Charging question

Submitted: Tuesday, Oct 25, 2011 at 10:41

ThreadID: 89728 Views:3039 Replies:1 FollowUps:1

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Caravan & Camper Battery Charging

Our modern lifestyle and need for electric and electronic products to accompany us on holidays and on our travels has brought us to have independent power in our caravans and campers when away from

R&M (WA)

Hi all can any one help please?
In my caravan I was running a single 105ah deep cycle battery I then added another 105ah to give me more amps this is my problem in the caravan I have a primus 40ltr running off 12volt but when I connect the ctek 25000 to the batteries the fridge goes out on a yellow warning light which suggests low or uneven power. the fridge is fine when running off the batteries but this only happens when charger is connected. Would it make a difference if the batteries were earthed to the chassis? Your thoughts much appreciated and thanks in advanced.

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Reply By: Charlie B2 - Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 at 14:07

Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 at 14:07

Hi R&M,

I started to write this reply yesterday, but felt my knowledge insufficient to give you something concrete to work on. However, the experts who normally respond promptly don't appear to be around, so I've put this together quickly to see if arouses any slings and arrows.

I presume that your Primus fridge is a 3-way. If not, ignore all after. If it is, why on earth would you choose to run it on 12 volts if you have 240 volts available? I presume (again) that you must have 240, if you're intending to plug in your CTek.

I've always understood that running a 3-way fridge on 12 volts was the most inefficient way of operating it, in many models only barely keeping things maintained, and even then with a huge current draw, so that could be sucking more out of your batteries than the CTek's putting in. 240 volts is better and if you're off in the sticks, gas is the way to go.

So! My suggestion would be to switch over to either gas or 240 volts and let the CTek do its thing on the batteries with nothing else attached - at a 25 amp rating it should be able to punch in a heap of power (OK, you experts, this may not be the technically correct terms but I think it's what this guy needs to hear) very quickly indeed. Of course the batteries could be on the way out, maybe, maybe not, but who knows?

Anyway, that's what I'd try, as a first step.

Regards,

Charlie

Charlie

AnswerID: 468592

Follow Up By: oldtrack123 - Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 at 17:09

Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 at 17:09

Hi
Charlie has made some good points
But First lets get the details clear
[I ] The Fridge is A 3way 240v ,gas or 12v???
If yes it should not be used on 12v exceptvia the TUG battery with engine running AND some form of prevention of over discharging the TUG starter battery
[ignition controlled real , Fridge Sitch motion sensing devise]

[2] If a 3way run on gas or 240v if mains power is available
[3 A 25 amp charger should more than cope with the fridge load current, but no point in using it to operate the fridge, USE MAINS power 240v option
[4] the charger should not give any loss of voltage unless [a] you have it conected the wrong polarities [b] OR it is faulty
[5]
IF the fridge in question is a compressor fridge 12v /240v [no gas]
How are you connecting it to the battery & charger ???
[6 ] The charger must be connected direct to the batteries with good clean tight connections AT ALL TIMES
[7]Connecting a compressor fridge direct to a charger IS A NO, NO, NO!!
Peter

FollowupID: 742901