lifepo4 and maxxfan

mdkelley wrote:
No wall switch, I wired it in directly and also tested it after installing and it worked fine. It just hasn't worked since installing the new high voltage converter and knowing the converter puts out higher voltage I did a web search about voltage and the MaxxFan. What I found was that there were some online who had issues with their fans burning out the circuit board, and MaxxAir told them their fan CB could handle somewhere around 13.6v but any more would fry the CB.

@otrfun - So, it sounds like maybe a voltage regulator would be a good idea between the converter and the camper (not between converter/charger and battery though) due to the higher voltage the single stage PD unit puts out?

I do disconnect the battery when running on shore power/converter because I agree with what you are saying about constantly subjecting the battery to the high voltage bulk charge (since I read on the BB site they say not to leave their battery subjected to the bulk rate for extended periods). I did a lot of reading up on the subject before finally deciding to go with a converter that the battery maker recommended. I am planning to only use this converter to charge the battery when it gets low. I am installing two battery monitors also, one to monitor discharge and one to monitor charge rate and levels. I am honestly brand new to LiFePO4 technology and there is so much conflicting info out there it gets confusing. Thank you all for the help and info.

There are a lot of 12vdc voltage regulators on Amazon if you elect to go that route. Make sure you purchase one that can handle the appropriate current. I believe the MaxxAir fans draw approx. 3-4a (on high).

First time hearing that MaxxAir's have a max voltage rating of 13.6v. We used to own a 5th wheel toy hauler with two MaxxAir MaxFans. Regularly subjected them to 14.4v while bulk charging our lead-acid batteries and never had a problem. That being said, I suppose the MaxxAir's could be operating right on the edge at 14.4v. Could be possible the additional .2v a 14.6v converter produces could be pushing them over the edge, but who knows.

Ref your purchase of a single-stage lithium converter, you're not alone. We followed the same recommendations you did and purchased a single-stage, 14.6v Progressive Dynamic lithium converter (later sold it on eBay). According to BB, as long as you don't leave a single-stage 14.6v converter connected to a fully-charged BB LifePo4 for more than a week or so at a time, you should have no issues. Yes, manually turning a single-stage 14.6v converter on only when you actively need to charge will protect your BB LifePo4 from overcharging. However, for us, operating that way is just too awkward. We prefer the option of leaving a 2-3 stage converter on 24/7 and not worrying about it.