One for the electrical gurus!

ManTheVan

ManTheVan

LIFE MEMBER
Joined
Jan 11, 2020
Posts
1,590
Likes collected
3,098
Location
South Devon, UK
Funster No
67,952
MH
Rapido C class
Exp
Yottie convert
Nothing wrong, everything working fine, but I've noticed (Rapido control panel) that the current drain when the various circuits are active, without anything actually switched on, is more than I would have thought.

For instance, if I turn on the panel with water, lighting, etc. disabled, then current draw is 0.0A. If I switch on the lighting master (with no lights switched on) the draw jumps to 1.0A. If I add in the water and the extractor masters, the draw becomes 2.0A,all with no appliances actually switched on (I've checked).

Would this be some kind of transformer or other device in the master panel? It's not an issue as such, but 24-odd Watts seems a waste of battery if nothing is actually switched on!

Any ideas?
 
ManTheVan said:
Nothing wrong, everything working fine, but I've noticed (Rapido control panel) that the current drain when the various circuits are active, without anything actually switched on, is more than I would have thought.

For instance, if I turn on the panel with water, lighting, etc. disabled, then current draw is 0.0A. If I switch on the lighting master (with no lights switched on) the draw jumps to 1.0A. If I add in the water and the extractor masters, the draw becomes 2.0A,all with no appliances actually switched on (I've checked).

Would this be some kind of transformer or other device in the master panel? It's not an issue as such, but 24-odd Watts seems a waste of battery if nothing is actually switched on!

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
First check that the reading is accurate. I would be very concerned at that current consumption if it is correct - especially if it's round figures as you suggest.
 
When you switch on the lighting circuit are you sure that's there's no lights on at all? Bathroom, or maybe a garage light?

Or, maybe, does your TV circuit automatically power up from the main on switch too?

You could always install a BMV, I recently installed a cheap wireless one, before I changed all my lighting to led so I could monitor the difference
 
My Rapido panel reads 0.4 amps with panel switches on and nothing else. I zero’d it with panel switches off.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
I have noticed high parasitic drain in a few vans with usb sockets fitted
 
Bobby-gg said:
When you switch on the lighting circuit are you sure that's there's no lights on at all? Bathroom, or maybe a garage light?

Or, maybe, does your TV circuit automatically power up from the main on switch too?

You could always install a BMV, I recently installed a cheap wireless one, before I changed all my lighting to led so I could monitor the difference
Click to expand...
Yep, no lights on at all and we haven’t got a TV installed, although the circuitry is there for it. I’m reading the current draw from the option on the Rapido panel.

dunnah01 said:
My Rapido panel reads 0.4 amps with panel switches on and nothing else. I zero’d it with panel switches off.
Click to expand...
Mine reads 0.0A until I switch on the lighting, (or any other circuit for that matter!). It could be due to voltage drop, but it seems quite a toll for such a short distance.

As I say, everything seems to be working fine, but it’s a curiosity.

TheBig1 said:
I have noticed high parasitic drain in a few vans with usb sockets fitted
Click to expand...
Ours doesn’t have USB sockets (it’s a 2010 model) but I have a couple of DIN to USB adapters which can plug in.
 
tonyidle said:
First check that the reading is accurate. I would be very concerned at that current consumption if it is correct - especially if it's round figures as you suggest.
Click to expand...
Without taking the panel out and inserting a digital ammeter in series, I’m not sure how I’d achieve that! I suppose I could pop an ammeter in line with the hab battery and see what happens.

Mind you, the Victron Smartsolar readout does show hab battery current in/out and I can look at that on my phone as I operate the switches, so you might have hit on a good idea there.
 
Sticking with just the lighting circuit. There are 3 likely possibilities.
1) You have a lighting type that requires a power supply, this will take power even when no lights are on.. Although it seems a little high for this.
2) You have a light on that shouldn't be on. Do you have any cupboard or garage lights that are supposed to come on automatically? Is it possible one of these is remaining on when door is shut.
3) A previous owner has added something to the lighting circuit rather than installing a fresh circuit. Things like a small usb charger, or fan for fridge etc.

