My solar and the chassis batteries

landyacht318 wrote:
With chassis and house batteries, I do not want the solar charging the chassis battery. I do not discharge the chassis battery, and sending some charge to it is no big deal if that is what I deem is required.

I'm also one who does not discharge the chassis battery

Number 1 even if the engine battery is fully charged, it will consume some solar wattage to be brought upto held at 14.X volts. I;d rather that wattage go into house batteries.

Same here


Secondly, I would not want any solar current going into holding a solenoid closed.

I'd rather have all Available solar wattage going into only the depleted house bank to get it to absorption voltage ASAP, so there is a better chance it can hold absorption voltage for long enough before the sun goes down.
And how long absorption voltage is to be held is a moving target despite the claims of the green light brigade who believe that when their charge controller reverts to float and flash the all is well green light, that it also means the batteries are fully charged.

Thus the reason I want to add a relay to the Midnight Solar charge controller, to disconnect the lead to the solenoid when the charge controller is charging the house batteries.


Perhaps If I had a plethora of solar I would not mind wasting some of it to top charge the engine battery or to hold the solenoid closed to complete that task.

Plethora of solar is a new one to me! LOL I have the space for 4 high voltage panels, should I have installed less? Just wish I had a plethora of money and batteries.

If a solenoid is getting hot passing solar currents to engine battery, perhaps it is a latching solenoid which only needs a momentary 12v to latch or unlatch, yet is being fed a constant 12v.

Last time I checked a Trombetta 114-1211-020 12v CONT solenoid was considered a continuous duty solenoid