Magnum Inverter Fire

[CaptainGizmo]

Originally Posted by AnotherMike

P-Touch is NOT appropriate here as the tape is thermally printed! It turns black when heated!

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A FALSE STATEMENT!!



You had my head-spinning with disorientation, for a minute, and even had to set fire to one of my labels to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. Thank GOD I'm not...just yet, anyways.



P-Touch labels are NOT thermally printed.



They are, in fact, incredibly durable to the point where we successfully use them in brutal firefighting environments. And I can attest that my name label STILL is intact on my helmet after decades of firefighting!



I'll present to you two real-world examples; two of my fire helmets, dating all the way back to 1995. We used reflective tape, which is all the better!

[PaulTNaples]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

I read this post, typed my response and then jumped into the shower. While I was back their preening, it made me think about the bathroom exit available on newer models. Personally, I've played with the two locks and know that they have to be turned in different directions. In a fire, I GUARANTEE confusion will set in and some may not be able to figure out the lock movements to get that door open.

What can be done.....my first thought was to leave the lower lock undone, but that could cause an issue during a confusing moment and you end up locking it.

So.....my best thought and maybe others will have ideas, is to laminate a 6" x 6" card with the picture of both locks and red arrows showing their direction of movement. It would be attached to the wall, just below the locks, in case smoke is already filling the bathroom. Even though I hate labels and placards in my coach, this might be an exception. Maybe someone who is really good at photoshopping could create a nice looking placard and post for everyone to copy.

Lastly, "muscle memory"....both you and your spose need to operate the latches several times, maybe once a trip, to gain muscle memory, making unlocking that door, second nature.

Don, Just paint an arrow towards the unlock position using a fluorescent paint. Simple solution and you don’t have to read a placard. My wife and I use the escape door frequently to load and unload the coach. That serves us well for practice.

[CaptainGizmo]

Originally Posted by TwelveVolt

The last time I researched detectors, there was at least one product where all the detectors in the house connected with each other wirelessly and an alarm would cause all of them to sound and announce which one detected it such as “Smoke in Kitchen”. Product name? Not one of the new networked products, just a disc on the ceiling.

I believe you may be thinking of the First Alert Onelink which is Mesh capable. These will connect to each other causing all wirelessly interconnected Onelink alarms to sound when one is activated.

https://www.firstalert.com/product/w...omekit-enable/

[Dutch Star Don]

In discussing this today with another DS owner, it came to light that if that escape door is not opened for a year or two, it will stick. In an emergency, where the door hasn't been opened for a year or so, even if you get the latches in the correct position, you may get fooled, when the door sticks and doesn't open, making you think the you have the latches in the wrong position. So.....you may want to operate the latches frequently and open the door. A good dusting of the seals, with baby powder, during your yearly service, will prevent sticking.

On my deadbolt at home, I painted a small red dot on the lock and lock knob. From a distance, I can see the door is locked when the two red dots are aligned. Maybe something similar, using two fluorescent dots, that when aligned means the door is unlocked.

[Stuart W]

Today I was talking about this incident with a friend that for years owned and operated a mobile RV repair business. He actually performed warranty repair work on Magnum inverters and is very familiar their operation. He said that running the “Max Charge rate at 100% causes the inverter to run very hot. Basically the difference between the default setting of 80% and the 100% that several members have changed to is @ 80% the inverter will take longer to reach a full charge but at the same time run cooler. It’s like driving a car at full throttle @ 100%

[Dutch Star Don]

"Stuart W".....Thanks for the update....changed mine back to 80%....the original number provided by Magnum.

[carl.swoyer]

Originally Posted by Stuart W

Today I was talking about this incident with a friend that for years owned and operated a mobile RV repair business. He actually performed warranty repair work on Magnum inverters and is very familiar their operation. He said that running the “Max Charge rate at 100% causes the inverter to run very hot. Basically the difference between the default setting of 80% and the 100% that several members have changed to is @ 80% the inverter will take longer to reach a full charge but at the same time run cooler. It’s like driving a car at full throttle @ 100%

Stuart,
That's a really great point.
I've personally never set mine at [emoji817] but I have set it at 90. Maybe I should set it at 80 as a Max.

[redbaron]

New Batt. installed at Q site AZ in Jan called Mark At Magnum { called {OFTEN always friendly and helpful never in a RUSH }for new charging settings told me to set at 80% all is well
George

2013 Monaco Monarch 33FDS Toad 2002 Saturn Wgn

[Frank Miller]

Originally Posted by Stuart W

Today I was talking about this incident with a friend that for years owned and operated a mobile RV repair business. He actually performed warranty repair work on Magnum inverters and is very familiar their operation. He said that running the “Max Charge rate at 100% causes the inverter to run very hot. Basically the difference between the default setting of 80% and the 100% that several members have changed to is @ 80% the inverter will take longer to reach a full charge but at the same time run cooler. It’s like driving a car at full throttle @ 100%

In my coach I have two Magnum MS2000 inverters. In this configuration the Max Charge Rate should be set at 50% for each inverter. This is cool enough for the inverters but also does not exceed the recommended charge rate for the batteries.

