Adiebt Posted August 12, 2018 Share Posted August 12, 2018 Please excuse my lack of knowledge ! Came home from a day out and the hab area was stinking of rotten eggs , leisure battery was hot to the touch and the smell was emanating from the battery locker. As actions i turned off the charger switch on the mains unit and disconnected the negative lead on the battery ( ive put a plastic cover over the lead to stop any shorting issues ) , the battery has now cooled down and the smell has abated. Have i done the right things and will this have any effect on the starter battery as we are continuing to use 12v appliances , pumps n lights etc ? We are on 240v hook up .Im sourcing a new battery today , we rarely go off grid btw. Any recommendations for a new battery ? Could the charging unit be at fault ? We have a solar panel feed also btw , does this need to be turned off whilst the battery is disconnected ( i believe it feeds also the starter battery ) Thanks for all your help in advance ! Was quite a nervous afternoon tbh ! Bailey 740SE. 2013. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted August 12, 2018 Share Posted August 12, 2018 Yes you have done ok in isolating the battery and turning off the charger. I wouldn't have removed the battery clamps until the area was thoroughly ventilated to get rid of the explosive gas. Removing battery clamps, especially when Solar charged, can result in sparks with nasty results and Acid sprayed around. However, suggest you identify if it is the battery or charger at fault, So reconnect the battery and turn on the charger for a minute or two but ventilate the area really well to get rid of the explosive gas before you start any work. Check the voltage at the Controller/Display to confirm the voltage is below 14.5v, if it is the charger is ok and it is the battery that has failed. Turn off the charger but you don't need to disconnect the battery so long as the charger is left off if you intend to change the battery soon. Removing the battery leads can cause a spark which may ignite the gas that has leaked from the battery, so maybe the clamps are best left on. Yes isolate the Solar Panel from the regulator before doing any battery maintenance. If you rarely use the vehicle 'off grid' then almost any battery will do as it won't ever do any work, the charger/power supply will pick up any demand for 12v power. However, you should be aware that permanent charging of the battery by many Solar regulators can result in the battery being deteriorated. See : http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/ehu-full-time-yes-or-no.php If you have Solar then a battery more resistant to Solar overcharge might be a good idea, a battery like the Varta LFD90 at about £99. I am also concerned that the gas vented into the vehicle. The fitment of a Varta LFD90 that doesn't gas, even under extreme circumstances, would result in reduced risk next time. It is one of the safest batteries around. If you buy a Varta LFD90 from Alpha Batteries and mention A and N Caravans, they may offer a small discount. Sorry I can't answer the question about the Starter battery as I don't know the solution in your vehicle. but It sounds like the Solar regulator is able to meet the demand for 12v. If so you might find you lose lights, etc when the sun drops in the sky? I would be interested to know the battery currently installed and it's age, if you wouldn't mind posting back on here the outcome? We are always gathering info on batteries. Ta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adiebt Posted August 12, 2018 Author Share Posted August 12, 2018 Many many thanks for your advice. I’ve a guy coming to site tomorrow to peruse the battery and charger , I’ll show him your reply before I let him start work . Yet again many thanks and I’ll follow your recommendations re new battery . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted August 12, 2018 Share Posted August 12, 2018 aandncaravan, Having read your info on full time charging, I assume that solar panel charging benefits from the day and night cycle when no charging takes place depending on time of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Will86 - 2018-08-12 11:39 PM Aandncaravan, Having read your info on full time charging, I assume that solar panel charging benefits from the day and night cycle when no charging takes place depending on time of year. Yes the short break between 20:00 and 05:00 in mid summer does help, but that is often counteracted by the problem that most Solar chargers 'wake up' each day in full 'boost' mode, some for 4 hours, before they drop down to a 13.8v Float/trickle. A Solar charger usually starts up in full charge 14.4v mode, even if the battery is fully charged. Temperature is a major factor when 'long term' float charging and the very low 4Ah daily solar gain (for a 100w panel) on a cold Decembers day will be far less damaging than constant charging a battery in July in the 40 degree temperatures of Portugal. We now think that Solar, because it delivers most charge when the temperatures are highest, may be more damaging than EHU connected throughout the long months of winter. But obviously that is charger and battery dependent. The best charger manufacturers (both Solar and mains) seem to be waking up to the issues and are bringing out designs with Temperature compensation. This may reduce the chargers output in Summer to protect the battery but increase charging when the battery temperature is cold. Anyone buying the very good Votronic Solar charger range might do well to buy the optional temperature compensation cable set?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 aandncaravan - 2018-08-13 12:06 AM Anyone buying the very good Votronic Solar charger range might do well to buy the optional temperature compensation cable set?. Can I ask a quick question about the temperature sensing cable Allan? I have a Votronic MPP regulator and a Votronic B2B. Both units have connection terminals for the temperature sensor cable, and a cable is supplied with the B2B. It is the same cable as is also listed for the solar regulator in the Votronic documentation. I have been wondering if, having connected the sensor cable from the battery to the terminals on the B2B, I can run the remaining length of cable from the B2B terminals to the solar regulator terminals? Or would I need to fit two sensors with separate cables to each unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Deneb - 2018-08-13 8:45 AM Can I ask a quick question about the temperature sensing cable Allan? I have a Votronic MPP regulator and a Votronic B2B. Both units have connection terminals for the temperature sensor cable, and a cable is supplied with the B2B. It is the same cable as is also listed for the solar regulator in the Votronic documentation. I have been wondering if, having connected the sensor cable from the battery to the terminals on the B2B, I can run the remaining length of cable from the B2B terminals to the solar regulator terminals? Or would I need to fit two sensors with separate cables to each unit? Has anyone any idea of the feasibility of this please? From what I understand the chargers measure the resistance between the two input cables from the temperature sensor. Can this be shared between two controllers, either by chaining them together with the terminals of the first linked to the second, or by splitting the cable from the sensor through a junction terminal? Or is it a non starter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plwsm2000 Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Deneb - 2018-08-14 5:03 PM Deneb - 2018-08-13 8:45 AM Can I ask a quick question about the temperature sensing cable Allan? I have a Votronic MPP regulator and a Votronic B2B. Both units have connection terminals for the temperature sensor cable, and a cable is supplied with the B2B. It is the same cable as is also listed for the solar regulator in the Votronic documentation. I have been wondering if, having connected the sensor cable from the battery to the terminals on the B2B, I can run the remaining length of cable from the B2B terminals to the solar regulator terminals? Or would I need to fit two sensors with separate cables to each unit? Has anyone any idea of the feasibility of this please? From what I understand the chargers measure the resistance between the two input cables from the temperature sensor. Can this be shared between two controllers, either by chaining them together with the terminals of the first linked to the second, or by splitting the cable from the sensor through a junction terminal? Or is it a non starter? Don't do it!. Get two sensors if you must. By far the most common method to measure resistance is to pass a known current through the resistor and measure the voltage across it (or apply a voltage and measure the current). The resistance value is then calculated using ohms law. Trying to use 1 sensor connected to 2 controllers will confuse both controllers and may cause some damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted August 15, 2018 Share Posted August 15, 2018 plwsm2000 - 2018-08-14 5:48 PM Don't do it!. Get two sensors if you must. OK, thank you. I doubt I'll bother. Been perfectly happy with the MPP controller without the sensor. IT was just that, as a sensor is supplied with the B2B charger, I wondered if I could implement it for both units. Thank you again for the explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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