Yet Another Battery Charging Question

[clydekilgore]

I think I have read all (almost?) of the threads on Batteries and Charging them.

However, I still do not know clearly what to do. Here are the facts I am facing.

1) New DS4018 All Electric with 8 6-volt AGM batteries.

2) I store it indoors in a Garage Condominium with a 20 amp 110 electrical service.

I had hoped to just plug it in to a) keep the batteries charged; and b) keep the refrigerator cold.

Not successful. The 20 amp circuit breaker (on the garages electrical service) keeps flipping off. Did so even when I turned off the refrigerator (flipped the circuit breaker in the coach for the refrigerator).

I noted on the Surge Guard (plugged into between the wall and the coach) that the converter (inverter portion turned off) while in the Bulk load phase was drawing 24-25 amps. Well, 5 minutes of this is all the 20 amp service could take. I did check that in the coach the circuit breaker for the inverter/converter is a 30 amp circuit breaker. So, I'm not surprised that it is drawing over 20 amps.

So, my simple solution is not going to happen. (Unless someone has some other good idea.)

Now, can I attach a separate charger for the batteries? If so, where do I attach it? Does it make any different which Red and which Black poles I select? Any suggestions for a charger?

Separate question, Does anyone know where the plug for the refrigerator is? Is it accessable? Easily? ( Confession, I have not yet looked. )

Thanks in advance for any help,

[twinboat]

Some inverter/chargers have a setting to cut back the current that it will draw, just for your situation. Check your manual.

You could also run your generator to get your batteries out of bulk mode, before storage.

If you decide on a separate charger, get a 3 stage smart one. A cheap Wal-Mart charger will cook your batteries. A 50 to 70 amp charger will work on a 20 amp circuit.

[WIngell]

Twinboat is correct. I also have a 15 DS4018 and keep it in a condo garage with a 20 amp service. If I try to plug it in with moderately depleted batteries it will blow the breaker. Usually the drive to the storage garage will charge up the batts enough to not be a problem. Just try running the generator until the charge rate drops down. I leave the residential fridge on 24/7. I can even run one AC if the batts are in float charging mode. It does work and keeps the batts all charged up. You can also reduce the charge rate, 20 percent works.

[clydekilgore]

Originally Posted by WIngell

Twinboat is correct. I also have a 15 DS4018 and keep it in a condo garage with a 20 amp service. If I try to plug it in with moderately depleted batteries it will blow the breaker. Usually the drive to the storage garage will charge up the batts enough to not be a problem. Just try running the generator until the charge rate drops down. I leave the residential fridge on 24/7. I can even run one AC if the batts are in float charging mode. It does work and keeps the batts all charged up. You can also reduce the charge rate, 20 percent works.

How do I reduce the charge rate? That sounds like what I need to do.

["007"]

Remove the GFI from your supply and use a straight 110-120 outlet for connection to your coach. You have a surge protector for protection which will monitor incoming voltage.
I have a MADP with 8 discharged batteries that sat in a campground over the winter and they had multiple connection problems plus one battery lug that was broken and loose connection of battery cables.
Had to jump start the starter battery's, which would not start coach to get home.
I disconnected 4 of the 8 house batteries and cleaned up all cable connections.
I first used a GFI outlet that my coach was always plugged into but GFI would trip and probably the current draw of 50+ amps on discharged batteries.
I moved the line to a 120 outlet and battery amp levels have now dropped down to 4 to 5 amps after a week of charging and two chassis batteries are at 12.9 v with cord disconnected.
Some times when the fridge is connected a GFI will sense leaking voltage of heating elements for you fridge.
All the red blinking alarms for inverter have now just show normal charge rate.
The charge rate of batteries dropped on its own as batteries charged and three solar panels now read 13.9 on wall display instead of 9.5 when we started charging.
The BCO switch would not operate but now function's correctly.
Batteries before charging were reading 3.5 volts.
More on your battery systems and you likely have the have the B.M.I. system instead of the Bird system .

[clydekilgore]

Thank you, I will try your suggestion as well.

[WIngell]

Above the entrance door is the inverter/charger controller. Press setup and use the rotary dial to advance the menu. You will find the charger rate menu there expressed as a percentage. Check your manuals for the specific process. I don't have mine in front of me and my memory was about the second thing to go...

[clydekilgore]

Thank you,
I found the manual online and see what needs to be changed. I'm sure the manual was in the suitcase and I have filed all that stuff in the MH. I'm trying to duplicate everything online as well. But READING all that stuff and UNDERSTANDING some of it is a difficult challenge.

[Scottybdivin]

I am glad to be reading this. I had the same issue recently trying to plug into a 15A GFCI. It would pop immediately. I tried turning everything off I could think of, but I did not try reducing the charge rate. I can duplicate the situation here at home. I think I will experiment a little.

[twinboat]

The OP said he was tripping a breaker, not a GFCI. A breaker trips from over current.

Turning down the charge rate, probably won't stop the GFCI issue. They trip from an imbalance in the wiring.

[clydekilgore]

Originally Posted by Scottybdivin

I am glad to be reading this. I had the same issue recently trying to plug into a 15A GFCI. It would pop immediately. I tried turning everything off I could think of, but I did not try reducing the charge rate. I can duplicate the situation here at home. I think I will experiment a little.

Let me know what you find out. I'm going over to the garage tomorrow to give this a try. It makes sense to me that it should, just didn't know or even think that it could be controlled like that. But I know very little about electricity in practical terms.

[1mainiac]

rather than mess with the charge rate which will help most have a shore power setting which is usually set to the breaker size powering it when on reduced power we set the shore power to 5 amps this tells the inverter the most it can take in is 5 amps and it will reduce the charger and control the output according to that. many will switch to invert mode automatically if you turn on the microwave or any high draw on a output circuit.

[clydekilgore]

Originally Posted by 1mainiac

rather than mess with the charge rate which will help most have a shore power setting which is usually set to the breaker size powering it when on reduced power we set the shore power to 5 amps this tells the inverter the most it can take in is 5 amps and it will reduce the charger and control the output according to that. many will switch to invert mode automatically if you turn on the microwave or any high draw on a output circuit.

I'm not sure I understand, How can I set the shore power to 5 amps? Although I want to run the refrigerator, I have no desire to use the microwave or other high draw appliances (or AC) while plugged in at the garage. I "think" what I want to do is to draw less than 20 amps from the shore power so as to not trip the breaker. And if I change the charge rate to 20%, will that work? Does the Magnum have the ability to specify the amps it will draw? The manual clearly has things in it I don't understand, but I didn't see that.

[PDR John]

A couple things:

First- on this board, make sure to change the input to 20 amp. Default 120 volt setting is 30 amps.



Next- on your Magnum controller in the button with the blue arrow



Scroll through till you get to the charger set up. Push in on the dial, that will allow you to change the charger amp draw.

On mine I can go from 5-60 amps.