Winter Battery Charging

[Ian28]

My vehicle is a camper & will spend more time out of action over the winter. Will hooking it up to the house supply for a couple of days every couple of weeks keep batteries topped up or should I get some form of trickle charger like I have for my motorcycle?

I have a lithium leisure battery & solar panel, and absolutely no electrical knowledge...

 

[Dellmassive]

Get yourself a decent smart charger (make sure it has a lithium profile for that battery....)

Battery Chargers - How I Did It -

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[Salty Spuds]

Assuming the van is outside, the solar panel should keep the leisure battery topped up.

 

[Pete C]

You need to keep both batteries topped up - starter and leisure.

If I charge the starter battery (smart charger) then my Ablemail DC-DC charger takes care of the leisure battery automatically.

Pete

 

[Nigel W]

You need to keep both batteries topped up - starter and leisure.

If I charge the starter battery (smart charger) then my Ablemail DC-DC charger takes care of the leisure battery automatically.

Pete

Now I am a complete numpty where electricity is concerned but I tried something similar (I have a Sterling DC to toDC) but when the vehicle battery was charged the mains charger dropped to maintenance mode and the voltage was not enough to fire up the Sterling so the leisure battery went flat.
I now leave the leisure permanently on the mains charger and the vehicle on a little solar panel plugged into the cig lighter.

 

[Markymark]

I have a CTEK 240v stop-start charger which I periodically plug into the vans 240v system whilst on hookup and then plug it into the van battery via the permanent live cigarette lighter style socket. That way the leisure battery and the van battery both get looked after. Although we do tend to use the van a fair bit as well.

 

[Nigel W]

I have a CTEK 240v stop-start charger which I periodically plug into the vans 240v system whilst on hookup and then plug it into the van battery via the permanent live cigarette lighter style socket. That way the leisure battery and the van battery both get looked after. Although we do tend to use the van a fair bit as well.

But do you have a DC to DC charger in the middle of the two batteries?

 

[Markymark]

Yes, since last winter Travelvolts fitted a Redarc for me back in July. Keep meaning to ask Martyn if it goes both ways or just from van to leisure battery.

 

[Pete C]

Now I am a complete numpty where electricity is concerned but I tried something similar (I have a Sterling DC to toDC) but when the vehicle battery was charged the mains charger dropped to maintenance mode and the voltage was not enough to fire up the Sterling so the leisure battery went flat.
I now leave the leisure permanently on the mains charger and the vehicle on a little solar panel plugged into the cig lighter.

To be honest, I don't know how well the Ablemail DC-DC charger actually charges the leisure battery. It may well do the same as you describe, but I don't rely on it doing the full job. At least a couple of times during the winter I put the leisure battery on a proper charge. Our van gets used in the winter though, so the leisure battery going flat is not really a problem.

Pete

 

[Ian28]

Mmmm. After 2 days ‘hooked up’ to my mains the LiFOS app shows a voltage of 13.29 and state of charge of 49% - exactly the same as it was at the start.

I thought the Sargent EC155 unit converted the mains 240v to 12v to charge the leisure battery? At risk of being laughed off the forum I didn’t switch the EC155 on at the power switch, assuming it would take the charge as default, should I have done this?

 

[Ian28]

@Dellmassive thanks for that link. My camper also has a CTEK DC/DC charger which I believe takes input from the solar panel to trickle charge the leisure battery although on reading the small print it says to use only with lead-acid batteries & not any other type (ie lithium?). Is it possible to explain the relationship between the vehicle battery, lithium leisure battery, EC155, CTEK and solar panel - and what happens when either driving or hooked up?
Just imagine your explaining it to a 5 year old kid and I’ll get it.

My converter probably explained it all back in March but I was too busy smelling the new leather seats and playing with the soft close cutlery drawer.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Without knowing your exact setup it’s difficult to work out what’s going on.

 

[Teesix]

Mmmm. After 2 days ‘hooked up’ to my mains the LiFOS app shows a voltage of 13.29 and state of charge of 49% - exactly the same as it was at the start.

