grounding house solar battery?

[blueh20]

I am running3-100w renolgy solar panels on top of my 2014 ford E250 van which go to a 40 amp renolgy commander controller then to a 255 ah lifeline batt.

Also have a Blue Sea systems charging relay ml-acr connected between house batt and starter batt with 2/0 wire pos and neg, 15' each way.
The house batt is the main batt and starter batt is aux.

Running a blue sea 100amp fuse panel(fused with 30amp breaker) for led lights, arb fridge and a flojet that pulls 7.5 amps max. All wiring is complete loops back to panel.

Question: Since the system is grounded to the frame from the starter batt should I also ground the house batt to the frame.

thanks for your input.

[stevenal]

Vehicles and RVs generally use a negative grounded DC system for both the vehicle and house systems. The positive wires are equipped with overcurrent protection, so if one accidentally becomes grounded the circuit will trip. Ungrounded systems used in stationary systems will have overcurrent protection on both leads, and employ ground detection to alert if either positive or negative becomes grounded. I would ground it.

[blueh20]

red31, not sure what you mean by "wrong thread". and you quoting me "all wiring is complete loops back to panel",,I ran positive and neg wires to each appliance, I have not grounded any appliance to the frame yet.
But seems as though in my other thread I may need to ground my house batt to the frame also?
I am trying to learn how I should finish this system correctly, so all input is much appreciated, thanks.

[red31]

wrong thread!

[blueh20]

ok, great, thanks for all your responses, Im going to start a new thread on what issues to expect since I just put fuses on both battery positives. Since you folks know my system and if you have input please join the thread, thanks.

[red31]

"Running a blue sea 100amp fuse panel(fused with 30amp breaker) for led lights, arb fridge and a flojet that pulls 7.5 amps max.All wiring is complete loops back to panel ."


All wiring is complete loops back to panel

[MrWizard]

Until you remove the starter battery for some reason
In which case your negative wire is disconnected and removed from the battery post of the starter and you are no longer grounded
And everything that is not wired directly to house Battery negative quits working

[red31]

blueh20 wrote:

Question: Since the system is grounded to the frame from the starter batt should I also ground the house batt to the frame.

No, is does not matter that one is 'grounded'.

You have both + and - wires to each battery and device so there is no need to use the chassis as a common.

[MrWizard]

Grounded?
You have negative 2 GA cable from house battery to starter battery

Just take the house negative move it from the starter battery to ground
This is the way RVs are wired

[blueh20]

a little clarification,,,the house battery is grounded to the starter battery with a 2/0 cable already.

[Optimistic_Para]

2oldman wrote:
There's no need to ground it, unless something doesn't work without it.

It's true that you don't HAVE to ground it, but it also doesn't hurt anything if you DO.

If it isn't grounded to the vehicle chassis, it's referred to as having a 'floating ground'.

You can't have the engine alternator send current back to the house batteries if they aren't grounded. You also can't use the house batteries to start your engine if the engine battery is dead.

Finally, if you have a floating ground, every light, fan, 12 volt outlet, water pump, etc. has to have two wires, one hot wire and one return wire going back to the batteries. If the house batteries are grounded, many of these things only need a hot wire and can be grounded to the chassis.

[Optimistic_Para]

blueh20 wrote:
thanks for the response,,,any particular wire size to ground the house battery ? i can ground it within 5 feet.
thanks

At a minimum, the ground wire should be the same size wire as the hot wire coming off of it.

[2oldman]

There's no need to ground it, unless something doesn't work without it.

[blueh20]

thanks for the response,,,any particular wire size to ground the house battery ? i can ground it within 5 feet.
thanks

[wa8yxm]

Usually the starter is labeled MAIN and the house AUX. but.. Both are grounded to the frame.