Red Light On Solar Regulater (1 Viewer)

Oct 24, 2014
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Stockport Cheshire
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33,968
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Hia

Don't shout at me
I'm not very technicol mindered
Here's my question

Had my solar panel on the van roof for about 18 months and have had no problems

The other day after 238 mile journey lesuire batteries had hardy any life in them and red light is showing on the solar regulated

Van battery ok

Now home and batteries completely flat

Seems all the charge as been sucked out of them

And red light still on

Any ideas why

Thanks
 

Wildman

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May 30, 2008
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Hi Polly, is there a voltmeter that you can take readings off of or do you have a multimeter that you can use. Either the batteries are dead, there is a fault with the solar system, a fuse has gone, or failing that something may be short circuit draining all of the power (most common cause of that is mouse damage to the wiring) To check for mouse damage to wiring first cover the solar panel to protect the solar controller. Then disconnect the leisure battery earth and try a continuity between the positive battery terminal and and earth point on the van. If you see any reading then you have a short circuit someplace. If you have a multimeter measure the voltage across the left hand pair of terminals on the solar controller. That will tell you if the panel is charging at all. Measuring the voltage across the middle pair of terminals at the solar controller will tell you if anything is coming out of the controller into the battery. Measuring across the righthand pair of terminals will only show a voltage if the battery level is above a preset level, usually about 10.5V (an under load voltage) below which it switches off power to those terminals. So you should be able to determine first is there any charge from the panel, if not on a sunny day then the panel is shot. If there is and also voltage present on the center pair of terminals then the regulator is probably ok. Another thing to check is the split charge relay from the engine does it work. If you have a pair of leisure batteries then disconnect the solar or cover it then remove the batteries and charge independently overnight. take off charge in the morning and read the voltage across the battery terminals make a note of it, then measure again an hour later it should drop from around 13.8 to 12.8 as the surface charge dissipates measure again one hour later and it should remain at 12.8 if it drops a lot check again 6 hours later if it drops to 10.5v or less the battery is shot and you need a new one.
To check the split charge relay cover the solar panel and measure across the battery terminals. Then start the engine and measure again, does the voltage increase? if not then either a fuse or the split charge relay is faulty. Obviously every van has a different fuse layout so only people with the same model can advise you where the fuses are located unless you have a decent handbook. I may have missed something, if I have then no doubt someone will be along to correct me very quickly.

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JockandRita

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Aug 2, 2007
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Hi Polly, is there a voltmeter that you can take readings off of or do you have a multimeter that you can use. Either the batteries are dead, there is a fault with the solar system, a fuse has gone, or failing that something may be short circuit draining all of the power (most common cause of that is mouse damage to the wiring) To check for mouse damage to wiring first cover the solar panel to protect the solar controller. Then disconnect the leisure battery earth and try a continuity between the positive battery terminal and and earth point on the van. If you see any reading then you have a short circuit someplace. If you have a multimeter measure the voltage across the left hand pair of terminals on the solar controller. That will tell you if the panel is charging at all. Measuring the voltage across the middle pair of terminals at the solar controller will tell you if anything is coming out of the controller into the battery. Measuring across the righthand pair of terminals will only show a voltage if the battery level is above a preset level, usually about 10.5V (an under load voltage) below which it switches off power to those terminals. So you should be able to determine first is there any charge from the panel, if not on a sunny day then the panel is shot. If there is and also voltage present on the center pair of terminals then the regulator is probably ok. Another thing to check is the split charge relay from the engine does it work. If you have a pair of leisure batteries then disconnect the solar or cover it then remove the batteries and charge independently overnight. take off charge in the morning and read the voltage across the battery terminals make a note of it, then measure again an hour later it should drop from around 13.8 to 12.8 as the surface charge dissipates measure again one hour later and it should remain at 12.8 if it drops a lot check again 6 hours later if it drops to 10.5v or less the battery is shot and you need a new one.
To check the split charge relay cover the solar panel and measure across the battery terminals. Then start the engine and measure again, does the voltage increase? if not then either a fuse or the split charge relay is faulty. Obviously every van has a different fuse layout so only people with the same model can advise you where the fuses are located unless you have a decent handbook. I may have missed something, if I have then no doubt someone will be along to correct me very quickly.
Great stuff Roger, and pleased to see you helping someone in need (y) however, it's all quite daunting if as Polly indicated from her original post, ie.
Hia
Don't shout at me
I'm not very technicol mindered
Although I consider myself technically minded, even I would feel a bit daunted following all of that. ;)

