kenroyce Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 To all the experts. I have a charger in my van that has gone on the blink. I have a solar panel that charges my leisure and engine battries. Can I bypass the charger so that the 230 volt units on my van connected to the mains. My theory is that the van is like a house with a ring main for the electrics so there should be no problem!!!!!! I am in your hands :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Have read this a few times and it is beyond me...I suggest you sit on your hands until you get some meaningful guidance. A van is nothing like house, it has no earth..........why not just replace the charger. the charger steps down the 230 v mains to match campers 12 v system and is essential :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Er - not quite - the built in charger is not essential if you don't use site or home hook ups! Even if you use mains electric it is simple enough to switch off the inbuilt charger and buy an 'intelligent' mains charger which you can, if you wish, build in near the battery. However if you have any doubts as to what you are doing - DON'T - mains electricity can KILL and 12V can start a fire if handled badly - get an electrician to do it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 kenroyce - 2010-02-19 10:08 AM To all the experts. I have a charger in my van that has gone on the blink. I have a solar panel that charges my leisure and engine battries. Can I bypass the charger so that the 230 volt units on my van connected to the mains. My theory is that the van is like a house with a ring main for the electrics so there should be no problem!!!!!! I am in your hands :-S Hi, I am afraid what yo are asking is not very clear. If you are meaning can I disconnect the charger, then yes you can but make sure any cables left unconnected are insulated well and terminated in a connection block. If your charger is duff then why not replace it. There are many available at a reasonable price and I think Malpin sell some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebishbus Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 having read this again,I think what Ken is saying, his charger is faulty, but he can still charge his batteries from his solar panel. He suspects that the mains sockets are wired as a ring main, so can connect 230 v straight into the ring main and power all his 230v sockets. !! Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebishbus Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 PS What I forgot add to my last posting was:- I would have thought that his mains sockets would have worked on hook up even with a faulty charger. !? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 kenroyce - 2010-02-19 10:08 AM To all the experts. I have a charger in my van that has gone on the blink. I have a solar panel that charges my leisure and engine battries. Can I bypass the charger so that the 230 volt units on my van connected to the mains. My theory is that the van is like a house with a ring main for the electrics so there should be no problem!!!!!! I am in your hands :-S A little knowledge is a very dangerous thing. !!!!! fIRSTLY, IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT YOUR MAINS 240 OUTLETS ARE WIRED IN RING MAIN FASSION. A ring main in a house is rated at fuseboard end with a 30 amp fuse and each plug into the socket can only have a max rating of 13 amp. Caravan wiring external connection cable (blue plug) is usually rated max 15 amps and the site outlet will have a breaker to ensure you cant take any more. With 2 or more sockets on a ring, you can theoritacally draw 30 amps without fuse blowing, but in van you would overload hookup point. The van hookup lead goes in to an isolating switch which would also trip on overload. Van wiring usually is wired "radially" i.e one cable from van input point to each socket, NOT in ring form, i.e from input to first outlet, then to second, then back to input point. Your faulty charger will be isolatable from the incoming 240 volts by some form of trip or fuse near the input point to the van, if only by the main van isolator.... You obviuosly cannot "bypass the charger" by connecting the incoming mains feed to charger ,direct to 12 volt output point on charger. That much must be obvious. You can isolate the charger by finding the relevant fuse/trip near the input point and disconnecting it. Your solar panel and regulator can be connected to battery 12 v point, but ensure that regulator is one that can work at the same time as (replacement or repaired) charger is also functioning, and you must ensure that panel wiring is fused at battery end small enough rating to protect the cabling in event of short occurring on panel wiring somewhere I strongly recommend you dont mess around yourself but get a qualified electrician to sort the problem. It is far too dangerous to mess with, unless you are fully qualified, You have been warned.!! tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 The answer is NO Get it sorted by a professional. Clive Sorry if the answer is a bit abrupt but the way the question is posed demonstrates a lack of basic understanding of AC and DC electrical systems. C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenroyce Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 You are the only one to give a sensible answer. Thanks :-o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Raindrop Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 We assume you mean Clive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 kenroyce - 2010-02-27 3:11 PM You are the only one to give a sensible answer. Thanks :-o Take an attitude like that sunshine and you might suddenly find yourself short of people willing to help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Oh dear. Bit scared to ask this now. I readily admit to being totally thick with engines and batteries, but is the original poster saying that if you have solar panels and suddenly the leisure battery isn't being charged by them , etc etc. and your answers .... do you all mean that you can't plug the leisure battery to house or hook up to charge it like you would normally do before you had solar panels? Hope you understand my question but I would love in the future to have solar panels but not if, when something goes wrong, I can't charge my leisure battery on the garage socket. Again sorry for being a bit dense on these things. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Oh well done Roon (seriously), I think you have just made it clear what the issue is. Kenroyce's solar charger has gone on thw blink and he is asking if he can still use the mains charger to charge the batteries. The answer to this is senario is yes. So Roon I would not worry about fitting solar panels. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 I'm glad you understood that so clearly, Jon, 'cos I'm still confused! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Well so am I really, I am just guessing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Thanks Brambles. I don't feel so embarrassed now. Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Brambles - 2010-02-27 5:35 PM Well so am I really, I am just guessing. Don't play Poker, do you? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 I am not putting any money on it! Shall now get back to my battery write up, really confused myself by introducing posssibility of using VRLA sealed gel batteries as found a cheap one half the price of normal ones. Why do we have so many choices, be much easier if batteries where like France used to be when you wanted to paint your shutters...you just asked for shutter paint and got the local colour everyone used. "Petite ou grand?" Small please. "Désolé, seulement reçu grand." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Je regrette juste que je ne puisse pas réussir à constater qu'une voie par toutes les options de batterie rend facile de réduire des choix, mais ce n'est pas et il n'y a aucune réponse réelle pour aller à tous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Dommage! Tant pis, il nous à abandonné! Au secours! Applelz les pompiers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 ROON - 2010-02-27 4:22 PM Oh dear. Bit scared to ask this now. I readily admit to being totally thick with engines and batteries, but is the original poster saying that if you have solar panels and suddenly the leisure battery isn't being charged by them , etc etc. and your answers .... do you all mean that you can't plug the leisure battery to house or hook up to charge it like you would normally do before you had solar panels? Hope you understand my question but I would love in the future to have solar panels but not if, when something goes wrong, I can't charge my leisure battery on the garage socket. Again sorry for being a bit dense on these things. :-( Don't ever be afraid to ask Joy as noone knows all the answers and heaven knows we all gets confused at times! As long as solar panels have a regulator to stop them sending too much charge to the battery on very sunny days (I wish) and as long as it is all wired up correctly you can use both solar and mains power to keep your batteries charged. Similarly when on the road you can use both solar and the engige to charge the batteries. That was the simple answer - there can be complications but let's cross those bridges when we get to them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 ..and if you start your engine while hooked up you can have all three charging the batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 And that is when you need the pompiers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 kenroyce - 2010-02-19 10:08 AM Can I bypass the charger so that the 230 volt units on my van connected to the mains. To disconnect the charger built into a mains control unit from supplying the battery simply remove the appropraite fuse as shown either in the handbook or on the front of the unit itself. If there is no fuse get a wiring diagram from the maker and remove one or both of the charger's 12v output wires from the back of the unit taking care to tape up the end(s) to prevent a short circuit caused by possible feed back from the battery - or better still get an auto electrician to do it for you. That way the mains powered lights, sockets and heating will still work in complete safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Brambles - 2010-02-27 6:00 PM ..and if you start your engine while hooked up you can have all three charging the batteries. Maybe Jon - but starting the engine might well disable the mains PSU charger's supply to the battery - but I'm not sure??????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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