Overvoltage

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

I'm on shore power in sunny Port Isabel, TX. The Prosine display alarmed for high charging voltage; 14.8V and 0 amps. The CMP panel and my meter showed 14.6v. I turned off the battery charger and checked with Prosine to verify the inverter setup. Then I partially covered the solar panel and the voltage dropped to about 13.5V. Figuring it was the solar panel, I removed one of the connections to the Photovoltaic Controller in the battery bay. Before removing it I noticed that none of the LEDs were lit. Thinking I probably had a bad controller, I turned the inverter charger back on, assuming the inverter would control the charge. I just got back to the  coach after about an hour and the overvoltage alarm was again sounding. Turned off the charger. After about 10 minutes I turned it back on. The Prosine displays 14.4 volts at 0 amps and initially goes to standby but after a few seconds switches to charge (stilll 14.4 v, 0amps).
Ideas?
Thx, Steve

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Looks like disabling the solar panel was the fix after all. Left the charger off overnight. This AM I checked the house batteries with a hydrometer, thinking I might have a bad cell or 2, even though the batteries are less than a month old. All cells showed about 50 charge. I turned on the inverter charger. It started at 14.4V and 70 amps. The amperage slowly decreased to 0 and the inverter switched to standby. CMP panel shows batteries at 13.5v and inverter displays 13.8v. Now to figure out what is wrong with the solar system.
Steve

[Edward Buker]

Steve,

I'm not sure how sophisticated the solar charging system controller really is. If it is current limiting and is putting out zero amps at 14.8V I am not sure that is really a problem. It may be that it shuts the current down and the voltage floats up but charging may not actually be taking place. If you check the cells in the batteries and they are not really overly active gassing wise then I'm not sure I would worry. When the Prosine moves the voltage up and is going through equalization cycle it makes plenty of current available and the cells are very active. If the batteries were not overly active using the solar charger at zero current then I would see if I could move the warning overvoltage limit up to accomidate the solar charger. This overvoltage limit was put in place on the Prosine thinking that current would be supplied by the Prosine.

Later Ed

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Ed,
Thanks for the info. The solar panel is putting out 3-4a according to the CMP panel but the cells aren't active so I may be concerned over nothing. Just got spooked when I saw the high voltage and the inverter alarm. I hooked the panel back up and will watch the battery cells. As I keep the coach garaged, the solar panel isn't active much. I would think that it should be OK to leave the inverter charger on and the panel hooked up.  Willl check the Prosine to see if I can adjust the high voltage limit.
Thanks again,  Steve

[Jeremy Parrett]

Hi Steve,
   I had a similar problem. It also happened when driving.  The Prosine alarm went off.The dash voltage shot up to 16 volts etc.    I found out that someone had connected the Echo Charger cables the wrong way around !!
  I had to replace the voltmeter,but otherwise all is now OK.  Voltage hangs around 13.5 once we are charged up.
          Hope this helps.
        

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Jeremy,
Thanks for the info. Mine seems to be working now. I think I was overly concerned about the overvoltage alarm on the Prosine. Drove about 8 hrs today and voltage seemed normal. Initially this AM after firing up, the voltage went to about 14.5. But it deceased fairly fast to about 13.8 as the batteries reached full charge. I haven't had any work done on the echo charger in a number of years. I replaced all the batteries about a month ago and put in Trojan house batteries.
Steve

[Jeremy Parrett]

Hi Steve,
  I am reminded of Gerald's advise to run the generator or to activate the prosine battery charger  to bring battery voltage to 13.75 volts before starting the engine to avoid very high charging rates that can overheat the alternator causing it to fail.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Jeremy,
Thanks for the input. I think I figured it out. In digging through the Prosine manual  I found a paragraph that stated the High Voltage Offset default value was set to 1V. However, if an additional charging system was employed, this offset may need to be increased. (Range is 1-4 volts). Called Prosine to see if they had a recommendation if a solar charging system was employed in addition to the Prosine. Waste of my time. So, I increased the offset to 2v and that seemed to stop the alarming. Acid test will be tomorrow afternoon if it is sunny. (I know you are supposed to read the instructions first but that takes all the fun out of it...
Steve

[Jeremy Parrett]

Hi Steve,
   that is good news.  I know that starting off with low coach batteries will cause the alternator/regulator to put out maximum voltage.Add 2 solar panels and you could have more than the set 14 volts.  My Prosine sets the alarm at 15 volts, when I am driving.   Having rewired the Echo Charger and installed a new dash voltmeter my high voltage is now 14.5 volts DC,which soon drops to 13.5 volts when the batteries are charged up.
  

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Jeremy,
It alarmed today (rained yesterday) so I increased the offset to 3.5v.
Steve

[Jeremy Parrett]

At what voltage did the Prosine alarm sound?   When I had this issue the voltage was around 15.5 volts on the dash voltmeter.  It has beena 3 year struggle to fix this issue. In Puerto Vallarta this winter I replaced all 6 6volt coach batteries and rewired the Echo Charger. I installed a new Teleflex voltmeter and on the way home to Florida in March the dash voltmeter went to 14.5 volts after start up,and soon settled to a rock steady 13.5 volts.
  You need to check your actual voltage at the batteries; both chassis and coach and compare these voltages to the Prosine and the dash voltmeter.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Inverter screen says voltage is 15.5. Only occurs when sunny. Actual voltage at battery is .5-1v lower. Very low current (<2 amps) and batteries cells are not bubbling. As soon as sun intensity decreases, voltage drops to normally 13.5- 13.8v.
Going to 14.5 right after startup is normal for me and then it settles out at 13.5 or so. Watch your current draw on the inverter and you'll see that it is drawing high current (50a or more) initially but the current draw and voltage will quickly drop as the batteries recover from the starter current draw.
Steve