Sargent Ec155 - what is this wire?

[DreamingT6s]

Hi - exploring my new van this morning, in particular the electrics. The setup is a Sargent EC155 with EC50 control panel paired with a Victron BMV700 monitor and a Sterling Power B2B unit. Still trying to get my head around the setup and the differences between the Victron and the EC50 for battery monitoring. But the question I have is what is this lead from the EC155? It doesn’t go to anything? Thanks.

 

[Dellmassive]

https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/user/downloads/EC155%20User%20Instructions%20Issue%205.pdf

EHU Input socket?

what colour are the 3 wires?

 

[roadtripper]

With it being free like that I'm rather hoping it isn't one of the the 240v connectors...

I fear from the small picture of the wiring harness in the manual it might be though.

And it looks like it's one of a bundle of white, yellow and black flexes in a loom - which ties in with the three flexes in the loom for 240v output 1 (fridge, sockets, heater) which would make it a 240v fridge feed.

I'd recommend getting that checked out, if that's true then if your fridge MCB is on those connectors are live mains and unprotected.

 

[roadtripper]

I was going to recommend you leave breaker 3 off until you are sure for safety, but rather insidiously that breaker also seems to internally power the 12v charger...

 

[DreamingT6s]

Thanks for the replies @Dellmassive and @roadtripper - I’ll do some digging tomorrow in daylight and get the multimeter out.

Have only had the van 1 week and had 2 nights last weekend in it on EHU. All seems to work as expected with the LB being topped up and 240v sockets working, etc. The only notable exceptions I noted were fridge can’t be switched off and the Webasto seems to be permanent live - both work event with the Sargent ec50 control panel off. But I have no idea if that is the norm.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Webasto should be wired direct to the battery not via anything else. Avoids problems down the line like extraneous fuses and connections causing voltage drop.

 

[roadtripper]

For similar reasons compressor fridges tend to be wired as direct as possible. They can normally be turned off from cooling by a switch in them but the controls remain active.

Sometimes both need resetting by removing power so while you're figuring out your van it's a good idea to familiarise yourself where the (most likely) inline fuses for those systems are.

Be very cautious validating if that connection has live mains with a multimeter. Ideally don't do it alone just in case and if you have assistance get the probes in place and steady with the mains off then get them to turn it on so you're not juggling things. From the diagram best bet is that the centre conductor is the earth so probe across the outer two with your meter set to AC voltage at a suitable range. Apologies if that's teaching you to suck eggs!

 

[DreamingT6s]

For similar reasons compressor fridges tend to be wired as direct as possible. They can normally be turned off from cooling by a switch in them but the controls remain active.

Sometimes both need resetting by removing power so while you're figuring out your van it's a good idea to familiarise yourself where the (most likely) inline fuses for those systems are.

Be very cautious validating if that connection has live mains with a multimeter. Ideally don't do it alone just in case and if you have assistance get the probes in place and steady with the mains off then get them to turn it on so you're not juggling things. From the diagram best bet is that the centre conductor is the earth so probe across the outer two with your meter set to AC voltage at a suitable range. Apologies if that's teaching you to suck eggs

For similar reasons compressor fridges tend to be wired as direct as possible. They can normally be turned off from cooling by a switch in them but the controls remain active.

Sometimes both need resetting by removing power so while you're figuring out your van it's a good idea to familiarise yourself where the (most likely) inline fuses for those systems are.

Be very cautious validating if that connection has live mains with a multimeter. Ideally don't do it alone just in case and if you have assistance get the probes in place and steady with the mains off then get them to turn it on so you're not juggling things. From the diagram best bet is that the centre conductor is the earth so probe across the outer two with your meter set to AC voltage at a suitable range. Apologies if that's teaching you to suck eggs!

All advice gratefully received - thanks! That’s reassuring for the fridge and heater. I’ve been out poking around with a torch and I totally agree it looks like the 3rd 240v AC feed. The other 2, Yellow and White go to a 240v socket each. I’ll see if there is some way to isolate this lead. I’m now more concerned to see that the brand new leisure battery the dealer put in is only 80amp. I don’t plan doing much off-grid or using more than lights and phone chargers so I’m assuming it should be ‘okay’….

 

[oldiebut goodie]

"
From the diagram best bet is that the centre conductor is the earth so probe across the outer two with your meter set to AC voltage at a suitable range. Apologies if that's teaching you to suck eggs!"



Surely that diagram depicts ground at the top, live at centre and neutral at bottom? (hook-up input socket)
Mind you - you may be referring to something other than the "spare" 3pin connector?

I can't see if they are pins or sockets though.

