Power to plugs sockets (1 Viewer)

[Gene hunt]

hi can any one answer a question about increasing power to my plugs in my van conversion

 

[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[Two on Tour]

Welcome and can you give a bit more of an explanation as to what you after doing and what you mean by increasing power to my plugs.

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[Richard n Ann]

hi can any one answer a question about increasing power to my plugs in my van conversion

Well voltage is fixed between 12 and 14.4v so to increase power delivery to a socket you'll have to increase the current capacity with big cable and fuse size. But more info would be good.

 

[Gene hunt]

Welcome and can you give a bit more of an explanation as to what you after doing and what you mean by increasing power to my plugs.

Hi what it is I have a few plugs which all work fine with phone chargers and that sort of stuff but I put a tv and a Xbox and they stayed on for about 5 mins then all power went from all the plugs for a while

 

[Gene hunt]

Well voltage is fixed between 12 and 14.4v so to increase power delivery to a socket you'll have to increase the current capacity with big cable and fuse size. But more info would be good.

Hi what it is I have a few plugs which all work fine with phone chargers and that sort of stuff but I put a tv and a Xbox and they stayed on for about 5 mins then all power went from all the plugs for a while

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[Eggs]

Hi what it is I have a few plugs which all work fine with phone chargers and that sort of stuff but I put a tv and a Xbox and they stayed on for about 5 mins then all power went from all the plugs for a while

Are you on EHU or are you using leisure batteries and an inverter?

 

[Gene hunt]

Are you on EHU or are you using leisure batteries and an inverter?

Not sure I think batt and inverter

 

[tonka]

Not sure I think batt and inverter

EHU = Electric Hook Up. Is your van plugged into a mains electricity supply via a cable to the van ? Sounds like it's not.

If you have just a battery and an inverter then either the inverter is rated to low in power but more likely battery not charged or knackered.

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[pappajohn]

If you are using an inverter the phone charger will use very little power and a knackered or discharged battery may be able to cope but the TV and Xbox will use far more power and the same battery won't be able to supply the necessary amps for more than a very limited time.
With everything turned off check the battery voltage with a multimeter directly on the battery.
Should be around 12.4v min
Next, turn on the TV and Xbox and check again.

If the voltage is below around 12v and dropping it's time for a new one.

 

[Gene hunt]

EHU = Electric Hook Up. Is your van plugged into a mains electricity supply via a cable to the van ? Sounds like it's not.

If you have just a battery and an inverter then either the inverter is rated to low in power but more likely battery not charged or knackered.

I have a Ehu and is plugged in to the mains of my house
But would the battery still charge

 

[Gene hunt]

If you are using an inverter the phone charger will use very little power and a knackered or discharged battery may be able to cope but the TV and Xbox will use far more power and the same battery won't be able to supply the necessary amps for more than a very limited time.
With everything turned off check the battery voltage with a multimeter directly on the battery.
Should be around 12.4v min
Next, turn on the TV and Xbox and check again.

If the voltage is below around 12v and dropping it's time for a new one.

Hi it is plugged into the mains will that keep battery charged
And what is a multimeter and where will I get one

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[Eggs]

Presuming you've got a battery charger and it's switched on and the battery isn't completely knackered you should be charging the battery.

Do you have a picture of your set-up?

 

[Gene hunt]

Presuming you've got a battery charger and it's switched on and the battery isn't completely knackered you should be charging the battery.

Do you have a picture of your set-up?

I’m new to this so not sure I will take a pic today
How do I check the battery not knackered
I have a solar panel on the top will the readings of the battery be correct or is that current charge in it

 

[Eggs]

A cheap multimeter from any of the DIY sheds set to DC Volts is what you need to check your battery.

Edit: your solar will be producing very little at this time of year.

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[autorouter]

As @Eggs said, any cheap meter will do what you want. More expensive meters have extra functions that you probably will never need, and will not be much better for simple voltage measurements.
A cheap meter will probably not be auto-ranging, so you will need to set the meter dial. Battery voltages are DC (not AC) and will be about 10 to 15 volts. The setting '20 Volts DC' will be suitable.

Plug the black meter lead into the negative meter socket, which is usually marked 'COM', not negative as you might expect.

Plug the red meter lead into the positive meter socket, which is usually marked 'AC/DC V'. Also may be marked 'Ohms' or with a symbol like a headphone that is the greek letter 'omega' and is used by electricians as an abbreviation for the word 'Ohms'.

Poke the red probe onto the battery positive terminal, and the black probe onto the battery negative terminal. You should get a reading of about 10 to 15 volts.

To get readings that will mean something to the folks on here, turn off everything so that no power is being taken from the battery. Disconnect the EHU. To avoid confusion from the solar panel, disconnect the solar panel, or cover it, or wait until it's dark.
Let the battery rest a few minutes, then take a reading.

