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fwunder View Drop Down
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: SOC
    Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 8:43am
Back on topic.

I thought I should post the cluster^%@! of wiring I have. I do plan on cleaning up, but I don't think there is anything technically wrong with it. Right?

1) Factory house feed

2) 1500 Watt Windy Nation pure sine wave inverter

3) and 4) Auxiliary input/output. 10AWG w/30 amp inline fuse. SAE connectors



I just got notice that new controller is on UPS truck headed this way. Should be interesting.
2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
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fwunder View Drop Down
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 9:01am
Inverter install.

Two dedicated outlets w/inverter on/off switch - below galley outlet.
2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6
Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 10:16am
No obvious issues except the inverter doesn't appear to have a fuse on the + conductor at the battery. That is highly recommended. Safety first. 

Since you already have a 1500 watt inverter you could probably make a diverter to the water heater element pretty easily. I believe the element is rated at 1400 watts. Does the inverter have a remote on/off? 
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fwunder View Drop Down
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 10:45am
150 AMP fuse (under glass on top).

Remote on/off is just below galley outlet.

Thanks!
2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6
Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 11:00am
You might want to move the fuse to the battery + terminal. If that wire shorts that is where the fault current will come from. Same as with your home panelboard, fuses and circuit breakers only protect what's downstream from them, so they're always meant to be placed as close to the source as possible. 

Since you have a remote on/off, all you need is a controller with a contact that closes at full battery charge. Like the Morningstar TriStar. You'd also need to rewire the water heater element to run off the inverter with a double throw switch so you can put it back on grid power when that's available or you want to use the inverter for something else. 
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 11:31am
I got out my 100w Renogy kit today to test a bit. I think I found out something that may or may not apply to your case.

First, I had made an extension. The controller was reading 6.1A in bright sunlight, which was pretty good. However, my battery did not seem to be charging. After trying a couple of things, I popped open the cover of the fuse holder and found to my chagrin that there was no fuse in it. Add one 10A fuse, and all is well.

The symptom was that there was no LED showing above the battery icon. Once I put the fuse in, it appeared and the battery is charging. I don't know if it will help with your situation, but this is one angle to double-check. Make sure all connections are going to the right places. I see the positive lead to your positive terminal, but I can't visually unravel the spaghetti to see all the other connections.

Since you have a new controller on the way, I am looking forward to seeing if it will fix your problem or if the problem turns out to be something else.
StephenH
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fwunder View Drop Down
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 12:30pm
Thanks Stephen. Yeah, I know it should all be board mounted. I need one of those nose cones like Marwayne built! Big smile

I have triple checked all connections and used multimeter. 4 positive, 4 negative, check. All fused (albeit not optimally).

Good to know about fuse. I'm confident the controller has been charging. It's been four days since I started testing and the solar charger has been disconnected since yesterday evening. Battery bank is @ 12.7v right now.

Yep, it will be interesting to test with new controller!

Right now, though, the smoker is ready to go and the coho salmon is brined and prepped. Priorities!!
2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6
Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 1:54pm
We know the existing controller is charging because the battery voltage was at 14.7 and because the batteries were gassing. We know there are no significant loads because its staying at 12.6-12.7 V when removed from charge. We know that 14.7 is  high especially in hot weather.  Renogy warns you its high in their manual. It also says not to have any loads on the battery during equalization or it won't
exit, which is kinda ridiculous. 

No doubt, the controller is just registering amphours going into producing H2, Its just wasted energy with nowhere to go. All off grid solar systems waste energy once the batts are fully charged, either by gassing or by curtailing solar output. 

That controller goes into equalization mode at 14.8V every 28 days and I bet it goes into equalization initially as well. You can defeat that by selecting gel/AGM battery mode. That also brings boost mode down to 14.2 from 14.6. Adding temp compensation will help too. Personally I would do all the above. When you want to equalize just do it manually either by charging from the WFCO or by putting the Renogy controller into Flooded mode and resetting it. 
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2629 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 3:31pm
All the solar controllers that I'm familiar with have a separate connection for battery and load. That allows them to monitor the battery charge state without the load obfuscating the current draw. That would be a slightly more complicated installation, but not by much.
bp
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fwunder View Drop Down
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2020 at 3:33pm
OK! Here we go. New controller. Just started testing

Battery connection sans solar. 22 hours battery rest with no charge/load



Right after hooking up panels





After about 20 minutes. Seems to have leveled out @ 14v and 10A. Definitely a different result than other controller was showing. I think I need to get a response from Renogy on other controller.
2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6
Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!
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