 

[roadtripper]

As noted in my earlier post the loom in the picture from the van looks like this one



In which case the black flex is this one:



And those seem to be arranged Brown, Green, Blue from the top which I am reading as Line, Protective Earth, Neutral

 

[roadtripper]

I’m now more concerned to see that the brand new leisure battery the dealer put in is only 80amp. I don’t plan doing much off-grid or using more than lights and phone chargers so I’m assuming it should be ‘okay’….

The good news is you say they've fitted a DC-DC charger rather than use the Sargent's split charge relay - that means you'll get the full 80ah charged not the 80% (so only to 64ah) due to start/stop (I'm assuming by 'new' you mean a T6.1)

I'm also assuming it's either a conventional leisure battery or an AGM? In which case you should aim not to discharge it below about half (12.0v).

That leaves you with around 40/50ah usable. That's fine for the uses you mention, if you had a fridge that's a bit more marginal.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Looking again - that black lead most probably is as you say, the distortion in the pic made me think that the cable was heavier than the yellow and white in the loom below and not part of the loom. The note on the diagram says not included in standard kit alongside the black which leads one to a different viewpoint.

 

[cgtmiles]

Is it not just the feed to a non compressor fridge. Not needed as you correctly have a direct feed?

 

[DreamingT6s]

The good news is you say they've fitted a DC-DC charger rather than use the Sargent's split charge relay - that means you'll get the full 80ah charged not the 80% (so only to 64ah) due to start/stop (I'm assuming by 'new' you mean a T6.1)

I'm also assuming it's either a conventional leisure battery or an AGM? In which case you should aim not to discharge it below about half (12.0v).

That leaves you with around 40/50ah usable. That's fine for the uses you mention, if you had a fridge that's a bit more marginal.

Thanks @roadtripper - daft question, would this setup give reverse charge or do I need to go down a separate route for this?

 

[roadtripper]

Depends which DC-DC Sterling they have fitted. The newer red ones are bi directional but I suspect they will have fitted the classic white boxy one with the confusing displays that is not.






There are a ton of ways of looking after the starter battery if you need it, but first find out if that's the case. If you are leaving the van standing for weeks you might, likewise if you are planning week long camps and have things like power doors that are going to put a load on the starter when it's not going to be topped up by driving.

 

[roadtripper]

Looking again - that black lead most probably is as you say, the distortion in the pic made me think that the cable was heavier than the yellow and white in the loom below and not part of the loom. The note on the diagram says not included in standard kit alongside the black which leads one to a different viewpoint.

I believe that note is for the second output loom, but it's not the clearest diagram.

 

[DreamingT6s]

Depends which DC-DC Sterling they have fitted. The newer red ones are bi directional but I suspect they will have fitted the classic white boxy one with the confusing displays that is not.

View attachment 234942
View attachment 234943



There are a ton of ways of looking after the starter battery if you need it, but first find out if that's the case. If you are leaving the van standing for weeks you might, likewise if you are planning week long camps and have things like power doors that are going to put a load on the starter when it's not going to be topped up by driving.

Thanks for the detailed reply. It is indeed the older white one, not red. Probably will look at a Noco or Ctek maintainer that I can plug in - not keen or competent enough to begin any hardwired mods, yet!

 

[roadtripper]

Definitely having a maintenance charger to hand is useful. Setup a price alert on CamelCamelCamel or look out for sales, best to have one ahead of when you need it.

You say your van is new - what year is it? I ask as we've noted on the forum that the more recent T6.1 with second battery wiring from the factory seems not to have the traditional socket wired to the starter.

 

[DreamingT6s]

Definitely having a maintenance charger to hand is useful. Setup a price alert on CamelCamelCamel or look out for sales, best to have one ahead of when you need it.

You say your van is new - what year is it? I ask as we've noted on the forum that the more recent T6.1 with second battery wiring from the factory seems not to have the traditional socket wired to the starter.

Thanks, will do.

New to me - 2019 SWB 150bhp T30 T6 Nomad campers conversion. So I’m assuming then that I’d be best using the lower dash cigarette socket?

 

[DreamingT6s]

Definitely having a maintenance charger to hand is useful. Setup a price alert on CamelCamelCamel or look out for sales, best to have one ahead of when you need it.

You say your van is new - what year is it? I ask as we've noted on the forum that the more recent T6.1 with second battery wiring from the factory seems not to have the traditional socket wired to the starter.

Okay, so I’d a good poke around the van in daylight and having traced all the cabling it seems that the Sterling bi-directional should be a simple swap-out for the white/grey one I have. The cabling to the battery is the right spec as per the bi-directional manual - unless there is something I’m missing?