Swapping my leisure battery to LiFePO4
- Thread starter wallport
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Yeah that's it, as expected. It's still technically on absorption stage, once that's ended the charger will drop down to 13.5v.
As for state of charge, well the fogstar app is what you want to be checking, it won't be guessing based on voltage.
One thing to note - once you've gotten the first few charge cycles out the way you won't need to keep the van on hookup, there's literally zero reason. You can always just give the starter a charger every 2 weeks in winter if it's not being used. But there should be no need to keep the LB on charge.
As for state of charge, well the fogstar app is what you want to be checking, it won't be guessing based on voltage.
One thing to note - once you've gotten the first few charge cycles out the way you won't need to keep the van on hookup, there's literally zero reason. You can always just give the starter a charger every 2 weeks in winter if it's not being used. But there should be no need to keep the LB on charge.
That's good. Leave it to go to float or storage then stop charging. Use the fridge to discharge to 20%ish and charge again - do this a couple of times. It'll take a few cycles for the Fogstar BMS to start reading accurately. If you are not going to use it in anger for a few months then discharge to about 50% for storage rather than leaving it full or constantly charging from the DC-DC.
OK it made it to the storage phase and I took it off hookup. Fridge is now on using about 43w or 3.1a but I guess this will become intermittent once the fridge gets down to temperature. Hence not sure how long it will take to get the battery down to the 20% you suggest but will presumably be more than 24 hours, probably more like 48 hours (in future I will of course want the battery to last days with the fridge on).
I think we will go away in the van on Monday so not sure how many cycles we will get in before then or how to play the amount of charge at the point we go. Also, do I keep the fuse out of the d250se so that we don't charge while driving?
To add to the complication I'm not sure if we will have hookup on the site or not as yet. If we do have it, should we only connect it when essential to try to keep the discharging going? Could also pull the fuse between the victron ip22 and the battery so that we would only have hookup (I presume this works)?
Perhaps someone could advise what's important and what's nice to have in the initial charging/discharging regime.
Many thanks again for this. I do want to treat this battery well given what happened to the last one so apologies if I am over thinking again.
I think we will go away in the van on Monday so not sure how many cycles we will get in before then or how to play the amount of charge at the point we go. Also, do I keep the fuse out of the d250se so that we don't charge while driving?
To add to the complication I'm not sure if we will have hookup on the site or not as yet. If we do have it, should we only connect it when essential to try to keep the discharging going? Could also pull the fuse between the victron ip22 and the battery so that we would only have hookup (I presume this works)?
Perhaps someone could advise what's important and what's nice to have in the initial charging/discharging regime.
Many thanks again for this. I do want to treat this battery well given what happened to the last one so apologies if I am over thinking again.
The fridge should use about 1ah per hour, I'd whack it down to the lowest temp, you might get 2Ah per hour. So 50hrs or more.
You can always pop a light on as well?
Keep in mind the the early cycles are an ideal to continue forming the cells and to let the BMS calibrate, don't get too focused on it. If one of the cycles is you going away and having an enjoyable weekend then that's what it's all about!
Don't worry about pulling fuses, if you don't need mains devices maybe do without the EHU and spend the money saved on an enjoyable beverage.
When you get back get a couple more cycles in if you can then relax and enjoy the van.
Keep in mind the the early cycles are an ideal to continue forming the cells and to let the BMS calibrate, don't get too focused on it. If one of the cycles is you going away and having an enjoyable weekend then that's what it's all about!
Don't worry about pulling fuses, if you don't need mains devices maybe do without the EHU and spend the money saved on an enjoyable beverage.
When you get back get a couple more cycles in if you can then relax and enjoy the van.
Mine took 6 days to get down to 25% with only the fridge running so you may want to help it out by putting some lights on and running the heater (good to do monthly anyhow). Roadtripper has it spot on. I’d do what you can over the weekend then charge it back up for your trip (DC-DC if the drive is long enough or ip22 at home) and then use the time away as your next discharge. Unless you need the 240v if not bother with EHU (that’s the great thing with lithium). If you do hook up and want to avoid the battery charging then you can turn the ip22 off via the app. Have a great trip.
Yeah I saw it was going to take too long and knew the heater was due 30mins on full so I did that and have turned the lights on (though I don't think I'll leave them on at night as they may attract attention).
Also, all fuses are back in except the d250se so if there is parasitic drain that can discharge it a bit too. Really a simulation of a trip with no hookup on the drive!
Currently at 80% 84ah.
Also, all fuses are back in except the d250se so if there is parasitic drain that can discharge it a bit too. Really a simulation of a trip with no hookup on the drive!
Currently at 80% 84ah.
What I suspect you are going to find trying to actually do a full cycle is a wish you'd moved away from AGM sooner 
So made it to 3pm today when it reached 20% with fridge and all lights on. About 42 hours. Yes this does make me wonder why I didn't do it before!
Now recharging at half power which will reach 100% in the middle of the night (I'm not getting up to turn it off). Don't know how to play the remaining time - assuming we go away lunchtime Monday and don't have hookup, we will have about 26 hours to drain and recharge (reckon we will drive about 90mins so doubt much charge from that).
Can I also ask what the on/off switches in the app do for charge/discharge. E. G. does switching discharge to off isolate the battery?
Now recharging at half power which will reach 100% in the middle of the night (I'm not getting up to turn it off). Don't know how to play the remaining time - assuming we go away lunchtime Monday and don't have hookup, we will have about 26 hours to drain and recharge (reckon we will drive about 90mins so doubt much charge from that).
Can I also ask what the on/off switches in the app do for charge/discharge. E. G. does switching discharge to off isolate the battery?
Yep you can basically use the BMS (via the app) to isolate it if you want to put it into storage.
