Battery cutoff with solar

[Colo_Native]

Do you use the battery cutoff if you have solar. I just installed my solar and was wonder if I still need to cutoff the batteries because the solar will keep them charged and the little drain might help. Just wondering.

EDIT: I am talking about the disconnect for the FW not the solar to batteries

[LScamper]

pianotuna wrote:
"For some controllers running without the battery connected may let out the magic blue smoke."

Just wondering what happens if the battery fails in an open condition. Will it destroy the controller?

[pianotuna]

Hi Joel,

For some controllers running without the battery connected may let out the magic blue smoke.

Joel_T wrote:

smkettner wrote:
No switch. My RV runs 24/365 on solar. And with 510 watts you should not have an issue. Off is fine too.

Always cut power from panels before you disconnect controller from battery.

What's the danger....overloading the controller? I have a fused breaker before and after the controller and shut the one off between controller and batteries occasionally so I can measure true panel output without the battery influence.

[Joel_T]

smkettner wrote:
No switch. My RV runs 24/365 on solar. And with 510 watts you should not have an issue. Off is fine too.

Always cut power from panels before you disconnect controller from battery.

What's the danger....overloading the controller? I have a fused breaker before and after the controller and shut the one off between controller and batteries occasionally so I can measure true panel output without the battery influence.

[Almot]

full_mosey wrote:

Colo Native wrote:


and the little drain might help.

Help what?

Exactly.

There is already plenty of self-discharge drain with flooded batteries. This is what solar is for - to keep them full in storage. Few more amp-hours pushed in by solar in daytime because of LP/CO detectors sucking it out in the night, - this won't help with anything.

[Shadow_Catcher]

I turn ours off. If it does not need to be powered i.e. radio, TV, smoke gas alarm... why would you.

[full_mosey]

Colo Native wrote:


and the little drain might help.

Help what? This idea has to be a myth.

I see no benefit at all. IMHO, a battery will last longest if kept charged.

HTH;
John

[2oldman]

Colo Native wrote:
EDIT: I am talking about the disconnect for the FW not the solar to batteries

Oh, ok.. then no, I wouldn't disconnect.

[time2roll]

No switch. My RV runs 24/365 on solar. And with 510 watts you should not have an issue. Off is fine too.

Always cut power from panels before you disconnect controller from battery.

[2oldman]

This goes between the panels and the controller:



It's high-voltage low amperage. Should the controller ever need changing or service it can easily be shut off.

[scrubjaysnest]

Ours is wired directly to the batteries with a breaker between the CC and the batteries.

[catkins]

No - I want the battery charge to be kept topped off on the RV. Keeps all batteries charged and ready to go when we are. I simply let the controller do it's work and cut off charging when full.

[magicbus]

Ductape wrote:
... Hard to see any downside to leaving the solar on and batteries connected.

I ran my solar controller directly to the batteries so I can disconnect them so there is no draw, but still have the solar keeping them topped up. However, I installed a switch in the solar feed for the times when someone was going to service the RV, so if a tech pulls off the cables from the battery they are not hot from the solar.

Dave

[Ductape]

In storage for how long? All batteries self discharge to some degree.

If you do disconnect batts then first disconnect the array.

I leave ours always on. But we don't store it either. Hard to see any downside to leaving the solar on and batteries connected.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

If I'm putting the rv in storage I turn off the battery bank.

The solar goes directly to the bank bypassing the disconnect switch.

[2oldman]

Only if I need to disconnect for maintenance purposes.