[DDMO]

I’ve been thinking about CaptainGizmo’s challenge of if I would hear the alarm in the basement. If a quiet campground, I’m sure I would. But with the fans running or nearby noises (wind, traffic, etc...) not sure I would. So I bought one of these Reliance Control Corporation POWER FAIL LIGHT W/ALARM by RELIANCE CONTROLS MfrPartNo THP207M 1 Multi https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018A30T8Q..._qsINCb3V02SYP and plugged it in to outlet under bed. I know this will not notify me of all fires like a smoke alarm would, but in my incident, the emergency flash light woke me up when inverter power went off. If I was facing the wrong way, who knows. At least this will sound an audible alarm if I loose inverter power. A little more peace of mind while I design more protections.

[Stuart W]

What I wish I could find is a Magnum book that explained each setting in theory : example, setting 03E Max Charge Rate: set at 100% is good in what condition, 80% is for?

[jharrell]

Originally Posted by Stuart W

What I wish I could find is a Magnum book that explained each setting in theory : example, setting 03E Max Charge Rate: set at 100% is good in what condition, 80% is for?

The Magnum Remote Manuals are very good thats where most of the info is, the Inverter Manual covers mostly installation and function but not details on settings through the remote.

No mention of keeping charge rate lower than 100% other than because your battery bank does not like it.

I run mine at 100% without issue, my two Lifeline 6V can accept 5C charge rate and have no problem with 125 amps.

Older inverter you probably want to keep an eye on the fans and obviously make sure ventilation is adequate to prevent overheating.

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...ARC_CD_Web.pdf Page 32:

03E Max Charge Rate – This setting is the maximum charge rate allowed to charge the
batteries during Bulk, Absorption, Float, and Equalize charging; and is provided to limit the
charge rate to the battery bank to prevent battery overheating caused by charging at too high
a charge rate. A 100% setting uses the maximum charging capability of the inverter/charger
to charge the batteries if needed, while a 0% setting minimizes the charging current while
continuing to allow pass-thru current.
The Max Charge Rate setting is provided as a percentage of the inverter/charger’s maximum
charging capability. Refer to the label on the side of the inverter (or owner’s manual) to determine the inverter’s maximum charge rate. See the example below for information on how
to determine your inverter’s Max Charge Rate setting.
Default setting: 100%
Range: 0-100%
Example: The max charge rate of the inverter/charger is 120 amps and you need to limit the
charge rate to 72 amps. Choose a Max Charge Rate = 60% (i.e., 72 amps = 60% of 120 amps).
Info: If the Maximum Charge Rate setting is 0%, the topology of the Magnum inverter
(when connected to an AC source) overrides the 0% setting and starts charging if the
battery voltage is: <12 VDC (12-volt models), <22 VDC (24-volt models), or <44 VDC
(48-volt models).
How do I determine where to set my Maximum Charge Rate? Generally, set to a C/5* rate
(C = the total AH capacity of the battery bank – using the 20-hour AH rate). The C/5 rate is usually used when the objective is to quickly charge the batteries (i.e., 400 AH ÷ 5 = 80 amp max
charge rate). A lower rate such as C/20* is used when the batteries need to be charged as slowly.
* C/5 or C/20 rate – charge rates are commonly expressed as a ratio of the total amp-hour (AH)
capacity of the battery bank. For example, with a 400 AH battery bank (C = 400), the C/5 charge
rate is 80 A (400/5 = 80 A).
Page 33 © 2014 Magnum Energy, Inc.
Setup
CAUTION: The C/5 or C/20 charge rate settings are not requirements on how to set
your battery charge rate. For specifi c charge rate requirements, refer to your battery
manufacturer.
CAUTION: If multiple inverter/chargers are used on a single battery bank, ensure that
the total charge rate from all inverter/chargers is limited to the maximum charge rate
needed for your battery bank. The Max Charge Rate setting only limits the charging on
each inverter/charger individually, not on all inverter/chargers.

[redbaron73]

According to Magnum, and their manual located here (https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...s%29_Web_1.pdf) on page 53, the default charge rate is 100%

After seeing the 80% post, I contacted magnum and asked specifically if 80% was safer for RV or enclosed areas.

The information I was told is that the inverter has smart circuitry to prevent an overheating situation, and will automatically shutdown if it becomes too hot.

A more valid reason to reduce it to 80% rate is to shut the fans down more frequently, thus making it MUCH quieter.

When camping in a very quiet area, this may make a difference to some.

Snip from manual:

• Charge Rate: This setting can be used to turn off the charger, limit the amount of current
that the charger can use (leaving more current available to power loads), or to ensure
small battery banks are not overheated because of a charge rate that is too high.

3.9 Inverter Fan Operation
The inverter contains two internal cooling fans that are automatically controlled. The speed of
these fans is determined either by the internal temperature of the inverter or by the load on the
inverter. The inverter’s fans will come on under the conditions listed below:
• Fans run full speed if the internal transistors (FETS) or the power transformer reaches 80°C
degrees Celsius (176°F), or the inverter is running at 100% of its rated load.
• Fans run medium speed if the internal transistors (FETS) or the power transformer reaches
60°C (140°F), or the inverter is running at 50% of its rated load.
• Fans run low speed when the inverter is running at 25% of its rated load.
The fans shut down when none of the above conditions are met, or if the battery voltage is below
9.5V (12-volt systems)/19.0V (24-volt systems)/38V (48-volt models).
Whenever the inverter is fi rst connected to the battery, the fans come on for about one second.

Environmental Specifi cations
Temperature (Operating/Non-operating) -20°C to +60°C (-4°F to 140°F)/-40°C to +70°C (-40°F to 158°F)
Operating humidity 0 to 95% RH non-condensing

[redbaron73]

@jharrell is faster on the keyboard than I am