Your CTEK should charge at 20Amp so a 90 minute drive theoretically could put in 30Ah, but real world will be a little less.
I'd just leave it on charge till you go away - the value is going through a full cycle.
But don't worry too much, enjoy the break and put it through a couple of cycles when you get back.
Your CTEK should charge at 20Amp so a 90 minute drive theoretically could put in 30Ah, but real world will be a little less.
I'd just leave it on charge till you go away - the value is going through a full cycle.
But don't worry too much, enjoy the break and put it through a couple of cycles when you get back.
Did someone say there is a proper way to switch off the victron ip22 so that we could be on hookup for 240v but without battery charging? That is other than pulling the fuse between the ip22 and the battery.
I looked in the settings but couldn't see anything.
This is what it looks like so far:
I was hoping that fuse could angle downwards but the terminal is too far from the edge to allow it (I know I could work something with a busbar but don't really want more exposed metal).
I think the temporary solution to isolating the battery from anything stored under here might have to be:
But the longer term might just be a surround fashioned out of hardboard unless I can find a cover which will go over that fuse and yet fit in the space.
I looked in the settings but couldn't see anything.
This is what it looks like so far:
I was hoping that fuse could angle downwards but the terminal is too far from the edge to allow it (I know I could work something with a busbar but don't really want more exposed metal).
I think the temporary solution to isolating the battery from anything stored under here might have to be:
But the longer term might just be a surround fashioned out of hardboard unless I can find a cover which will go over that fuse and yet fit in the space.
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Mine is plugged into a domestic single switched skt fed from the hook up fuseboard but I've used this just the once as driving and solar keep the battery topped up.
Not sure if the charger is even plugged in currently but it all sits on the side of the fridge housing behind the drivers seat, Victron charger, 13A skt, 2kw inverter with the Roamer under the drivers seat, nice short cable runs.
As I said the inverter is now a 2 KW so recessed slightly into the fridge housing as it's a bit of a beast but it all fits and you can still slide the seat about.
That's an average sunny day input with the fridge running.
Before anyone asks there's the angle strap that stops the battery moving.
Not sure if the charger is even plugged in currently but it all sits on the side of the fridge housing behind the drivers seat, Victron charger, 13A skt, 2kw inverter with the Roamer under the drivers seat, nice short cable runs.
As I said the inverter is now a 2 KW so recessed slightly into the fridge housing as it's a bit of a beast but it all fits and you can still slide the seat about.
That's an average sunny day input with the fridge running.
Before anyone asks there's the angle strap that stops the battery moving.
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Can I just check something. We are away with hookup available but don't really want to spoil my test of how long the battery lasts and I need to power some 240v appliances for a bit If I want to stop the victron ip22 charging when I plug into the hookup I could pull the fuse between the ip22 and the battery (but it's currently a bit inaccessible.
Could I just switch off the lights/charger/trip on the left hand side of the mains unit? Presumably this only has the ip22 on it?
Could I just switch off the lights/charger/trip on the left hand side of the mains unit? Presumably this only has the ip22 on it?
Yes, just flip the left side breaker, that'll turn off the power to the Victron. You'll still have the 240v sockets running off hookup though.
Once you've done this you shouldn't be able to see the Victron in the app as it won't have power.
Once you've done this you shouldn't be able to see the Victron in the app as it won't have power.
That lefthand double pole trip shows lights, charger, fridge so I'm guessing you'll lose the fridge?
You don't really need double pole trips so you could swap out the copper busbar in the consumer unit add a neutral bar and turn the consumers unit back into a normal single pole 4 way consumer unit and split up the left hand circuits with an MCB for each separate item, you wouldn't normally have lights sharing power with a fridge or a battery charger.
You don't really need double pole trips so you could swap out the copper busbar in the consumer unit add a neutral bar and turn the consumers unit back into a normal single pole 4 way consumer unit and split up the left hand circuits with an MCB for each separate item, you wouldn't normally have lights sharing power with a fridge or a battery charger.
That would only be an issue with a 240v fridge - to my knowledge of helping @wallport over a couple of threads the fridge and lights are 12v only.
I suspect the original labeller may have been trying to help by suggesting if you are using the lights and the fridge on hookup you want that breaker on as they are indirectly powered via the 240v charger.
I suspect the original labeller may have been trying to help by suggesting if you are using the lights and the fridge on hookup you want that breaker on as they are indirectly powered via the 240v charger.
@roadtripper I'm normally off on a tangent and had assumed the fridge was 12 volt but powered by a charger similar to the setup I had with my Sargent ec160 panel.
I did reply earlier in the thread about being able to isolate the IP22 charger and assumed that the fridge was fed directly from the leisure battery so it still works when the vehicle is moving unlike the other leisure circuits which are meant to be off with the vehicle in motion.
It does seem a bit wasteful though to use those DP mcbs in such a small consumers unit as effectively it's just a 2 way unit now, at this point I've probably got the wrong end of the stick again.
I did reply earlier in the thread about being able to isolate the IP22 charger and assumed that the fridge was fed directly from the leisure battery so it still works when the vehicle is moving unlike the other leisure circuits which are meant to be off with the vehicle in motion.
It does seem a bit wasteful though to use those DP mcbs in such a small consumers unit as effectively it's just a 2 way unit now, at this point I've probably got the wrong end of the stick again.
Thanks all. It has all worked exactly as per advice. Turning off the 240v to the victron worked so no charging. Fridge is powered off 12v as per @roadtripper. Battery after about 26:hours is at 79% but only been running fridge, lights and some usb phone charging off it.
Btw air fryer mentioned earlier is working l fine without tripping anything but then hookup here is16a.
Btw air fryer mentioned earlier is working l fine without tripping anything but then hookup here is16a.
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