Connecting Solar Charger

[tonyt40]

Hi

 

Just a quick question. I am just completing the solar installation. I am reading that the cables should be connected to the load side of the battery isolator. Do I have to run the cables from the charge controller right back to the isolator or can I connect them to the common pos and neg at the distribution unit

 

Thanks

 

Tony

[WotEver]

I would disagree that the controller should be connected that way. If you then turned off the isolator the batteries wouldn't be charging plus you could blow the controller.

 

The output of the controller should be connected direct to the batteries via a fuse. The most convenient place to connect the +ve may be at the isolator or direct to the battery post depending on your boat's layout. The -ve should also be connected direct to the batteries at the common negative post.

[nicknorman]

If you connect the solar controller to the load side of the isolator, it might be damaged if you turn the isolator off, and anyway it won't charge the batteries with the isolator off and neither will the services be isolated when it's sunny.

 

I'd connect the controller direct to the batteries via a fuse (near the batteries). You could also fit an additional isolator just for the solar but for all the times you are likely to want to open it (very rarely) I'd just remove the fuse instead.

I would disagree that the controller should be connected that way. If you then turned off the isolator the batteries wouldn't be charging plus you could blow the controller.

The output of the controller should be connected direct to the batteries via a fuse. The most convenient place to connect the +ve may be at the isolator or direct to the battery post depending on your boat's layout. The -ve should also be connected direct to the batteries at the common negative post.

We can't keep agreeing, it's positively boring. Or is that negatively boring?

[Arthur Brown]

If you use a current measuring shunt then the charge current should usually pass through the shunt so that the indicators know what current and time has flowed into the battery as well as out of the battery. Yes the solar needs to be a fused wire directly to the battery

[tonyt40]

Thanks chaps. Cleared that one up for me. I will wire the charger in at the weekend.

[WotEver]

If you use a current measuring shunt then the charge current should usually pass through the shunt so that the indicators know what current and time has flowed into the battery as well as out of the battery.

I didn't get into that as there are so many variations as to how shunts are wired: in the neg, in the pos before all loads, in the pos passing all loads etc.

[WotEver]

We can't keep agreeing, it's positively boring. Or is that negatively boring?

It's not really in the spirit of CWDF is it?

 

Anyway, we didn't agree. I said the batteries wouldn't be charging and it could damage the controller. You said it could damage the controller and the batteries wouldn't be charging. Completely the other way around

[bottle]

ps.

 

Cover panels, keep them in the dark.

 

connect the controller to the batteries first,

 

power up the controller, put the fuse in

 

connect the panels to the controller

 

Just in case you didn't know.

Edited October 11, 2016 by bottle