Yoda's Victron MultiPlus and Solar Install - just hope I don't mess up.

[Yoda]

Country Campers Cate&Rob Retgw2 Jlawles2 bertschb gbkims

OK folks We still have a puzzle. The black wires stay Hot when disconnect is OFF.


With disconnect off there should be no power at the far right connection, but there is. I did confirm the top white/red stripe wire goes to the Schwintek slide controller. I checked voltage between the two black 6awg wires and grown (same as battery)

At the disconnect switch I get nothing across the terminals when off so it is working. However I see battery voltage between each connection and ground.

Now when my dealer wired in my solar panels he went directly to the distribution center and tied in (not sure how) and did not come forward to the battery. Is it possible I am seeing the solar voltage at the point with the disconnect off? Solar charger goes blank as it cant see the battery with disconnect off, but I still see battery voltage at the black wire connection. Maybe I'll check after dark. I was able to fix my front bay light. Another one of GD knife connectors went bad (cut wire). CPAP's are wired back in. All that is left is the backup lights to the relay. I am going to drop the coroplast at the two front corners to get access to the wiring I put in. However I will leave the center connected this time to make putting it back a bit easier

Tomorrow I will try and work my way to the distribution center to find out how the dealer wired in the solar panes.

Thanks
Keith

[Jlawles2]

Yoda You will have to follow the wiring. There is battery to distribution bar, then to disconnect switch. I know in my unit, there is direct power to the unity controller, but the control panel is on the disconnect switch, GO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. The leveling jacks and breakaway switch are on the bus bar before the disconnect switch. I corrected it all bu installing a disconnect switch between the battery and the bus bar. That way I know everything is off. No parasitic draws that you don't know about like the break away switch, the gas detector, the leveling jacks, unity controller, schwintech controler, etc.

[Country Campers]

Yoda

Are you on shore power as well as solar? If so you will get power from the converter back on one of the black wires on the lower right of your pic. The one black wire goes to the disconnect the other either goes to the converter and then to the distribution panel or to the distribution panel and then to the converter.

Brian

[Retgw2]

Yoda

Are you on shore power as well as solar? If so you will get power from the converter back on one of the black wires on the lower right of your pic. The one black wire goes to the disconnect the other either goes to the converter and then to the distribution panel or to the distribution panel and then to the converter.

Brian

Had the same thought. You can shut off the AC breaker to the converter or disconnect from shore power all together to see if that is giving you the voltage reading. You will want to disconnect the converter anyway since your victron multiplus will be charging the batteries once it is installed. If voltage is still there you could disconnect the solar panel string (assuming they are connected via a MC4 connector) to check your hunch on the dealers install.

Another Brian!

[Yoda]

Yoda

Are you on shore power as well as solar? If so you will get power from the converter back on one of the black wires on the lower right of your pic. The one black wire goes to the disconnect the other either goes to the converter and then to the distribution panel or to the distribution panel and then to the converter.

Brian

Sorry I should have mentioned no shore power.

[Yoda]

Had the same thought. You can shut off the AC breaker to the converter or disconnect from shore power all together to see if that is giving you the voltage reading. You will want to disconnect the converter anyway since your victron multiplus will be charging the batteries once it is installed. If voltage is still there you could disconnect the solar panel string (assuming they are connected via a MC4 connector) to check your hunch on the dealers install.

Another Brian!

Brian - Yep on my list. I need to get my scaffolding together and see if the dealer kept them on the install. My luck they might have cut them out and went direct. I don't remember seen them on the roof. As a test I was going to cover the panel with black plastic and see what I get, or pull the solar controller and disconnect there.
I'll post what I find out.

[Yoda]

Country Campers Cate&Rob Retgw2 Jlawles2 bertschb gbkims
Puzzle is solved. I was seeing voltage from the solar controller. I pulled the inline fuse in the battery line at the controller and everything was good. There must be a capacitor somewhere in the circuit as I got some residual voltage (1 to 2v) and about 7 ohms resistance when I first checked. Took a few minutes to check other places and when I came back voltage was zero. Still has 7 ohm resistance to ground though. Good enough for now. Weather is a bit chilly and cloudy today so I may work on other stuff.

