weregettingout
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2022
- Messages
- 1
I have been using my system for a few months now and for the most part it functions flawlessly there remains one aspect I just cannot wrap my head around and could use some help/perspective.
I have a Victron 100/50 solar controller that with 4x 340watt panels in parallel/series making some decent power in the sun. the controller has been set to appropriate voltages for my batteries.
I have 2x Discover EV27a-a 100ah 12v added from my camper van for the winter
my main battery group is 4x 6v Discover EVGC6a-a 220ah.
Appropriate charging voltage for them listed on their literature is 14.7 BULK/ABSORB & 13.6 Float. - No issues there.
Where I run into my mental conundrum is my Micro hydro system and how it also charges my battery bank.
it is a Microhydrosystems.com 12v stream buddy. 200watts @12v. It generates just about all of this.
When the batteries get full i use the Xantrex controller to divert 300watts to a resistance type heater effectively keeping my batteries happy and healthy.
The thing that just gets my head in a knot is the voltages for this. I am looking at my battery monitor right now, recognizing that my batteries are in an absorption solar charge.. The Xantrex controller I have set the voltages ( i dont remember where at off the top of my head) so that it has already diverted the 300watts to the heater even though the batteries are not 100% charged. the dynamic of the solar raising the voltage, the xantrex detecting this and then diverting is wasting my power which i want to get my batteries to 100% before that happens.
So far as i can tell, i cant quite understand what voltages to set this Xantrex to so that it reaches 14.7 volts before it diverts the heater but then also lets it sit at 13.6 for a float. the xantrex has an upper and a lower voltage.. Upper starts to divert, lower turns it off. on and off it goes. never really sitting at a float voltage.
So, i suppose my question is that. Can i raise the upper voltage to 14.7 set the lower one to 13.6 and call it good? generally speaking I do not sit at 100% battery that often as demands for refrigeration, star link, lights etc works out to be a constant minimal draw. I believe i might be set currently to 14.4 upper 13.6 lower.
I have a Victron 100/50 solar controller that with 4x 340watt panels in parallel/series making some decent power in the sun. the controller has been set to appropriate voltages for my batteries.
I have 2x Discover EV27a-a 100ah 12v added from my camper van for the winter
my main battery group is 4x 6v Discover EVGC6a-a 220ah.
Appropriate charging voltage for them listed on their literature is 14.7 BULK/ABSORB & 13.6 Float. - No issues there.
Where I run into my mental conundrum is my Micro hydro system and how it also charges my battery bank.
it is a Microhydrosystems.com 12v stream buddy. 200watts @12v. It generates just about all of this.
When the batteries get full i use the Xantrex controller to divert 300watts to a resistance type heater effectively keeping my batteries happy and healthy.
The thing that just gets my head in a knot is the voltages for this. I am looking at my battery monitor right now, recognizing that my batteries are in an absorption solar charge.. The Xantrex controller I have set the voltages ( i dont remember where at off the top of my head) so that it has already diverted the 300watts to the heater even though the batteries are not 100% charged. the dynamic of the solar raising the voltage, the xantrex detecting this and then diverting is wasting my power which i want to get my batteries to 100% before that happens.
So far as i can tell, i cant quite understand what voltages to set this Xantrex to so that it reaches 14.7 volts before it diverts the heater but then also lets it sit at 13.6 for a float. the xantrex has an upper and a lower voltage.. Upper starts to divert, lower turns it off. on and off it goes. never really sitting at a float voltage.
So, i suppose my question is that. Can i raise the upper voltage to 14.7 set the lower one to 13.6 and call it good? generally speaking I do not sit at 100% battery that often as demands for refrigeration, star link, lights etc works out to be a constant minimal draw. I believe i might be set currently to 14.4 upper 13.6 lower.
