With a 40A charge controller you would want 8AWG wire and a 50A fuse between the charge controller and bus bars (or battery). If the Epever has a different output current then size the wire and fuse accordingly.
Conflicting info on whether the controller and inverter come off the same battery terminals.
- Thread starter Russelljw
- Start date
Ok thank you.
Someone on the first page said to take the inverter and controller wires off of the most negative and positive terminals of the battery bank. Can you elaborate on that? Can you look at the pic of the bank and let me know what terminals you would connect inverter/and controller.
Thanks again
As I stated in post #12 I wouldn't connect either to the battery terminals.
I get that, what I’m trying to say is does it matter which of the positives and which of the negatives I come off of? I know it’s probably a stupid question.
Perhaps this will help. Download the Wiring Unlimited document:
diysolarforum.com
Go to chapter 3 and look at the section about wiring up parallel batteries. Keep in mind that those diagrams are about single batteries in parallel. Since you have pairs of series batteries in parallel, just replace those single batteries in the diagrams with your series pairs.
Once you go through that you should better understand the diagram you just showed in your last post.
Wiring Unlimited
Wiring Unlimited is a great resource that covers many many common topics and questions relevant to DIYers. It is a free E-book from Victron Written by Margreet Leeftink. Check it out! Download
diysolarforum.com
Go to chapter 3 and look at the section about wiring up parallel batteries. Keep in mind that those diagrams are about single batteries in parallel. Since you have pairs of series batteries in parallel, just replace those single batteries in the diagrams with your series pairs.
Once you go through that you should better understand the diagram you just showed in your last post.
MurphyGuy
It just needs a bigger hammer
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That's good, but it doesn't give you any indication of the battery's health. Most worn out lead acid batteries will charge up just fine, the question is: How much energy are they storing? The only way to find that out is to charge it up, then do a load test on it by running a load and measuring the watts being used over time..
Unless the battery is out of water or has an internal problem, almost all of them will charge up.. but that doesn't tell you how much juice it's holding.
Perhaps this will help. Download the Wiring Unlimited document:
Wiring Unlimited
Wiring Unlimited is a great resource that covers many many common topics and questions relevant to DIYers. It is a free E-book from Victron Written by Margreet Leeftink. Check it out! Download
Go to chapter 3 and look at the section about wiring up parallel batteries. Keep in mind that those diagrams are about single batteries in parallel. Since you have pairs of series batteries in parallel, just replace those single batteries in the diagrams with your series pairs.
Once you go through that you should better understand the diagram you just showed in your last post.
Great, thanks!Perhaps this will help. Download the Wiring Unlimited document:
Wiring Unlimited
Wiring Unlimited is a great resource that covers many many common topics and questions relevant to DIYers. It is a free E-book from Victron Written by Margreet Leeftink. Check it out! Download
Go to chapter 3 and look at the section about wiring up parallel batteries. Keep in mind that those diagrams are about single batteries in parallel. Since you have pairs of series batteries in parallel, just replace those single batteries in the diagrams with your series pairs.
Once you go through that you should better understand the diagram you just showed in your last post.
Think I’m just gonna switch them for different batteries.
This is the list of batteries I will have to choose from….
AGM and Flooded Batteries for SOLAR/RV - general for sale - by dealer
Call: 7-two-0-two-2-four-3-two-1-eight, NO TEXTING or EMAILING Please say Thank You to our VETS. GO NAVY! We sell different Sizes/Types Of AGM and Flooded Batteries, plus Cables, solar controllers,...
cosprings.craigslist.org
Which would you suggest?
John Frum
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My eyesight is not great but the batteries appear to be the same but have different labels.
Also I have no hands on experience with deep cycle lead acid batteries.
Assuming they are all maintenance free then it should not be necessary to check the water levels or specific gravity.
If I'm wrong hopefully someone more knowledgeable on lead acid will correct me.
MurphyGuy
It just needs a bigger hammer
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Think I’m just gonna switch them for different batteries.
This is the list of batteries I will have to choose from….
AGM and Flooded Batteries for SOLAR/RV - general for sale - by dealer
Call: 7-two-0-two-2-four-3-two-1-eight, NO TEXTING or EMAILING Please say Thank You to our VETS. GO NAVY! We sell different Sizes/Types Of AGM and Flooded Batteries, plus Cables, solar controllers,...cosprings.craigslist.org
Which would you suggest?
None of those batteries are acceptable.. Those are UPS (Uninterruptible power supply) batteries and probably cell tower backup cells. They are not designed for deep discharge and they will not survive in any application that repeatedly discharges them... They're meant to be fully charged and put on a float until the day they're needed when the grid goes down.
You need a true deep cycle battery.. short of that, a golf cart battery would work well enough.. You'd probably get 3 to 5 years from it if you took good care..
Also, unless you have some specific limitation, stay the hell away from AGM batteries.. Good for power sports, good for places where you can't maintain them.. Not so good for life cycle longevity... A flooded lead acid will out last an AGM..
I recommend Trojan SIND line... but that's a serious battery.. Next up would be their SPRE line.. and if the price is too much, get some of their motive T-series batteries like a T105 or T275.
