Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 23-10-2013, 15:34   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Boat: Beneteau 393
Posts: 101
Battery questions.

Anyone here use solar to charge their batteries?

Anyone using the emarine e20 solar and wind regulator?

I can't seem to get my batteries charged above 70%. 12.3 VDC to be exact. Drops down to 11.something by morning just running the fridge.

New batteries. 3 x 4D installed about 6 months ago. Spoke to the emarine folks. They are confident their product is working ok. They suggest it is either my batteries or wiring.

I can't use shore power or I'd use that to charge the batteries and maybe isolate the fault.

Problem I have is I am in El Salvador and can't easily get a tradesman in to take a look. Has anyone experienced something similar or have any suggestions for me?

Thanks team

Simon
Kordie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 15:56   #2
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Maryland
Boat: Island Packet 35
Posts: 132
Do you own a multi meter?
Hotel L is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 16:02   #3
Senior Cruiser
 
skipmac's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
Re: Battery questions.

Need more information to try to diagnose the problem.

1. Voltage output from the charger when the sun is max on the panels

2. Total amp hours in and out each day?

3. How many amp hours used by the fridge?

4. Amps output from the solar panel?
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
skipmac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 16:06   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Boat: Beneteau 393
Posts: 101
I have a clamp type multimeter

Today i saw up to 17 V trickling into the batteries but still the voltage was not rising. This was just with the fridge on.

I will try to collect more info tomorrow

Thanks team
Kordie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 16:28   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Charleston South Carolina
Boat: Catalina 27
Posts: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kordie View Post
I have a clamp type multimeter

Today i saw up to 17 V trickling into the batteries but still the voltage was not rising. This was just with the fridge on.

I will try to collect more info tomorrow

Thanks team
Hi Kordie,
Just to make sure we are all talking about the same thing:
The "clamp type" multimeter uses alligator clips to clamp onto the battery terminals....not a clamp that goes around the wire? Sorry if I am being remedial.

The 17 volts is per battery, or per set in parallel.

Are you charging from a motor or solar panel?

17v sounds a bit high for lead-acid battery doing a normal charge. An equalizer might hit that high per battery. If that were the case the batteries should be fully charged.

One thought, you might have an open or dry cell. That could explain high voltage during charge and low capacity and voltage under load.
biohead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 17:06   #6
Senior Cruiser
 
skipmac's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
Re: Battery questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kordie View Post
I have a clamp type multimeter

Today i saw up to 17 V trickling into the batteries but still the voltage was not rising. This was just with the fridge on.

I will try to collect more info tomorrow

Thanks team
Maybe you mean 17 A (amps) tricking into the batteries? Amps might trickle in or out but not volts.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
skipmac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 17:11   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
Re: Battery questions.

I think you mean 17A?

If the voltage does not go into the 14+ range, the panels are just too small / shaded / installation fault OR you are using too much juice and they do not catch up.

It is best to get one very small bat, hook the solars onto it and test this rig - with no consumers running ...

b.
barnakiel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 17:59   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Boat: Beneteau 393
Posts: 101
That was a. Typo. 17A

Couple of beers while I sat down on the inter web didn't help.
Kordie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 18:00   #9
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Boat: Beneteau 393
Posts: 101
Quote:
Originally Posted by barnakiel View Post
I think you mean 17A? If the voltage does not go into the 14+ range, the panels are just too small / shaded / installation fault OR you are using too much juice and they do not catch up. It is best to get one very small bat, hook the solars onto it and test this rig - with no consumers running ... b.
Tomorrow I am just running the one battery to see what sort of charge I can get.

I am thinking I need more panels and a bigger controller. Easier said than done and may have to struggle through until I get to panama.

Cheers
Kordie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 18:58   #10
Senior Cruiser
 
skipmac's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
Re: Battery questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kordie View Post
That was a. Typo. 17A

Couple of beers while I sat down on the inter web didn't help.
Understand. Of course I've never made that mistake myself.

Just don't have a third beer and get the + and - backwards. Makes for interesting fireworks.

__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
skipmac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2013, 19:17   #11
Moderator Emeritus
 
sailorchic34's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Boat: Islander 34
Posts: 5,486
Re: Battery questions.

I use solar for battery charging with a 120v fridge running off a small inverter. I have 230 watts of panel and real life get 60-65 amps (total) a day on a good day. Just enough to keep the batteries happy. You should be seeing 14.4ish volts at the battery when the battery get toward full. Though I only have 440 amps total on my batts.
sailorchic34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-10-2013, 08:08   #12
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
Re: Battery questions.

Correct me if I am wrong but an average solar system will be less than capable in the morning when bats could accept max amps then it will be too capable at noon when the bats can no longer accept plenty of amps.

In a way, with a well sized solar bank, one would need a decent optional power uptake to utilize the available surplus ... say a watermaker ... ?

b.
barnakiel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-10-2013, 08:43   #13
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Boat: Beneteau 393
Posts: 101
Quote:
Originally Posted by barnakiel View Post
Correct me if I am wrong but an average solar system will be less than capable in the morning when bats could accept max amps then it will be too capable at noon when the bats can no longer accept plenty of amps. In a way, with a well sized solar bank, one would need a decent optional power uptake to utilize the available surplus ... say a watermaker ... ? b.
And if my batteries reached 100% by afternoon then I'd be making water :-)
Kordie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-10-2013, 12:30   #14
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
Re: Battery questions.

Yep.

b.
barnakiel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29-10-2013, 16:06   #15
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Maryland
Boat: Island Packet 35
Posts: 132
STOP.....STOP....STOP.... If you want any real help from genuine knowledgable people then please....please...discribe in detail what and how you are setting things up. Tests or system. Assumptions well make asses. Are you putting the multimeter inline with the battery and the positive wire? eg disconnecting the positive wire and putting the meter in between the connection?
Hotel L is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:21.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.