Hi all. Am seeking advice as to whether the battery charger should be off while using the inverter.
Regards Geoff
BarneyBDB said
09:43 PM Jun 11, 2024
If your battery charger is available it implies that mains power is available so the inverter would not be needed???
Whenarewethere said
10:00 PM Jun 11, 2024
Charging & running an inverter is what an expensive UPS (uninterruptible power supply) does.
But these Double Conversation UPSs (Eaton for example) are very top end for powering even more expensive equipment.
The only situation to charge & use your battery simultaneously would be if you have a heavy load which can be reduced with solar input.
But if you have 230v, use that.
Corndoggy said
09:34 AM Jun 12, 2024
BarneyBDB wrote:
If your battery charger is available it implies that mains power is available so the inverter would not be needed???
Not necessarily. The charger might be using solar panels as a supply source.
No need to turn your charger off when using anything from your batteries, provided your batteries are in a reasonably charged condition to handle the load applied to them.
Brenda and Alan said
10:04 AM Jun 12, 2024
I suspect the inverter will be powering the whole van.
The the battery charger if plugged into van power would be just wasting power trying to replace what the inverter is using.
Alan
Dick0 said
10:32 AM Jun 12, 2024
Maybe it's a 240V>12V charger.
Maybe it's a solar>battery charger.
Maybe it's a 12Vdc>12Vdc charger.
Who knows?
Gone bananas said
11:45 AM Jun 13, 2024
I probably should have supplied more information :I have a BM Pro management system. and while using the inverter the battery is indeed being charged while neither on mains or solar.
While confessing to a high degree of technical ignorance what I think occurs is a loop - inverter>charger>battery>inverter .
Dick0 said
12:13 PM Jun 13, 2024
Gone bananas wrote:
I probably should have supplied more information :I have a BM Pro management system. and while using the inverter the battery is indeed being charged while neither on mains or solar.
While confessing to a high degree of technical ignorance what I think occurs is a loop - inverter>charger>battery>inverter .
What charger?
Inverter details?
Is it a 240V>12V charger plugged into the inverter and connected to the batteries?
Is the solar charger switched off only when the inverter is used, and if so, why?
Your original post refers to a charger and an inverter.
-- Edited by Dick0 on Thursday 13th of June 2024 12:32:28 PM
-- Edited by Dick0 on Thursday 13th of June 2024 12:33:02 PM
stoney123 said
03:41 PM Jun 13, 2024
I use invertor when charging by solar or from vehicle when driving.
The charger auto swaps from vehicle charge to solar when I stop.
I run invertor when driving as prefer to run the Engel off 240v with a proper 240v plug. I Don't trust the cig lighter connections.
jegog said
07:10 PM Jun 13, 2024
Replace the sig lighter connectors with Anderson plugs and upgrade the cable too.
I believe that the car fridgesl rectifiy the 230Vac to 12Vdc and that the fridge compressor is powered by 12Vdc.
Else it would have two compressors.
Dick0 said
09:32 PM Jun 13, 2024
stoney123 wrote:
I use invertor when charging by solar or from vehicle when driving. The charger auto swaps from vehicle charge to solar when I stop. I run invertor when driving as prefer to run the Engel off 240v with a proper 240v plug. I Don't trust the cig lighter connections.
Probably best to follow jegog's recommendation. Most efficient way.
Whenarewethere said
12:34 PM Jun 14, 2024
stoney123 wrote:
I use invertor when charging by solar or from vehicle when driving.
Interesting that your solar is producing AC or for that matter the typical vehicle.
It's worth investing for a World Patent with your discovery, you need very deep pockets for such patent.
Charging & running an inverter is what an expensive UPS (uninterruptible power supply) does.
But these Double Conversation UPSs (Eaton for example) are very top end for powering even more expensive equipment.
The only situation to charge & use your battery simultaneously would be if you have a heavy load which can be reduced with solar input.
But if you have 230v, use that.
Not necessarily. The charger might be using solar panels as a supply source.
No need to turn your charger off when using anything from your batteries, provided your batteries are in a reasonably charged condition to handle the load applied to them.
I suspect the inverter will be powering the whole van.
The the battery charger if plugged into van power would be just wasting power trying to replace what the inverter is using.
Alan
Maybe it's a 240V>12V charger.
Maybe it's a solar>battery charger.
Maybe it's a 12Vdc>12Vdc charger.
Who knows?
I probably should have supplied more information :I have a BM Pro management system. and while using the inverter the battery is indeed being charged while neither on mains or solar.
While confessing to a high degree of technical ignorance what I think occurs is a loop - inverter>charger>battery>inverter .
What charger?
Inverter details?
Is it a 240V>12V charger plugged into the inverter and connected to the batteries?
Is the solar charger switched off only when the inverter is used, and if so, why?
Your original post refers to a charger and an inverter.
-- Edited by Dick0 on Thursday 13th of June 2024 12:32:28 PM
-- Edited by Dick0 on Thursday 13th of June 2024 12:33:02 PM
I believe that the car fridgesl rectifiy the 230Vac to 12Vdc and that the fridge compressor is powered by 12Vdc.
Else it would have two compressors.
Probably best to follow jegog's recommendation. Most efficient way.
Interesting that your solar is producing AC or for that matter the typical vehicle.
It's worth investing for a World Patent with your discovery, you need very deep pockets for such patent.
P.S. I will not be investing.