Sorry Polly, other than it should be a green light for charging, and red for not charging, I am unable to offer any assistance. :(

Good luck with it. (y)

Jock.
 

andy63

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Jan 19, 2014
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Hi. It might help if you posted a picture or named the type of controller. .. It might be as simple as Brian has said... but without knowing if it's the same controller he can't be sure..
Just had a look at my controller instructions and it indicates a steady red light under the battery symbol indicates an over discharged battery... you know that already :).. so all I can suggest is as wild man has said check the panel voltage with a meter to make sure they are producing... If that's right the control may be faulty...or you have a drain on your batteries the panel can't keep up with..
Ta Andy.
 

mjltigger

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Nov 12, 2014
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Great stuff Roger, and pleased to see you helping someone in need (y) however, it's all quite daunting if as Polly indicated from her original post, ie.

Although I consider myself technically minded, even I would feel a bit daunted following all of that. ;)

Sorry Polly, other than it should be a green light for charging, and red for not charging, I am unable to offer any assistance. :(

Good luck with it. (y)

Jock.

I'm with @Wildman bit as @JockandRita said it's a lot to take in. Have you got manuals? If so I would expect a trouble shooting guide. In there I would hope some clues as to what fuses there are. I'm going to be honest, if we can't find a blown fuse and you struggle with wildman's instructions then I think you're going to need more tech help than we can give you...
 
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Polly Put The Kettle On
Oct 24, 2014
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Stockport Cheshire
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Hia

Yes can be a little or lot to technical but it doesn't hurt for me to try and digest these comments.
Also may Benifit others
thanks
image.jpg

It shows the same reading when switched on aux
image.jpg
 
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Polly Put The Kettle On
Oct 24, 2014
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Thanks Wildman
I have my brother in law coming round late afternoon tomorrow
He's electrical
We will be able to work through your instructions as they sound quite/quiet clear
 

andy63

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Jan 19, 2014
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If your solar panel was working there should be a green light lit up above that symbol ( ie the left hand led.. ) assuming the picture was taken during the day..
Looks like you need to check the panel connections ...
Ta andy

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Apr 22, 2013
911
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If its an older type of epsolar controller like this
Broken Link Removed
The little minonic below the centre LSD is indicating what that LED is telling you the state of the battery.
From the top downwards:
Slow flashing Green - Fully charged
Solid Green - Voltage within normal range.
Solid Orange - Voltage low.
Solid Red - Voltage very (very) low
Fast flashing Red - Battery Dead.

The questions that need to be answered is:
Is the panel working? - The left hand LED is green when the panel is suppling power.
Do you have a large load switched on that is taking more power than the panel can supply.
Is the controller or battery cream krackered.
 

icantremember

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Sep 2, 2010
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Hia

Yes can be a little or lot to technical but it doesn't hurt for me to try and digest these comments.
Also may Benifit others
thanks
View attachment 63536
It shows the same reading when switched on aux View attachment 63539

Following on from my previous post your red light is not showing the regulator to be switched off but does appear to indicate a flat battery .... However on the right hand side of your picture there is a power switch shown (the circle with a vertical line through the top) which I think is a push button that will isolate the solar panel from your batteries. Try pressing it and it should pop out (or if it's already out it will stay in when pressed)

Whatever you do it looks like the batteries are completely flat and may or may not recover when put back on charge.

