very easy to do. Any questions just ask

Link

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[themountaintiger]

I posted this link in thread all of its own. It shows how to test for a parasitic draw. Watch the video a couple of times and its very easy to do. Any questions just ask

Link

Thanks, ill check it out