I thought the Sargent EC155 unit converted the mains 240v to 12v to charge the leisure battery? At risk of being laughed off the forum I didn’t switch the EC155 on at the power switch, assuming it would take the charge as default, should I have done this?

Yes, you need to have EC155 switched on to charge the leisure battery from the mains. The red illuminated switch should be in the downward position for charging.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Does the Lifeos battery need a specific Lithium charging profile?

 

[Dellmassive]

@Dellmassive thanks for that link. My camper also has a CTEK DC/DC charger which I believe takes input from the solar panel to trickle charge the leisure battery although on reading the small print it says to use only with lead-acid batteries & not any other type (ie lithium?). Is it possible to explain the relationship between the vehicle battery, lithium leisure battery, EC155, CTEK and solar panel - and what happens when either driving or hooked up?
Just imagine your explaining it to a 5 year old kid and I’ll get it.

My converter probably explained it all back in March but I was too busy smelling the new leather seats and playing with the soft close cutlery drawer.

OK, SO:

The Ctek will charge your Leisure battery (via the alternator) ONLY when your are driving along....

it will also charge your Leisure battery via solar if there is enough sun (24/7) . . . . .

It will also reverse trickle charge your starter a tiny bit if you have enough Solar and the Leisure is fully charged.

It WILL charge your Lithium. . . . . but not FULLY ( due to not having a lithium profile and charging upto 13.6v instead of 14.6 or 15v)

there is a new Ctek model that has the Lithium Profile . . . . New Ctek Dual 250se

your battery needs a charge profile of 14.4v @ 10-30Amps - https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/231bdcf7/files/uploaded/68Ah Lifos Technical data sheet V2.pdf


ON EHU you will have power so the EC155 if its switched on BUT its not a proper smart charger . . . . .its just a low current 12v power supply.

so what you can do is get a decent smart charger that does Lithium and use that to charge the LIFEPO4 battery, (via the EHU) it can be fitted in the van or just mobile and plugged in as required - Battery Chargers - How I Did It -

carrying a jumkp-pack around is also a good idea this time of year - Which Jump Starter?



other - Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread

 

[Grim Reaper]

Bear in mind that LiFePo batteries do not like to be charged at low temperatures, I have disconnected the DC-DC charger and the leisure battery now overnight temperatures have dropped to around freezing.

 

[Dellmassive]

his battery cant be charged bellow 0degC . . . . . .

The Lifos dont have the internal heaters - Lithium Lifepo4 12v Batteries - - - Time For An Upgrade ? - - -






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[Dellmassive]

Bear in mind that LiFePo batteries do not like to be charged at low temperatures, I have disconnected the DC-DC charger and the leisure battery now overnight temperatures have dropped to around freezing.

@Grim Reaper can you add your setup to the list over here? - What Solar Panel/controller, Dc-dc, Leisure Battery ?

just copy/edit/paste the below example list:

VAN:
Solar Panel/s: Lensun® 2PCS 110W(total 220W) 12V ETFE Black Flexible Solar Panel (not fitted yet)
Mobile Panel/s: 200W Lensun Folding (option:100W Renogy suitcase,100w Renogy folding)
Solar charge controller: Victron smartsolar 75/15 (100/20, 100/30 options + various PWM`s)
DC-DC charger: Redarc BCDC1240LV
EHU Charger: Victron BlueSmart 12v/15A (Temp fitting)
battery bank: 1 x75Ah stock EFB+ (option:2x 110Ah Leoch Xtreme)
Battery Monitor: Victron BMV-712 Smart (Temp fitting)
other: Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/800 (Temp fitting)

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VAN:
Solar Panel/s:
Mobile Panel/s:
Solar charge controller:
DC-DC charger:
EHU Charger:
battery bank:
Battery Monitor:
other:

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[Ian28]

Thanks @Dellmassive - really appreciate your time here. Will follow up those links and look at getting a smart charger.
Cheers, Ian.