EDIT Please disregard my comments above re the power switch, I have just found your Instructions at http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/uploads/asset_file/EPHC_Instructions.pdf
and it is a load on/off switch so relevant at the moment.
 

karl c

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Mar 25, 2014
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Following on from my previous post your red light is not showing the regulator to be switched off but does appear to indicate a flat battery .... However on the right hand side of your picture there is a power switch shown (the circle with a vertical line through the top) which I think is a push button that will isolate the solar panel from your batteries. Try pressing it and it should pop out (or if it's already out it will stay in when pressed)

Whatever you do it looks like the batteries are completely flat and may or may not recover when put back on charge.

EDIT Please disregard my comments above re the power switch, I have just found your Instructions at http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/uploads/asset_file/EPHC_Instructions.pdf
and it is a load on/off switch so relevant at the moment.

The left led is your solar panel, the middle led is your Batteries and the right led is for the output to a load witch can be set to come on for a length of time when your solar panel is not getting any out put.
I would look at ware the wires run to you Batteries see if the is a fuse.
do not bother with the switch on the right side as this only to adjust the timer for the load out put and you do not have anything in the load side.

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Jun 11, 2011
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i would have thought after 235 miles the engine should have charged the batteries not solar panel just a thought?? good luck
 

karl c

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Mar 25, 2014
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Have you got a split charger? first thing to look at is the Batteries, see if there is and loose wires or blown fuses.
see if your slit charger has a fuse.
 

Andy

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My solar panel controller, Does have RED lights to indicate it's working. (y)
Not same make, etc as shown in thread, though.

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jollyrodger

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panel.jpg


It looks like you have no power coming from your solar ,I had the same regulater in the last van,
LH Lamp=Solar
Middle Lamp =Battery chrge state (blinks red when charging ? then stays fixed green ,full charge)
RH lamp via micro switch ,timer on / off or permanently on (lamp/load) I used it to power multi socket seen in top left and showing 13.4v
If you have a fused in line check that first ,hope you can sort it without any expense (y)
 

sedge

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Err, daft (but simple) question but how old is your habitation battery?

I know nowt technical, same as you Polly - but just strikes me it would be silly doing all this that and the other - if it turned out it's just that the battery has reached the end of it's useful life.
 

Wildman

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at 5 years old they may be finished, however my pair were bought and installed in 2001, they are on their way out but are not flat, they do take a charge. Some however could be fubar after 5 years.
 
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Polly Put The Kettle On
Oct 24, 2014
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No mouse

Batteries ok
When checking the polarity the battery terminals were right
BUT
The wires going into the regulater solar panel are showing reverse polarity the next 2 holes with wire in show the correct polarity

So it looks that the solar panel holes in the regulater have the wrong wires in but the wires are not coloured

Sorry about the wording

If we change the wires round to make it neg and pos what will happen if it's wrong what will blow what damage
 

Wildman

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that would do it if he is correct. however you have had the van 18 months with no problem I find that difficult to believe you had no previous problem. Have someone else check the polarity to be sure. Has anyone tampered with the wiring?
If that is indeed the case then I suggest the solar panel has never charged the batteries as it would go into fault mode or maybe destroy the controller with reverse polarity and the batteries have survived by being charged via the split charger. A pair of flat batteries demand a very high current thus often blowing the fuse adjacent to the batteries.
 
Last edited:

andy63

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the controller will have reverse polarity protection, so you would just need to reverse the wires and the led should light indicating the panel is working, but like Wildman cant see how it has been working up until just recently... has someone not been working on it??
ta andy
 
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Polly Put The Kettle On
Oct 24, 2014
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Stockport Cheshire
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Hia

Sorry for the delay my elec man came the other evening
He checked the fuse ok
Batteries ok
Using his multimedia checked the regulater the holes that the wires go in for solar panel
They showed a neg
He switched his proders round and they showed pos
The battery holes showed pos
As the wires are not coloured he was not sure if to turn them round.
He did read your instructions but wanted me to get more advise

I am away next weekend so a motorhoming friend is going to have a look

Oh my electrian took the wires out of the solar panel holes

I was going to plug into my elec but thought I would just check my batteries and on the meter thingy shows batteries are charged

So thank you

Will let you know how I go on
 

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