The only way to find out for certain it to check each circuit.
 
ManTheVan said:
Yep, no lights on at all and we haven’t got a TV installed, although the circuitry is there for it. I’m reading the current draw from the option on the Rapido panel.


Mine reads 0.0A until I switch on the lighting, (or any other circuit for that matter!). It could be due to voltage drop, but it seems quite a toll for such a short distance.

As I say, everything seems to be working fine, but it’s a curiosity.


Ours doesn’t have USB sockets (it’s a 2010 model) but I have a couple of DIN to USB adapters which can plug in.
Click to expand...
Those should not be on the lighting circuit and should be independently fused if installed correctly.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
dunnah01 said:
My Rapido panel reads 0.4 amps with panel switches on and nothing else. I zero’d it with panel switches off.
Click to expand...
Not sure I can zero mine. It’s a digital one built in to the panel.
 
Gromett said:
Those should not be on the lighting circuit and should be independently fused if installed correctly.
Click to expand...
You’re right. TV is on Aux 1, but as I say, we haven’t fitted one.

The lights are all LED, so shouldn’t need a current draw when not on?

I can’t see/hear anything else on at all when I power up. I was wondering whether there was some sort of device or component behind the main control panel that might require power when each circuit is activated?
 
That will be power for the Goverment installed tracker and voice monitor device, common in East German built vans. Shouting " I love you Stazi" can reduce the times it is polled and so reduce power consumption.
 
My other point was that nothing draws current in round numbers which would lead me to suspect the panel. Unless of course you were rounding up/down.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
ManTheVan said:
You’re right. TV is on Aux 1, but as I say, we haven’t fitted one.
Click to expand...
Is there a TV aerial with a booster? or some USB sockets, which are a small drain all the time? I'm assuming there is no inverter, since you've not mentioned one.
 
autorouter said:
Is there a TV aerial with a booster? or some USB sockets, which are a small drain all the time? I'm assuming there is no inverter, since you've not mentioned one.
Click to expand...
No inverter, no TV antenna. I ran some checks today using the Victron solar controller’s readings and found that the current flow out of the hab battery increases by only 0.1-0.2A when circuits are switched on, so not too worried.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
ManTheVan said:
No inverter, no TV antenna. I ran some checks today using the Victron solar controller’s readings and found that the current flow out of the hab battery increases by only 0.1-0.2A when circuits are switched on, so not too worried.
Click to expand...
The victron solar controller will only be able to monitor what happens between the solar panel and the battery. Anything that happens outside of that circuit will be hidden. You will get a more accurate reading from the main panel. However the main panel may not be aware of any solar panel activity.
 
The Victron app shows instant voltage & current read outs for the hab battery. During the day, sure, the hab battery will be affected by the solar panel, but not at night! ;)

Also, the main panel only reads in increments of 0.5A and appears to have a lag of about 10s.
 
I would go to the 12v fuse board with my clamp meter and see what cable the current is going up, disconnect it and see what stops working ?
 
It's a bit weird for a start with just the panel on the system will have a standby draw of between 0.3 A and 0.5 A, I've never seen a modern system that takes zero.
Sound like a panel fault, Probably worth dropping the panel out and checking all the connections to it also check them at the distribution unit end.
 
deleted

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Last edited:
Thanks Lenny HB. I’ve just seen from another of your posts that there’s usually a draw on the system when he panel is switched on. Much reassurance from that! I think my panel ammeter is possibly over reading or inaccurate, at least. As I say, the draw reading at the hab battery seems to be in the order of 0.1-0.2A when the panel comes on, that’s just with circuits switched on but no actual appliances. The panel ammeter is saying 1.0 to 2.0A at the same time.

autorouter and Richard and Ann, I haven’t got a clamp meter, but what you say makes perfect sense, especially now knowing the resolution of the panel meter!

I‘m going to trust what the reading at the hab battery is telling me!
 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top