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
AGM electrolyte cannot be replenished
You are correct
I like lead acid batteries. There’s several situations where they can work better than LiFePo but LiFePo has many upsides in a lot of circumstances.
From my limited understanding of your situation I’d say the golf cart battery suggestion is going to serve your low cost, service, and performance needs that I infer from your post. My opinion anyway.
FWIW I’ve been using walmartha marine batteries. They work for me but I can’t necessarily recommend them for all situations. Extended lower voltage 12.2/12.3 doesn’t appear to be something they enjoy. Golf cart batteries handle that situation much better.
O
Controller and inverter connected to negative of bat 1 and positive of bat 6.
Everything has been working wonderfully, except every few day only during full full sun my system will clip off for just a split second, cutting off power to the house for a second.
I called the guy I get all my solar shit from. He asked where the controller and inverter are hooked to. I told him. He said. “NOOOOO I already told you before, inverter goes from positive bat 1 and to negative BAT 6. Controller goes to negative bat 2 to positive bat 6.” He said that he’s positive that’s the problem the charge controller is wreaking havoc on my inverter.
But everything I’ve ever read and all of the kind folks on here say they should be all hooked to the same terminal bat 1 positive bat 6 negative.
Should I try what he says he’s sure of?
Thanks
Ok update , I have 6 12v 149 ah batteries wires to make a 24v bank.
Controller and inverter connected to negative of bat 1 and positive of bat 6.
Everything has been working wonderfully, except every few day only during full full sun my system will clip off for just a split second, cutting off power to the house for a second.
I called the guy I get all my solar shit from. He asked where the controller and inverter are hooked to. I told him. He said. “NOOOOO I already told you before, inverter goes from positive bat 1 and to negative BAT 6. Controller goes to negative bat 2 to positive bat 6.” He said that he’s positive that’s the problem the charge controller is wreaking havoc on my inverter.
But everything I’ve ever read and all of the kind folks on here say they should be all hooked to the same terminal bat 1 positive bat 6 negative.
Should I try what he says he’s sure of?
Thanks
The batteries i have are hitachi 149ah and they have been working great.
DerpsyDoodler
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Those look identical to the FLAs for my chassis system. Look at the wide flat-head screwdriver insert in the circles. They're flush-mount caps is all
I have different batteries now. Hitachi 12v 149ah
This is my issue now…
Ok update , I have 6 12v 149 ah batteries wires to make a 24v bank.
Controller and inverter connected to negative of bat 1 and positive of bat 6.
Everything has been working wonderfully, except every few day only during full full sun my system will clip off for just a split second, cutting off power to the house for a second.
I called the guy I get all my solar shit from. He asked where the controller and inverter are hooked to. I told him. He said. “NOOOOO I already told you before, inverter goes from positive bat 1 and to negative BAT 6. Controller goes to negative bat 2 to positive bat 6.” He said that he’s positive that’s the problem the charge controller is wreaking havoc on my inverter.
But everything I’ve ever read and all of the kind folks on here say they should be all hooked to the same terminal bat 1 positive bat 6 negative.
Should I try what he says he’s sure of?
Thanks
DerpsyDoodler
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This thread seems like a train wreck. Post a diagram/drawing of your batteries, how they're wired, and how your inverter and scc connects to them. Based on that, we'll tell you how they should be wired. Then send/show the same schematic to your "solar guy" and see what he says. I believe there's a miscommunication somewhere that can be solved/avoided by using drawings to communicate.
DerpsyDoodler
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Draw it on a napkin and take a picture if you have to.
Attachments
DerpsyDoodler
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Looks exactly like upnorthandpersonal's drawing. The advice you got here is just fine. Show either drawing to your solar guy. Add numbers to the terminals in the pics. If he tries to say that's not acceptable, I would ask for a concrete reason why and I would ask to speak with someone else in the store, too. Also, let us know what he says.
Hisnreaso
If it’s already hooked up right then what could be making the system clip? I’m within range on all specs.
Controller is set for agm 450ah says max charge is 29.2 but the other day it said 29.8 something happening. And I need to figure it out before I go out of town for a few months. Don’t want to leave it with a issue.
His reason was the charge controller will wreak havoc on the inverter. And “how can the batteries charge if your taking a load off them from the same terminals” he said something to that effect.
If it’s already hooked up right then what could be making the system clip? I’m within range on all specs.
Controller is set for agm 450ah says max charge is 29.2 but the other day it said 29.8 something happening. And I need to figure it out before I go out of town for a few months. Don’t want to leave it with a issue.
Kirchhoff is spinning in his grave.
Bud Martin
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It sounds like the seller does not understand the parallel circuit but he is still in business selling stuff he does not understand.
DerpsyDoodler
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Precisely. He probably found a deal on something he knows enough about to realize a market for. And has learned just enough about to eek by.
Nothing wrong with that, but don't ask/rely on electrical advice from him. You need to be responsible for knowing your stuff when it comes to dealing with this kind of vendor. If he's willing to swap them, at least he seems to stand behind his product.
As for why the system cuts out, is there an inverter error to reference? Before we bother the vendor anymore, lets narrow in on that.
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