Solar Question.

[Paoli]

Question:

When I shut off the battery with the "shut off" knob inside the motorhome and park the vehicle for awhile, will the solar panel still charge the batteries?

[red31]

battery in storage may see 15+v daily due to cold temps and it's **** near 100% before getting to 14+v.


I'd want solar to stay connected when the inside switch is off.

[Almot]

The beginning of 14+ stage is not Full, and the end of this stage - if there is a Float after this - is not Full either.

Wet battery can go into 14+ when it's 80-90% full, AGM - around 95%.

[time2roll]

wa8yxm wrote:
14 indicates a controller fault

Most go to 14+ at some point in the day.
Some don't have float so 14 all day.

Need model # to know or just read the manual.

[red31]

wa8yxm wrote:

14 indicates a controller fault

:h 14+v by design.

[Almot]

Paoli wrote:
It's obvious I would turn them off during winter storage. I guess I should ask the RV place that installed the panel.

Depends on what exactly you will turn off - loads, solar or everything. Even if there are no loads, in 6 months with no maintenance charging a wet battery will discharge down to zero and will lose some capacity (if will survive at all).

Yes, if you can't check the circuit with handheld meter, you should ask somebody who knows.

For future - the term "technology" in the last 15-20 years has been (mis)approriated by IT and audio-video geeks. Questions like yours are usually discussed in Technical Issues forum.

[wa8yxm]

It all depends on who wired it up.

How to be sure..

Digital voltmeter. A resting 12 volt battery is around 12.6 Volts. if it's sunny out and the meter says 13.6,, The solar panel is working

13.6 by the way is FLOAT so that would indicate a fully charged battery and a WORKING controller.

14 indicates a controller fault

[2oldman]

magicbus wrote:
and that's why people suggested disconnecting the battery cables and checking them with a meter (assuming you have one and know how!). It all depends on how the panel/controller is connected to the batteries.

One person suggested that, and I don't understand why you would need to remove the cables if a)there's a disconnect switch, and b) you want to see if the panels are charging.

[Sam_Spade]

Paoli wrote:
I just want to know if it's better to leave the batteries turned on while parked for a week or so without using the motorhome.... It's obvious I would turn them off during winter storage. I guess I should ask the RV place that installed the panel.

No, you should get a meter so you can find out for yourself.
It will come in handy for other things too.
They can be had for around $10.

[Paoli]

Ok, thanks guys! 🙂

[time2roll]

Generally yes but you need to verify.
Next day measure the voltage in the early afternoon. You are looking for 13+ volts on the battery terminals.

[magicbus]

Paoli wrote:
I just want to know if it's better to leave the batteries turned on while parked for a week or so without using the motorhome.... It's obvious I would turn them off during winter storage. I guess I should ask the RV place that installed the panel.

Yes, and that's why people suggested disconnecting the battery cables and checking them with a meter (assuming you have one and know how!). It all depends on how the panel/controller is connected to the batteries. Asking the installer would probably be a good solution too because it would take them 5 minutes to check if they didn't recall how they installed it in your particular case.

Dave

[Paoli]

I just want to know if it's better to leave the batteries turned on while parked for a week or so without using the motorhome.... It's obvious I would turn them off during winter storage. I guess I should ask the RV place that installed the panel.

[MudChucker]

Only you will know... it could be either way....

unhook the battery terminal cables
place the switch in the off position

check the battery terminal cables for possible voltage from the solar gear.

make sense ?

[2oldman]

Hard to say, but a voltmeter would tell you for sure.