Totally confused by my electric set up - and when not on EHU i am struggling for power

[Langloan]

I have a new solar panel 150 w / two new leisure batteries at 80w each and an invertor 1600 Victron

Usually use EHU but went to the British Grand Prix and had no EHU

Leisure battery on control panel when we arrived was "good" but then after turning on the invertor to charge a couple of phones it started beeping and flashing "critically low"

Hopeless as i was there for 4 days and every time, i guess the solar moved the reading to good, it dropped to poor very quickly - have i previously blown up the batteries?

Any idea how to get someone with electrical knowledge to look at what i have, test and then suggest what i need? - endless little confusing boxes everywhere in the motorhome and none of which i know what they are doing / Autotail Arapaho 2012

I live in Buckinghamshire so should i get a mobile caravan expert to come and have a look?

 

[PP Bear]

I don’t know your set up, but I wouldn’t have thought you needed to turn on the inverter to charge the phones. I usual just plug them into the 12 volt USB sockets without switching on an inverter.

Could it be that when you turn on the inverter you have other 230v systems already plugged in and then drawing power?

Also, the leisure batteries are in amps per hour and not listed as 80w. I have 2 x 115amp batteries and they last a fair amount of time when away from EHU.

 

[meanders]

The inverter also takes power just to run, and you get losses in the conversion, so getting 12v usb sockets is much preferable.

 

[VXman]

We were at Silverstone from Thursday - to Monday. Only one 175W solar panel and 2 batteries. We managed fine including using the inverter to charge electric bikes, charge the laptop and use the toaster at breakfast. So really you should have been fine.

Don't understand why you would use an inverter for charging phones - do you not have any 12 volt usb sockets? If not I would suggest getting some - less wasted power converting up to 240 volt and then down again.

I'd say either somethings wrong with the solar not charging, or as said above - is something drawing power from the inverter that you re unaware of - or your batteries are knackered. Can you check the batteries with a multi meter?

 

[NigelNovice]

I assume you still have a 12v socket aka the cigarette lighter socket, we have (but dont currently use) a dual USB outlet plug that will power a couple of phones

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[icantremember]

I have a new solar panel 150 w / two new leisure batteries at 80w each and an invertor 1600 Victron

Usually use EHU but went to the British Grand Prix and had no EHU

Leisure battery on control panel when we arrived was "good" but then after turning on the invertor to charge a couple of phones it started beeping and flashing "critically low"

Hopeless as i was there for 4 days and every time, i guess the solar moved the reading to good, it dropped to poor very quickly - have i previously blown up the batteries?

Any idea how to get someone with electrical knowledge to look at what i have, test and then suggest what i need? - endless little confusing boxes everywhere in the motorhome and none of which i know what they are doing / Autotail Arapaho 2012

I live in Buckinghamshire so should i get a mobile caravan expert to come and have a look?

Is the inverter powering the fridge or water heater?

 

[pappajohn]

There's a good chance the inverter feed wires are an inadequate size.
The inverter is alarming because of volt drop in the wires feeding it.
As said, phones etc are far better charged via a USB charger plugged into a cig lighter socket.

 

[mitzimad]

Without knowing what your running from the batteries and what loads you had on the invertor its a guessing game

 

[Lenny HB]

OK charging phones from an invertor is silly but it's not going to use much power.

I wonder if you have killed your batteries using the invertor previously. A 1600VA Victron inverter is approx 1300watts (varies on power factor) if have been using it at say 1000 watts allowing for inverter inefficiency that is approx 92 amps. If you want your batteries to last you shouldn't discharge them at more than the C5 rate which for your batteries is 32 amps.

 

[TheBig1]

running that inverter at full power you have under 1 hour of usable energy in your batteries. If you have 2x 80amp/hour batteries, then you have at 50% only 80amps for 1 hour or it's equivalent. In reality anything that draws high energy by creating heat or traction is not suited to being run on a small battery bank with minimal solar power to replace energy used

I know it shocks newbies that the sockets in a motorhome cannot be used as they would at home. Even moreso when not on hookup. Salesmen are great at selling the idea that an inverter is all important but there are better options for most tasks

In short, 2 80amp batteries are not enough and you have likely killed them with previous use

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[Jimbohorlicks]

You really need to get hold of a multimeter and check the voltage of the batteries and not rely on the control panel. Your batteries are probably as old as your van and need replacing,you dont indicate how long you have had the van. Best if you take them off and charge each one independently ( disconnect the solar panel input first) and then check the batteries