Ip22 victron charger no amps

[simonsayssaysimon]

Hi all

 

I had a shoreline connection fail due to water ingress while I was away leaving me with flat batteries and a charger still showing bolts but no amps. I assumed this done for as the blade fuse was still intact but it was definitely not charging.

 

On replacing the batteries and charger with the same model victron: blue smart ip22 12v 30amp 3 connection. the charger says it is charging - staying on bulk for a while then changing on 14.4 volts. But 0 amps??

Leaving the charger on for a while it is definitely not working - battery voltage is slowing dropping as my fridge draws charge. The wires to the charger are showing 12.9ish volts so I can assume all is fine there.

 

Any why it isn’t charging?

[Tony Brooks]

5 minutes ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

Hi all

 

I had a shoreline connection fail due to water ingress while I was away leaving me with flat batteries and a charger still showing bolts but no amps. I assumed this done for as the blade fuse was still intact but it was definitely not charging.

 

On replacing the batteries and charger with the same model victron: blue smart ip22 12v 30amp 3 connection. the charger says it is charging - staying on bulk for a while then changing on 14.4 volts. But 0 amps??

Leaving the charger on for a while it is definitely not working - battery voltage is slowing dropping as my fridge draws charge. The wires to the charger are showing 12.9ish volts so I can assume all is fine there.

 

Any why it isn’t charging?

 

Er - no. That is 12.9 volts with all but zero amps flowing. I suspect you have a very poor connection between charger and battery on the pos or neg part of the circuit.

 

I suspect that i you extend one wire of your voltmeter so you can go between charger POS and battery pos and the repeat for the negs you will find one leg reads charging voltage. That's the one with the poor connection. Once you have that start stepping back from battery towards the charger testing each connection, when you find the one where the voltage alters fix it.

[nicknorman]

12.9 volts from a charger is very low, unless the batteries are totally flat. I would expect high 13s or low 14s whilst it is in bulk.

 

Maybe a bad connection somewhere, can you measure the voltage actually at the charger output when it’s in bulk, then trace it along towards the batteries until suddenly the voltage drops? Or for starters, with the charger in bulk check the voltage across the batteries directly using a meter, and the voltage across the charger directly using a meter. If there is 14.4v or so at the batteries, they are fully charged. If not, there is a bad connection somewhere.
 

And how are you measuring the current? Could it be that there is current, but the measuring device isn’t working?

[Tony Brooks]

I took the post to mean 12.9 with the charger off so can the OP please clarify.

 

I also need to clarify - the tests I suggest are with the charger turned on.

[nicknorman]

Wrong thread!

Edited August 25, 2020 by nicknorman

[Tracy D'arth]

5 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Wrong thread!

Lost mine!

 

 

 

 

No current =  no connection

[bizzard]

I bought a funny 115amp leusure battery last January from Shield Batteries B.Stortford factory just up the road from me. It holds 13 13.1 volts for days. After a week it only falls to 12.7v when I put it on a slow charge. Checked with separate volt meter and multimeter, both read moreorless the same. I got £10 off the £140 asking price. because it had a broken handle which I fixed with meccano.

[bizzard]

6 minutes ago, bizzard said:

I bought a funny 115amp leusure battery last January from Shield Batteries B.Stortford factory just up the road from me. It holds 13 13.1 volts for days. After a week it only falls to 12.7v when I put it on a slow charge. Checked with separate volt meter and multimeter, both read moreorless the same. I got £10 off the £140 asking price. because it had a broken handle which I fixed with meccano.

12.8v now, charged last Saturday. Nights drawing in using my light a bit more now.

[bizzard]

Last year I bought an 80amp start battery from Halfords. I always trickle charge new batteries before putting them into service. I couldn't get the voltage up more than about 12.5v at all. I should have taken the thing back, but I had visitors that weekend so kept it. Early this summer I decided to try and revive-boost it. I emptied it out into a plastic bowl. Wow the electrolite looked like Aldi's Cowbell milk, really thick and white, calcium I suppose, but looked far too much. I flushed it out with filtered rain water, more and more milk. Poured the electrolite back in and recharged it. It increased its full charge voltage to about 12.7 max and won't go any higher after resting. Its still in use though and staring my engine.  I wonder how long Halfords had the thing on there shelf. Won't buy one from them again. Shield everytime now.

Edited August 25, 2020 by bizzard

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

Hi all

 

I had a shoreline connection fail due to water ingress while I was away leaving me with flat batteries and a charger still showing bolts but no amps. I assumed this done for as the blade fuse was still intact but it was definitely not charging.

 

On replacing the batteries and charger with the same model victron: blue smart ip22 12v 30amp 3 connection. the charger says it is charging - staying on bulk for a while then changing on 14.4 volts. But 0 amps??

Leaving the charger on for a while it is definitely not working - battery voltage is slowing dropping as my fridge draws charge. The wires to the charger are showing 12.9ish volts so I can assume all is fine there.

 

Any why it isn’t charging?

And I take it when the shore supply failed the inverter took over and dragged your batteries down to 10.5 volts before it cut out? How many hours have you been charging for and as others said, how are you measuring current

[simonsayssaysimon]

3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

I took the post to mean 12.9 with the charger off so can the OP please clarify.

 

I also need to clarify - the tests I suggest are with the charger turned on.

