Quote:
Originally Posted by Warren Drifter
SeaBis electrolysis elimination system is a pretty good gadget to have connected all the time to monitor if and when there is stray DC current. Mine works very well and helps when tracking down suspicious DC equipment.
The device has a built-in AC alarm. As I am never connected to AC shore power, it is only an added unused feature. But whenever the solar panels belt out any higher than 13.8 volts DC, that AC alarm light starts flashing intermittently along with the battery negative side of the monitor and sometimes the positive side as well. If I turn off the solar panels or wait til sundown so their output is below 13.8 volts DC, all goes back to normal.
The seller suggested my solar panels are producing too much AC voltage. I am wondering if anyone out there has the same experience.
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Hello and thanks for everyone's comments on my above question. I have done a few tests and having narrowed it down a bit, wish to share my findings with you.
When my original charge controller having a factory “float” setting of 13.8 vdc sees my
batteries full at 13.8 vdc, it disallows anymore charge to the
batteries. But when the SeaBis unit sees this action, it warns me of something by flashing the green DC lights and the red AC alarm light.
With suspicions that the SeaBis unit reactions are due to the charge controller, I bypassed the controller and fed
power from the
panels directly into the batteries. I cautiously let the batteries build up to 14.4 vdc. The SeaBis unit did not react like before and kept it’s green light constant and it’s red AC alarm light stayed off.
The results of that direct charge test inspired me to
purchase another charge controller. It came with a factory (adjustable) float setting of 13.4 vdc. This charge controller caused the SeaBis unit to react the same as my previous charge controller with only difference being that it reacted when at the lower float setting of 13.4 vdc.
That was indeed interesting so I spent many hours doing tests by turning off the panels and letting the batteries stabilize and then recharging them with different “float” settings using this new charge controller. I done this test by changing the float setting in 2.0 volt increments for each test from 13.0 volts to 14.4 vdc and observed the SeaBis unit reacting with flashing green DC lights and red AC light at each test as soon as the “float” setting had been surpassed.
I think I have done a fair test and can honestly conclude that the reaction of the SeaBis unit is directly related to the suppression of excess
current over and above the float charge setting. Then I browsed the web searching for information on charge controllers
learning that my two controllers are the most common charge controllers used for
solar panels and that they are PWM controllers, PWM meaning Pulse Width Modulators. The site below is a very good explanation on why and how these charge controllers
work.
Pulse Width Modulation Charge Controllers Explained
Without any extensive background education in
electronics, I will still risk saying that whatever internal gadget or function is built into the SeaBis unit, it is seeing this DC pulse and is interpreting it as AC (alternating current) thus triggering the red flashing warning AC light.
I hope this helps clear up this matter. Thanks.