Shoreline conundrum

[tjh82]

Hello

Any advice or tips on the following energy problem would be much appreciated!

We recently bought a dutch barge that we've just cruised down to it's new mooring.

On the way down the the inverter only worked occasionally, most of the time the 'low battery' light was on.

It has a 'Victron Energy phoenix multi plus' inverter with a 'Victron multi control' panel.

I assumed the batteries were spent, but we'd be fine once hooked up to shoreline (32 Amp)

And we were...for a few days.

All was well but we no longer have any power - the inverter is once again just showing 'low battery'

So....does shoreline bypass the batteries making it irrelevant if they are in good condition or not? (making it a problem with the inverter?)

And should we still have the inverter on when using shoreline? (The switch options are 'on' 'off' and 'charger only')

Thanks for your help, sorry if it's obvious!

 

 

[pearley]

Most boaters will have the switch on the remote panel set to charger only. 

When plugged into the shoreline you should have a Blue light on the remote panel to show you have mains to the charger then one of the 3 orange lights to show what phase of charge you are at. Have you checked your see if you have a mains changeover switch or that the charger mains input is actually connected to the mains from the shoreline. 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, tjh82 said:

Hello

Any advice or tips on the following energy problem would be much appreciated!

We recently bought a dutch barge that we've just cruised down to it's new mooring.

On the way down the the inverter only worked occasionally, most of the time the 'low battery' light was on.

Batteries are knackered and not holding charge.

It has a 'Victron Energy phoenix multi plus' inverter with a 'Victron multi control' panel.

I assumed the batteries were spent, but we'd be fine once hooked up to shoreline (32 Amp)

And we were...for a few days.

When on the landline everything is running off the landline and not your batteries

All was well but we no longer have any power - the inverter is once again just showing 'low battery'

Batteries are knackered and not holding charge

So....does shoreline bypass the batteries making it irrelevant if they are in good condition or not? (making it a problem with the inverter?)

And should we still have the inverter on when using shoreline? (The switch options are 'on' 'off' and 'charger only')

When on land line have the inverter in the ON position. When leaving the boat and you want to keep the batteries topped up switch over to 'charger only'

Thanks for your help, sorry if it's obvious!

 

 

Use the 'on' position when hooked-up and living on the boat, this position provides both 'straight thru' 230v (ie not drawing from the batteries) and charges the batteries for you to be able to use your 12v appliances (pumps, lights tv etc)

 

It does sound as if you need a new set of batteries.

Checks to do with land line disconnected and inverter off

1) What is battery voltage ?

2) Start engine and check battery voltage, is it different to 1) ?

3) Rev engine and check battery volts, is it higher than 2) ?

4) Switch on inverter, with something 230v switched on (kettle for example). What voltage is now showing on the battery ?

Turn off engine. Switch off 'kettle'

 

Checks to do with landline connected and inverter in 'on' position & engine off.

5) What voltage is showing at the batteries ?

6) Connect something to the inverter (kettle for example) What voltage is now showing - is it the same as 5)

 

Switch to Charger only

7) Switch the inverter to charger only - what voltage is now showing at the batteries ?

8) With the unit on 'charger only' does the 'kettle' work ?

 

Post back the results of the tests and we can try and make some 'long distance diagnostics'

 

What electrical test, battery management and monitoring equipment do you have ?

Without being rude - what is your skill / knowledge level of boat electrics ?

 

Is this something like your panel ?

 

 

Edited April 5, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[pearley]

The danger of leaving the inverter on when on board is that if you lose the shoreline during the night, and your immersion is set by timer to come on during the night, you end up with flat batteries. 

Having woken up for a pee in the night, and just looking at the SOC, as you do, we leave ours off unless we need it. 

Use the 'on' position when hooked-up and living on the boat, this position provides both 'straight thru' 230v (ie not drawing from the batteries) and charges the batteries for you to be able to use your 12v appliances (pumps, lights tv etc) The charger only position also does this. 

 

Edited April 5, 2018 by pearley

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, pearley said:

we leave ours off unless we need it. 

Ours is always on (unless we are away for a few days) 

Inverter off means the Freezer is off !!

[pearley]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Ours is always on (unless we are away for a few days) 

Inverter off means the Freezer is off !!

One of the reasons we changed to 12 volt fridge/freezer. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

2 minutes ago, pearley said:

The danger of leaving the inverter on when on board is that if you lose the shoreline during the night, and your immersion is set by timer to come on during the night, you end up with flat batteries. 

Having woken up for a pee in the night, and just looking at the SOC, as you do, we leave ours off unless we need it. 

Some Victron combi's have some protection from this. They have a seperate 240V out, called boilernet, for immersions, or other things you only want to run from a shore line, but would rapidly discharge the batteries when off. This runs through from the shoreline, so if the shoreline goes this goes off to. The inverter then takes over for the other 240V circuit for the rest of the lower power stuff on the boat. Depends on how the OP's boat has been wired. My Victron has the boilernet output available, but I don't have it wired as the calorifier doesn't have an immersion heater.

Jen

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, pearley said:

One of the reasons we changed to 12 volt fridge/freezer. 

We have 12v fridge, but £80 from Argos, compared to £600 for a 12v freezer made an easy decision.

[pearley]

5 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Some Victron combi's have some protection from this. They have a seperate 240V out, called boilernet, for immersions, or other things you only want to run from a shore line, but would rapidly discharge the batteries when off. This runs through from the shoreline, so if the shoreline goes this goes off to. The inverter then takes over for the other 240V circuit for the rest of the lower power stuff on the boat. Depends on how the OP's boat has been wired. My Victron has the boilernet output available, but I don't have it wired as the calorifier doesn't have an immersion heater.

Jen

Mine has it as well but not wired yo use it. Our original Victron didn't have this facility but the replacement I fitted 6 years ago does but there was no way I was going to rewire the mains panel. 

[Naughty Cal]

3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

We have 12v fridge, but £80 from Argos, compared to £600 for a 12v freezer made an easy decision.

Did you not leave the immersion heater running from the inverter recently?

[Alan de Enfield]

48 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Did you not leave the immersion heater running from the inverter recently?

Moi ?

Oui - (Before I updated my departure checklist)

[tjh82]

Thanks for all your replies!

Pearley - That was my first thought but there isn't a mains changeover switch apparently

Alan - My knowledge of boat electrics is pretty embarrassing to be fair...more of a wood man! That picture is the style of panel we have - thanks for the suggested checks, i've just picked up a multimeter and will try them this weekend.

Bizarrely we had no power yesterday when plugged in (inverter was 'on' but low battery light was on and nothing worked) but when we came back to the boat last night we had power even though we had taken the cable out! I guess the solar had kicked in - that saw us through last night then when we then plugged in the cable this morning we had power again!

All very strange but guess it must be the batteries

Cheers

 

[WotEver]

41 minutes ago, tjh82 said:

Bizarrely we had no power yesterday when plugged in

Probably no power on the shore line bollard and someone reset it during the day.