12.9 is with the charger off and measured across the battery terminals. The 14.4v 0 amp is from the charger. 
 

Thanks for the advice everyone. Shall test as advised and work my way through the cables. A poor connection makes sense.

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

12.9 is with the charger off and measured across the battery terminals. The 14.4v 0 amp is from the charger. 
 

Thanks for the advice everyone. Shall test as advised and work my way through the cables. A poor connection makes sense.

If the battery is going up to 14.4 volts there must be some amps going in, how are you measuring the current?

[GUMPY]

3 hours ago, bizzard said:

Shield Batteries B.Stortford factory

A very good company to deal with and good product.

They are/were one of the last manufacturers in GB.

 

[simonsayssaysimon]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

If the battery is going up to 14.4 volts there must be some amps going in, how are you measuring the current?

14.4 with 0 amps is the readout from the victron app. 12.9v is the battery voltage and cable voltage (measured across the terminals and at the ends of the cables that connect to the charger.) Despite what the app says I get 12.9 and dropping with the charger off and on.

I will try charger to battery terminal tomorrow  as advised.

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

3 hours ago, bizzard said:

which I fixed with meccano

But of course! ?

[WotEver]

24 minutes ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

14.4 with 0 amps is the readout from the victron app. 12.9v is the battery voltage...

Proof if any were needed that the charger and battery are not connected to each other somewhere along the line. 

[simonsayssaysimon]

21 hours ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

Hi all

 

I had a shoreline connection fail due to water ingress while I was away leaving me with flat batteries and a charger still showing bolts but no amps. I assumed this done for as the blade fuse was still intact but it was definitely not charging.

 

On replacing the batteries and charger with the same model victron: blue smart ip22 12v 30amp 3 connection. the charger says it is charging - staying on bulk for a while then changing on 14.4 volts. But 0 amps??

Leaving the charger on for a while it is definitely not working - battery voltage is slowing dropping as my fridge draws charge. The wires to the charger are showing 12.9ish volts so I can assume all is fine there.

 

Any why it isn’t charging?

Update:

 

Checked charger with separate cables direct to known good battery: works -  14.4v across battery terminals while charging

 

Measured with charger off - Checked existing cables to charger: 2 dead positives 1 positive and negative are fine. Voltmeter negative to charger negative connection, positive voltmeter to battery charger positive. Had 12.8ish on 1 set. Disconnected dead 2 positives and proceeded with live positive and negative.

 

Battery charger on - charger terminals 14.4 volts. Battery 12.8ish. But climbing very slowly!

 

Realised it’s a calcium battery. Increased absorption voltage on charger to 14.8. Battery seems to be charging albeit very slowly!

Summary:

a) 2 positive cables are loose somewhere

 

b) Calcium batteries albeit “new” have internal resistance probably limiting the smart charger and require higher voltage to charge.

 

 

 

[WotEver]

If you’re losing over 1.5V between charger and battery you still have either a bad connection somewhere or seriously thin cables. What current are you seeing?

[simonsayssaysimon]

Just now, WotEver said:

If you’re losing over 1.5V between charger and battery you still have either a bad connection somewhere or seriously thin cables. What current are you seeing?

Cables are fine thickness wise haven’t had an issue like this in the 14 years I’ve been on the boat.

 

Current on battery gone from 12.88 to 12.92 

Current on charger 14.8 

 

Will leave for a few hours and see how it goes.

 

Agreed on voltage drop though but any positive movement at the moment is positive.

 

Will test with known good non calcium battery to see if voltage drop is similar to be sure whether it’s cable or battery.

[WotEver]

17 minutes ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

Will test with known good non calcium battery to see if voltage drop is similar to be sure whether it’s cable or battery.

It’s the cable (or its connections). You’re losing over 1.5V down it. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

49 minutes ago, WotEver said:

It’s the cable (or its connections). You’re losing over 1.5V down it. 

Wot 'e said ^^^^^^^^

[Alan de Enfield]

2 hours ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

Realised it’s a calcium battery. Increased absorption voltage on charger to 14.8. Battery seems to be charging albeit very slowly!

 

2 hours ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

Current on charger 14.8 

 

Is that a coincidence or are you confusing amps and volts ?

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Wot 'e said ^^^^^^^^

He dosen't want to listen, he may when it gets hot somewhere

[simonsayssaysimon]

2 hours ago, WotEver said:

It’s the cable (or its connections). You’re losing over 1.5V down it. 

Confirmed. Charger now showing amps and charger matches battery voltage using separate cables. 

I should have done this first in hindsight - but what was through me was the 12.9 on battery and charger end of cables. Why that isn’t showing a drop will probably remain a mystery.

 

Next check and redo all existing connections but at least I know the batteries work with the charger and the charger works.

 

Thanks everyone for your help!

16 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

He dosen't want to listen, he may when it gets hot somewhere

I was listening but wasn’t getting drop in the other direction (battery to charger), that’s what was confusing me.  

 

Anyway case closed thanks again for taking the time to respond.

Edited August 26, 2020 by simonsayssaysimon
Grammar

[WotEver]

24 minutes ago, simonsayssaysimon said:

what was through me was the 12.9 on battery and charger end of cables. Why that isn’t showing a drop will probably remain a mystery.

No mystery.  No current was flowing, therefore no voltage drop.  E=IR.