Power Supply Unit
Hi everyone as total newbies to Motor homing and having just had our Swift 635 EK 2009 model for 4 weeks I am wondering if I could ask some basic questions please?
I am not sure where my PSU is located? I can see the Main Fuse Box, The Consumer Unit and the Solar Charge Controller in my wardrobe and above the entrance door I have the control panel but should I have another unit somewhere else?
Also on the Solar Charge Controller what should all my settings be? I believe I have an 80W solar panel on the roof.
Any advice would be helpful but please excuse my naivety in asking the questions. I look forward to hearing back from you.
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I can’t help with specifics as I don’t know your van and you may not have a PSU as such but your instruction book should answer most of your questions.
If you haven’t got the handbook, see if you can download one from the Swift website. If that fails, Google and YouTube should come to your rescue.
Btw, you can select your own username via My Profile.
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I also don't know your model but you will have two sources of electrical power, 12 volt from a battery and 230 volt mains. The 230 volt supply will only be available when you can hook up to a mains supply. Its main function is to provide an electrical supply to your distribution box and on to the electrical equipment and the 230 volt output sockets in your van and most importantly to your battery charger to keep it charged to supply 12volt equipment and any 12 volt outlet you may have. The battery will be located in a locker, usually accessible from the outside of the van and its charge will also be maintained from your solar panel when not on a 230 volt hook up.
Welcome to CT and I hope that helps
peedee.
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From memory of our 2007 and 2010 Swift's, isn't the 'PSU' part of the large Sargent 'box' that you can't miss....it will have the buttons for 'mains', hot water and heating on the front alongside a small LCD display.
these have changed a bit over the years but I thought it was all contained inside the metal grey box....
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Following on from my earlier post, I wonder if this might help.
To the best of my belief a PSU (Power Supply Unit) is not part of the Sargent unit but is a stand alone fitment and is like a high output fan-cooled battery charger that automatically regulates its output current to meet the demand on the battery. This effectively powers the 12v circuits while on EHU. In some installations it can do this without a battery in the circuit but in other cases, a battery is essential and the handbook will say which is the case.
As an after fit, a decent PSU can cost well over £100 to buy, plus the cost of installation, but is normally fitted to higher end vans as standard. In the case of an after fit, a PSU may require modification of the van's wiring. Some folk find the noise from the fan annoying.
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the PSU of my last caravan (Lunar) was definitely part of the Sargent unit .... the charger bit failed once while we we away, I bought AN Other battery charger to keep us going, but we needed the rest of the box as the 240v mains went through it too.
There's only the one box of electrickery on my Coachman too so the charger has to be incorporated in it
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"There's only the one box of electrickery on my Coachman too so the charger has to be incorporated in it"
as I said, I was going from memory of our two older Swift's, but ISTR there just being one box, as in ED's case...as in the EC328 linked below..
things may have changed...but most Sargent 'boxes' contained several components..
The EC328's key features are listed below:
New intelligent 300-watt (~25A) battery charger and power supply which incorporates a 3 stage inteligent charge routine. Built in solar panel regulator for the direct connection of up to a 100 watt solar panel providing the simultaneous charging of both the leisure and vehicle batteries. The charge current is displayed on the matching EC328 control panel.im not sure why the OP needs to know too much about a PSU, unless there is a problem?
re: the solar controller...much depends on what type of unit it is, MPPT (unlikely at that age) or PWM...and the level of 'adjustment'...again usually only to set battery type or, if a split charge unit, the percentage across both leisure and cab batteries..
this is often 80 leisure, 20 cab, in summer where 20% of good sunshine will sustain the cab battery...
in winter, some change this to 50/50 the ensure more of the lower volume keeps the cab battery up when often parked on a driveway...
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The PSU is in the wardrobe or bed box. It has fuses and switches for battery charger etc.
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Perhaps the dealer or individual who sold you the motor caravan knows about a PSU, if there is one.
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I think it varies a lot. In our 2005 Swift made caravan it was in the Wardrobe and totally hidden by being boxed in, with switches on the front of the boxing. The 12 volt fuses were elsewhere. In our 2014 Bailey it was in a seat box and had fuses on the front. In our current MH it’s within the battery compartment and has more fuses on it than the other two combined.
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I was quoting from the Swift Handbook for 2009 motorhomes which is available on the internet..
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Ah...but Steve, you have a Schaudt Elektroblok not a Sargent unit, don't you?
loads of wires on there as it's a 12v distribution unit, too?
we have CBE kit...a PSU, distribution unit and charger all in a big grill-fronted box in the garage, along with a CBE control panel above the hab door...
For the OP, the Sargent units are pretty much as my link, it's just the location that can often change.
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