Recs for Solar Cut Off Switch?

[Powertour]

Looking for help finding some sort of cut off switch that I can mount on the wall inside my coach next to where the charge controller is currently mounted.

Side note: I'm pretty much hemmed into putting the cut off switch next to the charge controller due to the way the previous owner wired the array into the coach.

Trying to find anything that isn't big &/or big & ugly has proven to be an exercise in futility.

Thanks in advance!

[CA_Traveler]

Likely the solar + - is isolated from ground. IF your panels have a frame and IF the frame is grounded to the RV frame and IF the RV frame is not wood and IF ...

I'd likely switch the + ... Ohhh wait I didnt' do that. The $6 Home Depot 240V AC switch often used for A/Cs is 2 pole and switches both of my panel leads. Flame away and I'm aware that DC switching is not the same as AC switching.

[BFL13]

This probably doesn't make any sense, but my brain is frazzled.

The controller "controls" by switching either the pos or neg side of the array input. So if you have a switch on the "wrong" wire, AND the controller is grounded (whichever way), then you could have a situation where you haven't done anything?

Sorry, I know that could be totally stupid. 😞

[crcr]

BFL13 wrote:
Don't know what counts as big and ugly, but you can use an ordinary 120v household light switch in the wall next to the controller. IMO not ugly, but might be too big, no idea. Doesn't matter if the wire being switched is 120v or 12v.

You can switch either the pos or neg "ARRAY" wire to the controller and it will cut off the array.

There might be a trick as to which wire to switch depending on whether the controller is positive or negative grounded and if it is grounded--in an RV no need to ground the array or controller, but who knows what an installer will do?

Or it might not make any difference no matter what. Somebody else who knows more can jump in on that as required.

I am not an expert on solar systems, but from my study, I believe that the positive leg should be switched, as opposed to the negative side. This is the same as wiring in 110V, where the positive side of a load should be switched, as opposed to the negative side.

[Lwiddis]

No pretty switches that I know of. WindyNation sells them https://www.windynation.com/switches-breaks

[BFL13]

Powertour wrote:

crcr wrote:
Are you wanting to shut off power from the solar panels to the controller? If yes, why? If your batteries are full and your solar controller is a good one and is working correctly, it will never put more power into the batteries than what they need. That's what the controller is for.

Correct. There are times when I'm going to need to service (clean terminals, top off water etc) or change out the batteries & at times like that I don't want everything 'hot'.

Missing is the requirement for some controllers (Morningstar's for example) to not be left with the array connected and the battery not. Must follow sequence! Hence the need for a switch on the array side.

[Powertour]

crcr wrote:
Are you wanting to shut off power from the solar panels to the controller? If yes, why? If your batteries are full and your solar controller is a good one and is working correctly, it will never put more power into the batteries than what they need. That's what the controller is for.

Correct. There are times when I'm going to need to service (clean terminals, top off water etc) or change out the batteries & at times like that I don't want everything 'hot'.

[BFL13]

deleted about the 120v switch being ok--not.

You can switch either the pos or neg "ARRAY" wire to the controller and it will cut off the array.

There might be a trick as to which wire to switch depending on whether the controller is positive or negative grounded and if it is grounded--in an RV no need to ground the array or controller, but who knows what an installer will do?

Or it might not make any difference no matter what. Somebody else who knows more can jump in on that as required.

[crcr]

Itinerant1 wrote:
If needing to disconnect panels from system it's as easy as pushing a button.

Actually, you should have two DC breakers like that, one between the solar panels and the controller, and one after the controller, before the inverter, so that you can completely isolate the controller from the system if need be. It looks like that's how this system is wired, and that's how I wired my system.

[Boon_Docker]

12v inline circuit breaker

[2oldman]

Little disconnect switch

[Itinerant1]

If needing to disconnect panels from system it's as easy as pushing a button.

[crcr]

Are you wanting to shut off power from the solar panels to the controller? If yes, why? If your batteries are full and your solar controller is a good one and is working correctly, it will never put more power into the batteries than what they need. That's what the controller is for.