Battery up grade

[reubenray]

Before you put in a disconnect, you would pull a wire from the solar panel to the charge controller before you disconnect the battery. Once you have the panels disconnected, you can splice in the breaker. Then just make sure you have the battery connected before you close the breaker. You can see my breaker to to the right of the charge controller- the small white box.


One reason I went with one large battery is that charging them in parallel you sometimes need to rebalance the 2 cells by charging each one all the way individually. If also saves on those huge expensive copper wires to connect them up. :-)

I already have a solar disconnect.

[acoleman43]

I already have a solar disconnect.

Perfect. Just disconnect solar before you uninstall old batteries. Charge new batteries to full SOC. Then install new batteries. Once new batteries are installed, reconnect solar.

A couple things to consider:

-Most new solar charge controllers have charging profiles for all types of batteries. Make sure you change battery type to lithium.
-Most converter/chargers can charge all types of batteries. Make sure it is switched to lithium as well.

**Some of the newer chargers/charge controllers have an autosensing feature that will automatically sense the battery type and switch to the proper mode. Crossing fingers you have these.

[reubenray]

Perfect. Just disconnect solar before you uninstall old batteries. Charge new batteries to full SOC. Then install new batteries. Once new batteries are installed, reconnect solar.

A couple things to consider:

-Most new solar charge controllers have charging profiles for all types of batteries. Make sure you change battery type to lithium.
-Most converter/chargers can charge all types of batteries. Make sure it is switched to lithium as well.

**Some of the newer chargers/charge controllers have an autosensing feature that will automatically sense the battery type and switch to the proper mode. Crossing fingers you have these.

I read the instructions on both the solar charge controller and the converter/charger and I have one question. How do you change the setting if there is no power to either of them prior to connecting the battery?

[acoleman43]

I read the instructions on both the solar charge controller and the converter/charger and I have one question. How do you change the setting if there is no power to either of them prior to connecting the battery?

Oh...lol....good point.

You can connect to battery then make the change. It won't ruin the battery.