Solar/battery problem
I visited my van today in storage for the first time in months. The main power switch had been left on, the other switches lights and water etc were off. The battery was totally flat. The only things I can think of that would be draining power would be the lcd display panels for battery voltage and the Truma display for heating etc, the Truma panel was switched off but may display something even on standby. My van (Bailey Brindisi) is fitted with a 100W solar panel, I would have thought that it would have the capacity to cope with this drain even in winter. The solar control unit has no led's illuminated, so presumably not charging. I will go back and remove the battery to charge at home, but I'm a bit concerned with the lack of display on the solar control box. Do you think I have problem with the solar system, or do you think it will kick back in once the battery is charged?
Comments
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Your solar panel control box needs battery power to make it operate. Therefore once a fully charged battery is connected it should be ok.
Be aware that you might not be able to get a charge back into a fully discharged battery.
I have found that the factory fitted panel on the roof is not sufficient to keep the battery charged in my Lunar over winter. The sun is too low in the sky to give much of a charge. I have fitted a supplementary panel pointing South through the front window.
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Thanks Simon, I thought that may be the case. I realise the battery may be done for, but I'll give it a go, if not I'll have to buy a new one, it's a few years old so not the end of the world. I've never had a problem before overwintering, voltage has always been good, but the power switch has never been left on before. I would usually check it more often, but it's sods law the switch was left on when I wasn't allowed to my storage.
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If it is any consolation Ged, this is the first winter my 120w panel has not kept my battery topped up and I have had my panel some six years. I have put it down to a particularly dull winter (December January) and the fact I have not been able to use it at all.. I am fortunate I can also hook up and this is what I did when a check revealed the battery was not being kept fully charged.
peedee
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It's been a very dull winter, in more ways than one. I had a MH for a couple of years without solar, the same battery was always OK after winter. The vehicle battery was a different matter though, usuallly required a little help starting first trip after winter.
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Quick update, I've been up to storage and plugged van into car for 20 mins. The solar controller light started flashing, when unplugged the light went solid and the power display showed 13V. So fingers crossed it's OK, will check back in a couple of days.
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Hopefully you did not leave it like that, but still took the battery home for as prompt a full recharge as possible. It is duration depleted along with depth of depletion that destroys batteries. Put bluntly, the sooner it gets fully recharged the better, plus many of the better chargers will have a desulphating phase. Relying on the solar even now in April is so much more unlikely to promptly recover the battery.
Addressing the original problem, with solar the panel's performance can be severely diminished by dirt or from wet leaves stuck on it, and as already said being horizontal though winter its potential yield is also greatly reduced.
Another significant drain, if not left isolated, could be the fridge light, if the door is left ajar.
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If storing the van during winter, surely the first task would be to power down all the systems apart from any alarm.
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We replaced our very flat 9 year old battery a week ago. All seemed OK when we coupled it up to the caravan and checked level on panel above door and the reading was 12.5v. All lights worked all seemed fine. We went to restock supplies yesterday and no lights on the Sargent regulator. The levels on the panel are showing 12.5v but no green or red lights on the Sargent regulator in the wardrobe.
Wondering what we need to do. We can buy a replacement at 28 pounds but it might not be that. Is it or isn't it faulty? No idea.
Does anyone have any tips/advice. Caravan mobile service man will charge £65 call out and he might say all ok.
The caravan is a Sterling 2015.
Photo attached of regulator.
Thank you in advance
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