Blue Sea SI-ACR

[mestrezat]

Last year, I had one of the Blue Sea SI-ACR automatic charging relays installed into my charging system. It's supposed to combine the out put from my charger so that it will charge both my House and Start banks at the same time. Now I've found that it seems to have combined both the Start and House into one big banks so as one bank(normally the House bank) gets drained, it's also draining my Start batteries so I can't start my engine. It's supposed to be set up so that when the incoming charge that combines the batteries for charging stops, they connection between the two banks is severed and they will again act as separate banks. Mine seems to keep them combined.
Had it installed by a "professional" but don't think he did it right as this problem has only happened since this piece of gear was installed.
Any suggestion on what to look for to correct it. Is it possible that the unit may be bad or just badly installed?

[john61ct]

Those in particular are great quality and very reliable.

The combining is based on voltage level, 13.6V after a delay of 30 seconds or 13.0V after 90 seconds of delay.*

Those smaller ones (120A) don't have a manual override, but I suppose could get tack-welded stuck closed if too much current flowed though?

They also have an excellent "starter isolate" feature (hence SI), maybe that got wired wrong, often does.

Or have you got too-big loads running while a high-enough voltage but too-small current charge is keeping the ACR closed? Like small solar?

If so maybe need to use a one-way device for Starter batt, like Echo Charger or a small DCDC charger, assuming your charge sources all go direct to House, as they should.

[smac999]

They have an led light on it. On = Unit combined. Voltage over 12.8 or so. After charging or engines are off. (Sometimes might take ~1h). They led should turn off. Look at the light and measure your voltages.

I have installed 100+ and never had an issue.

[smac999]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Or have you got too-big loads running while a high-enough voltage but too-small current charge is keeping the ACR closed? Like small solar?

Impossible to have a high voltage without a net pos charge.

[john61ct]

What if say a solar charge is on one side of the ACR, the big load and one bank on the other.

Some ACRs only sensing from one side, maybe could cause this?

If not that, and if unit isn't welded open, then it was installed wrong.

[mestrezat]

I'm the original poster and here is a followup as of this AM. Last evening, I ran our generator for about a hour to top off the batteries(house and start) for the night. Not a full charge by any means. This morning, the house was at 12.1 while the start batteries were at 11.1! I started up our generator and ran it for almost two hours and everything looks fine right now but something is wrong. It shouldn't drain the batteries, especially the start that way.
I'll go looking for the LED light and if it's on.

[mestrezat]

More follow up. I turned on the generator and turned on my charger and yes, the LED did turn on after about a minute or so. When I turned the generator and charger off, about three minutes later, the LED was off. Voltage of the House was at 12.5 and the Start showed at 12.4. I'll watch them through the day and see what happens. These batteries(lead/acid) about about 6 years old bought in French Poly so who knows the quality. May have gone bad. Will be out looking for replacements this morning.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by mestrezat

I'm the original poster and here is a followup as of this AM. Last evening, I ran our generator for about a hour to top off the batteries(house and start) for the night. Not a full charge by any means. This morning, the house was at 12.1 while the start batteries were at 11.1! I started up our generator and ran it for almost two hours and everything looks fine right now but something is wrong. It shouldn't drain the batteries, especially the start that way.
I'll go looking for the LED light and if it's on.

If the ACR had the batteries in "parallel" (relay closed) then the voltage of both banks would be the same. Your start battery is at 11.1V and house is at 12.1V. A full volt of difference can't happen if the batteries were in-fact in parallel.

Sounds like you have a parasitic load on the start battery or a failed battery. The ACR opens at 12.8V which is above the resting voltage of a full battery. The voltage at which the ACR opens, above the fully charged 100% SOC voltage point, means that virtually no Ah capacity can be drawn from the start battery.

To test the ACR:

Disconnect the small black or yellow negative lead from the ACR, just pull straight out. Now remove one battery lead, either side does not matter. Now then test for continuity across the 3/8" "A" post and 3/8" "B" post of the relay. If you have continuity it has failed closed. If you have no continuity then the unit is "open" and most likely working as it should. I've never had one of these units actually fail but have seen them installed incorrectly.

Perhaps a diagram of how it was installed will help...

[mestrezat]

It's now been five hours since I charged up the batteries with my generator and charger. I let the generator run till my Xantex link 2000 went into the "accept" mode and then ran it some more to give everything a good charge. Once that was done, and with the start batteries showing at full charge, I started the engine and let it run for a few minutes. That went just fine. Then I started up the generator and made sure the LED on the Blue Sea was on. All seemed fine so I shut off the engine and a few minutes later the LED went off. Since then, everything seems fine with both banks holding their own in the 12.3 to 12.4 range. Wind is blowing so my wind generator is doing some good(but not much) but all seems fine so far. I'll wait another day to see how it does over night. Replacement batteries run close to $200 each so I'm in no hurry to rush out and buy two.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by mestrezat

Last year, I had one of the Blue Sea SI-ACR automatic charging relays installed into my charging system. It's supposed to combine the out put from my charger so that it will charge both my House and Start banks at the same time. Now I've found that it seems to have combined both the Start and House into one big banks so as one bank(normally the House bank) gets drained, it's also draining my Start batteries so I can't start my engine. It's supposed to be set up so that when the incoming charge that combines the batteries for charging stops, they connection between the two banks is severed and they will again act as separate banks. Mine seems to keep them combined.
Had it installed by a "professional" but don't think he did it right as this problem has only happened since this piece of gear was installed.
Any suggestion on what to look for to correct it. Is it possible that the unit may be bad or just badly installed?

Whenever anyone asks a question like this my first thought is did you contact the manufacturer?

Well did you? I have called Blue Sea before and found them to be both knowledgeable and responsive. Manufacturers should be at the very least knowledgeable about their products and are usually responsive.

[mestrezat]

Yes, I've sent them two emails so far and have heard nothing from them. OK, it was over the week end but YES, I did email them.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by mestrezat

Yes, I've sent them two emails so far and have heard nothing from them. OK, it was over the week end but YES, I did email them.

My bad, just noticed your location. Sorry. I have called them before on the phone, they always answered the phone but maybe not the best option for you.

[mestrezat]

Followup.
This morning, the banks appeared to be in good condition. House, where most of the draw is was down to 12.05 and the Start showed at 12.4.
I fired up my generator and turned on my charger and let her rip. The charger came on putting the normal strain on the generator for a few moments till it settled into it's job. I checked my volt meter on the House--13.5, the Start was still at 12.4. No charging was happening to the "start" bank. I took a look at the SI-ACR and the LED wasn't on. So from what I've heard and read here, the unit wasn't working. I turned off the charger for a few moments and then turned it back on and a few moments later, the LED came on and my volt meter shot up to 13.5 for the "start" bank. Now it was getting a charge. No clue what had happened but it's running now. Glad I checked my meters.
Any one have a clue as to what's going on? Still haven't heard back from Blue Sea.

[Stu Jackson]

Any time anything electrical is intermittent, 99% of the problem is a BAD CONNECTION. Have you checked?

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Any time anything electrical is intermittent, 99% of the problem is a BAD CONNECTION. Have you checked?

And by checking, this means removing the connector, cleaning and refitting rather than looking and saying "yep, looks good and it's nice and tight".

FWIW, one of the best spray cleaners is DeOxit (5%). Expensive but but you only need the lightest spray rather than "hosing it on".