Thanks for the help folks.
Keith

[Yoda]

As it was raining today I thought I would mark up a rough wiring plan.
Not shown is the Touch 50 or BM712 Going to the MultiPlus actually made the wiring easier.

Am I missing something?

All equipment will be mounted to 1/4 aluminum plate stock that I am securing to the top and bottom rails. Yep I over did it once I picked it up - I probably could have used 3/16" or maybe 1/8"...what was I thinking? I have an addition 6" below the plate due to a cross member. Ill actually probably mount the ground bar to it behind the batteries closer to everything.

Battery box will sit to the far right front and have 3.5" clear to mountings plates. To stiffen the floor under I am using a piece of 1/2 solid core ply wood that will be screwed to the floor with a locking strap for the battery box secured to or under it.

Later today I will be laying everything out to full size on some poster board. Also I believe I can easily feed through the belly forward (110 and solar wiring from panels) and come out below all of the equipment - just need a couple of new access holes for the wires.

More later
Keith

[KSC_Travels]

All equipment will be mounted to 1/4 aluminum plate stock that I am securing to the top and bottom rails. Yep I over did it once I picked it up - I probably could have used 3/16" or maybe 1/8"...what was I thinking? I have an addition 6" below the plate due to a cross member. Ill actually probably mount the ground bar to it behind the batteries closer to everything.


Keith[/QUOTE]

Yoda

Are you sure you want to mount electrical equipment to a conductive material (aluminum)? Seems to me you are putting a lot of faith in the insulative qualities/quality control of the components, cables, bus bars, etc. when your fasteners connect the components to metal plate and create a potential short to ground. Maybe I am just being overly cautious and others who know more about it will weigh in.

[Yoda]

All equipment will be mounted to 1/4 aluminum plate stock that I am securing to the top and bottom rails. Yep I over did it once I picked it up - I probably could have used 3/16" or maybe 1/8"...what was I thinking? I have an addition 6" below the plate due to a cross member. Ill actually probably mount the ground bar to it behind the batteries closer to everything.


Keith

Yoda

Are you sure you want to mount electrical equipment to a conductive material (aluminum)? Seems to me you are putting a lot of faith in the insulative qualities/quality control of the components, cables, bus bars, etc. when your fasteners connect the components to metal plate and create a potential short to ground. Maybe I am just being overly cautious and others who know more about it will weigh in.[/QUOTE]

Ken it is serving two purposes. I needed a non combustible mounting surface per the instructions, and second it will be a big heat sink so the equipment will run cooler. The Victron equipment all have a chassis ground wires. I will be running an independent wire of the proper size (6 or 8 awg) to the ground bar. As the plate is grounded to the frame through the mounting screws I will be fine.

Last mounting this way assures me I wont have screws pulling out of the plywood either.

[Jlawles2]

Last mounting this way assures me I wont have screws pulling out of the plywood either.

Keith you have my luck. I used these https://www.amazon.com/Bolt-Dropper-...ts_id=16410131 to install a radio in my first TT b/c the face frame was MDF with wood vinyl over it, but doors were real wood/

Those T-nuts are nice once they get sucked up b/c they also added a bit of spread to the pressure applied to the wood.

[KSC_Travels]

Yoda

Are you sure you want to mount electrical equipment to a conductive material (aluminum)? Seems to me you are putting a lot of faith in the insulative qualities/quality control of the components, cables, bus bars, etc. when your fasteners connect the components to metal plate and create a potential short to ground. Maybe I am just being overly cautious and others who know more about it will weigh in.

Ken it is serving two purposes. I needed a non combustible mounting surface per the instructions, and second it will be a big heat sink so the equipment will run cooler. The Victron equipment all have a chassis ground wires. I will be running an independent wire of the proper size (6 or 8 awg) to the ground bar. As the plate is grounded to the frame through the mounting screws I will be fine.

