Solar install charge question
Adding the solar panels and charge controller this week. I have read that the converter IQ charger and the Solar Charge controller can confuse each other so wonder if I should use a marine battery swi...
Forum Discussion
Agree with above, they can both charge, and the higher voltage source will be in charge of the charge.
Which charger is smarter? You can easily just flip the breaker to the RV electric charger when you have good sun, and plugged in, so only the solar is doing the work, no need to add extra switches. The charger usually is on its own circuit breaker, not shared with anything.
However, this means you are running of batteries and not the DC power from the converter. Using the converter will prolong the battery life. Better to have a switch from converter to battery and is same reason as explained below... safety.
Again, you do not need a switch, but for maintenance is good idea.
Since you are doing the install I recommend putting a switch on the positive feed from the panel(s) so you can turn them off. Before disconnecting the battery for any maintenance reason you should first disconnect the solar panel to prevent any possibility of damage to the panel.
I used a single circuit breaker switch so it doubles as a fuse/breaker and a manual switch.
Are you running parallel or in series?
Which charger is smarter? You can easily just flip the breaker to the RV electric charger when you have good sun, and plugged in, so only the solar is doing the work, no need to add extra switches. The charger usually is on its own circuit breaker, not shared with anything.
However, this means you are running of batteries and not the DC power from the converter. Using the converter will prolong the battery life. Better to have a switch from converter to battery and is same reason as explained below... safety.
Again, you do not need a switch, but for maintenance is good idea.
Since you are doing the install I recommend putting a switch on the positive feed from the panel(s) so you can turn them off. Before disconnecting the battery for any maintenance reason you should first disconnect the solar panel to prevent any possibility of damage to the panel.
I used a single circuit breaker switch so it doubles as a fuse/breaker and a manual switch.
Are you running parallel or in series?
