solar power

[Jerry Carr]

When I check my Aladdin my solar power show volts but no amps, someone told me that this is a result of poor or corroded connection on the solar panel.  Is this something that I can repair easily?  How would you check it, and should I apply something to the connections to prevent corrosion

[Keith Moffett]

I have been told by the mfg reps that solar panels need to be removed and the connections checked and cleaned in their connector boxes underneath.
 I have not done this as the installation requires me to pull it off the roof not off the L- brackets alone.
Best of luck
Keith

[Jerry Carr]

Do we have access to the correct cleaning process? I am not sure who told me to clean the connections but during our last rally I was told this was a common problem.

Could the mfg rep give us some direction?

[Gerald Farris]

There may be nothing wrong with your solar panels. If you are plugged into shore power and your house batteries are being charged at a voltage that is equal to or greater than the set point on your solar voltage regulator, there will be no amperage flowing into the batteries and therefore a 0 amperage reading even though the panels are producing voltage.

Gerald

[Jerry Carr]

Hi Gerald,

OK your input is always great, how would I check the system to see if the panels are working I have never seen any amperage? I am almost always hooked up or the engine is running.
Jerry  

[Joel Ashley]

I was thinking along the same lines as Gerald, that if your batteries were fully up and not being discharged, there would be no current flow to them from the solar panel(s).  I would think to check the system you'd need to discharge the batteries a bit (run some 12 volt lights or device, or run something requiring the inverter), and be off any other charging source - plugged in or generator - so the solar panels have to actually push electrons through to the batteries;  that is flowing current, and it should show up on your Alladin, especially if you are in good sunshine  . (Good luck with that if you are in Washington right now, Jerry!)

Referencing the last part of your original question, anytime I have something electrical apart, especially 12 volt automotive, I apply dielectric grease to contact surfaces before reassembly;  that can actually improve contact and prevent corrosion.  Just do a clean job of it so the "grease" doesn't act as a dirt magnet to your connection area.

-Joel

[Jerry Carr]

Thanks for the help.  I think I will check it out while we are down at Happy Trails during the month of Jan. 2011.  I know they will have sun!

[Joel Ashley]

You probably don't have to wait, Jerry.  Just unplug from outside service and don't use the generator for a few hours some morning.  Using the TV or other appliances for awhile will take the top off the battery charge.  Even on a cloudy day, you should eventually see some current flow out of the panels through the controller to the batteries.  After you confirm registration of amps on your Aladdin, you can plug back in to shore power.

While our coach is parked on its home pad, the batteries are kept up exclusively by solar, and are always at full charge even when I ding around in there with lights on on inclement days  .  Yes, you get more power when the sun's out, but operations don't entirely stop because of clouds.

-Joel

[Bill Sprague]

Jerry,

When my rig was new I did some research.  Mine has a single solar panel.  I wanted to store the coach with food in the refer set to propane for two weeks in Texas.  

I found out that there was not enough output in a single solar panel to keep the fridge circuit board running!   This seemed to be true even if I pulled fuses for everything else.  

What I think I learned was that the solar panel is enough to keep the batteries from going dead when the coach power switch (by the front door) is off.  In other words, the solar panels and power switch were for the convenience of the sales staff at dealerships.  As long as they used the switch they could be reasonably sure they could show the coaches on the lot without embarrassment.  

The second lesson was when I asked why the fridge was wired through the coach power switch.  I wanted to be able to use the switch when I entered or exited the coach.  The answer was that if the fridge was not turned off, the batteries would discharge -- even with the solar panel.  Again, the switch was for the salesman that wanted to be sure the coach would show well on the lot.  

I have disabled the switch and ignore the solar panel.  Niether has any benifit to me.  

Even if your panel is working at 100% don't expect much!

[Jerry Carr]

Hi Bill,

thanks for the info, in our rig the Fridge is a 120 volt only, so the solar is not any help. We also have a single cell panel that I think is really intended for battery charging only. the system may be working but I plan to use Joel's suggestion above to see if we get any amp flow.

Did you get the Drill all charged up?

[Bill Sprague]

Did you get the Drill all charged up?

It will now live a lazy life as the backup to the better one I bought.

[Joel Ashley]

Documentation indicates that the gas igniter (and circuit boards) for the refrigerator is not wired to the "salesmen's switch" (nor is the inverter), so that the fridge could still run on gas if not plugged in and the switch was off.  The solar keeping the batteries up would help secure that ignition, unless other parasitic drains outside the parameters of the Coach Power switch were too much, or the solar day was inadequate.  I'm not sure what was going on in Bill's case, but obviously his batteries and solar weren't up to the total task.  I know there is a small spike in home electric use if I plug in the coach, and the 100 watt solar keeps the batteries up on its own, so I don't store plugged in anymore, and that is benefit enough for me  .  

Today's refers run on AC electric or gas, except for the 12v gas ignition.  Even in our old 1984 coach that did have 3-way, 12 volt refer operation was not automatic if the other 2 failed;  you had to deliberately switch to 12 v, and the refer had to be already cold because 12v didn't have the power to do anything except maintain the temp - usually not even that.  Mfrs. took the hint and started offering only 2-way refers.

-Joel