Last mounting this way assures me I wont have screws pulling out of the plywood either.[/QUOTE]

Yoda

Hi Keith... understood on the large Victron equipment... perhaps I am misinterpreting your intent. I was thinking more about the "positive" circuits (bus bars, switches, cable lugs, etc.) being mounted to/or in very close proximity to the aluminum plate (and maybe that's where I am misunderstanding). My safety and risk management background is giving me an uneasy feeling that it would be too easy for an arc or current leakage from any of those items on the positive side of the circuit to the mounting plate (i.e. short circuit).

P.S. Not meant to be critical at all - but my safety background obliges me to speak up and ask a question if something looks off (STOP-THINK-ACT... that's how we ALL stay safe).

Cheers!

Ken

[Yoda]

Ken it is serving two purposes. I needed a non combustible mounting surface per the instructions, and second it will be a big heat sink so the equipment will run cooler. The Victron equipment all have a chassis ground wires. I will be running an independent wire of the proper size (6 or 8 awg) to the ground bar. As the plate is grounded to the frame through the mounting screws I will be fine.

Last mounting this way assures me I wont have screws pulling out of the plywood either.

Yoda

Hi Keith... understood on the large Victron equipment... perhaps I am misinterpreting your intent. I was thinking more about the "positive" circuits (bus bars, switches, cable lugs, etc.) being mounted to/or in very close proximity to the aluminum plate (and maybe that's where I am misunderstanding). My safety and risk management background is giving me an uneasy feeling that it would be too easy for an arc or current leakage from any of those items on the positive side of the circuit to the mounting plate (i.e. short circuit).

P.S. Not meant to be critical at all - but my safety background obliges me to speak up and ask a question if something looks off (STOP-THINK-ACT... that's how we ALL stay safe).

Cheers!

Ken[/QUOTE]

Ken I agree safety is #1

My positive bus bar is a lynx Power In bar - fully insulated; https://www.victronenergy.com/dc-dis...n#pd-nav-image. The solar controllers are also Victron. All my switches and fuses are Blue Sea and also fully insulated /covered. I don't think any of the voltages are high enough for arcing. Also by having switches right off the batteries and switches for the solar panel power, everything can be cut off if I am working on things. I have made sure that all of the components are rated for the voltage and where possible UL or other approvals.

[Jlawles2]

Yoda KSC_Travels If there is an issue with any of the cables being in close proximity to the AL plate, Keith could add ABS sheeting in the affected areas. That stuff is cheap, easy to work with, and would be easy to mount with plastic removable rivets.

ABS https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rivet https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Yoda]

Made some progress today fitting the backing plates. Discovered the metal shop cut the plate too long. Had to cut an inch off. My old sears circular saw with a carbide blade made quick work of it. Man do the aluminum cuttings make a mess. Then pre-drilled screw holes, fit and transferred the pattern by drilling through the holes. Went pretty well.

I made on mistake and that was going to HD to get the #12 by 1" hex head sheet metal screws to hold the backing plate in place. Even though I had the correct pilot hole I was breaking a few taping out the holes. Fortunately when they snaped they left a stub. Used some vice grips to get them out. Going to get some from Fastenall tomorrow which should be better (grade 5). Then I can use my impact driver on a slow weak setting.

Makeshift work bench

Test fit of plate. I drilled a couple of small holes and used a couple of wood screws to hold it in place. One is barely visible in the upper left below the duct tape that did not hold. I then drilled through the pilot holes into the steel channel so everything will line up correctly.

The plate is notched so I can get at the existing positive bus bar, with plenty of clearance so I cant short things out . I have some plastic edging that I will put on too.

Once I have the mounting finished up I will pre-fit all the components (including drilling mounting holes), making sure I can still get at the mounting screws. I plan to paint it black with high temperature paint before the final install.

Weather is supposed to be great for a few days, so hopefully I can make some progress.

Keith