Then connect the EHU, and take another reading.

Let us know the two readings. They will tell us if the battery is good or not, and if the mains charger is doing its job.

If you're feeling confident so far, a third reading will be useful. Disconnect the EHU, start the engine, and measure the battery voltage with the engine running. This will tell us if the alternator is charging the batteries.

 

[Spriddler]

I don't think it's wise (however well meant) to suggest to this chap (who is clearly not at all electrical savvy) that he starts poking about with a meter (as well as his other naïve comments he said he didn't know what a multimeter was) since he may not even be able to tell the difference between the 12v and the mains circuitry.
Anyway, he seems to have run of Freebie access now.

 

[138go]

If you are using your MH not connected to the mains then you really need to be looking at 12v equipment. An inverter will power your sockets but only for a limited time. If you take the battery down below 50% of its capacity you will probably ruin it. So a 100AH battery will supply 50AH of useable 12v power.

Inverters convert your 12v into 240v but at a cost. The inverters use power for themselves and can be anywhere from 75 - 90 % efficient. A lot depends on the size of the inverter and how much power you are using. No point in having a 2000w inverter and plugging in your phone charger.

Solar panels during cloudy days and especially during the Winter will not provide enough power for Televisions and Play Stations. Your battery will just get depleted slowly. You will be lucky if you get 1A per hour from a panel this time of year.

As with everything electrical if you don't have a clue what you are doing leave it alone before you cause serious damage or kill yourself. 240v can and does kill. Perhaps you would be better off buying a book that will give you all the information you need Amazon product ASIN 1910664022

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[Nasher]

I don't think it's wise (however well meant) to suggest to this chap (who is clearly not at all electrical savvy) that he starts poking about with a meter (as well as his other naïve comments he said he didn't know what a multimeter was) since he may not even be able to tell the difference between the 12v and the mains circuitry.
Anyway, he seems to have run of Freebie access now.

I agree, if the op could include his location, then maybe someone could offer assistance or a recomendation of a local auto electrian

Poking around with multimeter probes is not a good Idea without some knowledge

 

[autorouter]

I don't think it's wise (however well meant) to suggest to this chap (who is clearly not at all electrical savvy) that he starts poking about with a meter (as well as his other naïve comments he said he didn't know what a multimeter was) since he may not even be able to tell the difference between the 12v and the mains circuitry.

I certainly think you have a valid point. However, the OP obviously wants to find out more about his van electrics. Measuring battery voltage is a good first step, and quite safe as long as he knows what a battery is.

hi can any one answer a question about increasing power to my plugs in my van conversion

When you say 'power plugs' can you clarify whether you mean 3-pin mains sockets or cigarette-lighter sockets for 12 volts.

If you mean mains sockets, do the sockets immediately lose all power when you disconnect the EHU?

If so, they are connected on your mains circuits. If they are only supplying very low power (phone charger etc) but fail with slightly higher power (TV, Xbox) then there is a fault in the mains wiring. It's probably just a poor connection somewhere in the wiring, but I think it's best if you ask someone with electrical experience to check that one out.

If the mains sockets lose power after a few minutes when not on EHU, the mains is coming from an 'inverter'. An inverter takes power from a 12-volt battery and boosts it up to 240 volts AC.

It would be good if you could look at the inverter label to see what power it is supposed to provide. Inverters are available in powers from 100 watts to 2000 watts or more. A picture would be even better.

If it's losing power, then either the inverter is overloaded (maybe it's only 100 watts) or the battery is not well charged, so the voltage drops and the inverter cuts out.

If by 'power plugs' you mean 12-volt cigarette-lighter sockets, then that's an entirely different ballgame.

 

[Spriddler]

I certainly think you have a valid point. However, the OP obviously wants to find out more about his van electrics.

Don't disagree with trying to help but I doubt that reference to Ah, watts, amps, inverter, AC/DC etc. etc. means the slightest to him (no offence Gene if you're still lurking).
As @Nasher said, he needs someone on the spot to guide him but he hasn't given his location.

Measuring battery voltage is a good first step, and quite safe as long as he knows what a battery is.

and is also aware of the hazards (spitting, burns, blowing fuses) of inadvertently shorting a terminal post with a spanner or screwdriver. Unlikely I know, especially as it seems his battery is knackered or at least discharged, but there are risks to someone who knows virtually nothing. Just knowing how to disconnect the solar could be a challenge for him.
I'd happily give him an hour (plenty of time to do the checks) if near to him but trying to help online is going to be very difficult (if he comes back).

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[pappajohn]

Hi it is plugged into the mains will that keep battery charged
And what is a multimeter and where will I get one[/QUOTE]

Oh dear... If you are still reading, you really need an auto or motorhome electrician as you obviously have no idea where or how to check circuits.