Combiners and solar panels and Inverters? special considerations?

[elkski]

Hi all.
I ordered a combiner 100 for my truck camper rig.
Combiner 100 Sheet

My alternator is 80 Amp.
But I am wondering how a solar panel and trirmetric will effect this?

I worry about what happens when I use my 1000 watt inverter?

Without me posting my schematic can you guys give me comfort that this will work out..
Currently there is only a solenoid and it has been out of service most of past 20 years or more due to it blowing the 20 amp fuse near the solenoid.
Solar panel install 2 years ago... I would like to be able to get house battery charged up when driving.

[Sbrownstein]

From the looks of the users manual, you should be fine. Trimetric won't care since the shunt should be installed in the house to chassis negative lead. Alternator, converter and solar are just chargers and when they hit the trip point on the battery that they feed, the combiner will bring on the other battery(s) and everybody will be charged.

[twinboat]

I have the same combiner. Wired to both sides of the bad solenoid. The solenoid is just a convenient connection point.

3 years now, all batteries stay charged during 3 to 6 month storage with 300 watts of solar.

No issues with my 1000 watt inverter connected to the house batteries.

I also have 2 combiners in my boat system since 2008. No problems with them.

[elkski]

These comments make me feel better. I always thought my 20 amp fuse was blowing due to different voltages on the two batteries causing a surge current when I started the truck. It is only a 8 or 10 ga wire going back to the center post of the truck camper connector. I was always afraid to put in a bigger fuse and it wasn't an issue for short trips or trips at one spot with no driving.
you say the inverter is wired to the house battery. yes it is with thick short wires but without looking I think the truck battery will be in parallel with this too.
I am a bit confused on when this combiner will open the circuit?

http://www.yandina.com/acrobats/C100Data.pdf
I guess it triggers at 13.0 volts and if there is charging the batteries are connected. So this means some of my solar power may go to the truck battery. But then it will never be used out of the truck battery... I rather have it so only alternator charging couples the batteries but solar doesn't and it may be nice to be able to double my battery bank for drawdowns but then there may be a starting issue.

So let me pose one scenario. My house battery gets drawn down bad during a couple rainy days.. then the sun comes out strong and the combiner joins the low house battery with the truck battery. May this put to much current in the wiring from the truck battery?

[Sbrownstein]

If your house is drawn down, it will limit the charging because of its low voltage. The chassis battery won't get that much if it doesn't need that much.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by elkski

These comments make me feel better. I always thought my 20 amp fuse was blowing due to different voltages on the two batteries causing a surge current when I started the truck. It is only a 8 or 10 ga wire going back to the center post of the truck camper connector. I was always afraid to put in a bigger fuse and it wasn't an issue for short trips or trips at one spot with no driving.
you say the inverter is wired to the house battery. yes it is with thick short wires but without looking I think the truck battery will be in parallel with this too.
I am a bit confused on when this combiner will open the circuit?

http://www.yandina.com/acrobats/C100Data.pdf
I guess it triggers at 13.0 volts and if there is charging the batteries are connected. So this means some of my solar power may go to the truck battery. But then it will never be used out of the truck battery... I rather have it so only alternator charging couples the batteries but solar doesn't and it may be nice to be able to double my battery bank for drawdowns but then there may be a starting issue.

So let me pose one scenario. My house battery gets drawn down bad during a couple rainy days.. then the sun comes out strong and the combiner joins the low house battery with the truck battery. May this put to much current in the wiring from the truck battery?

No, because the truck battery is not drawn down. Only low batteries accept high currents.

[elkski]

I cant seem to find the max current the Combiner 100 may send to the house battery. Trying to determine what fuse size to install.

My worry is say after parked for a few days with no sun so the combiner has separated the batteries. Imagine my house battery is real low from heater fan use and or inverter use and then I turn on the engine and the alternator opens the combiner and I get a rush of current from the strong engine battery and alternator to the house battery.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by elkski

I cant seem to find the max current the Combiner 100 may send to the house battery. Trying to determine what fuse size to install.

My worry is say after parked for a few days with no sun so the combiner has separated the batteries. Imagine my house battery is real low from heater fan use and or inverter use and then I turn on the engine and the alternator opens the combiner and I get a rush of current from the strong engine battery and alternator to the house battery.

The instructions recommend 30% of the CCA of your start battery. There may already be breakers protecting the cables to the old charging solenoid.

Remember, you are not connecting your alternator to the low battery, you are connecting your chassis battery to your house battery. It will cushion any high amp flow.
As stated in the Operation section, the combiner, by monitoring the voltage, will cycle on and off when the current flow is to high.

Here is a link to a great deal of information.

https://www.yandina.com/combInfo.htm

[wa8yxm]

THat "Combiner" is what we often refer to as a BIRD here.. Same as my Intelletec Battery Control System.

How multiple charge sources, Alternator, Converter (or inverter/charger) and Solar affect it?

IT will operate as designed

That is when you crank up the big engine and hit the road. once the chassis batteries are up to charge it will "Combine" chassis and house so the engine can charge the house. same as any motor home.

Once you park and plug in teh converter (or inverter/charger) charges the house batteries. once they are up to spec the combiner will also charge the chassis battery.

OFF-Grid solar charges the house and once full the chassis as well.

Just exactly as the combiner is designed to do.

in shore it will operate as designed.

The nice thing about DC systems is you can have a dozen different charger sources and it does not matter so long as the total charge current is not to high, and since the assorted chargers more often compete than combine, (That is the one with the highest voltage does ALL the work) over current is just short of impossible. It all works as designed.

[elkski]

I got my combiner.. it is so small. I like the idea of using the old solenoid lugs but I worry if they are totally isolated but will check and disconnect the switching power. I think I will install a 30 amp fuse for starters ... guessing I have 10 gauge wire going back to the camper connector.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by elkski

I got my combiner.. it is so small. I like the idea of using the old solenoid lugs but I worry if they are totally isolated but will check and disconnect the switching power. I think I will install a 30 amp fuse for starters ... guessing I have 10 gauge wire going back to the camper connector.

A 30 amp fuse on a 100 amp combiner ? Why would you do that ?

Just wire it to both sides of the failed solenoid. That is already protected.

[elkski]

Sorry if I am missing something? I dont want 80 amps going through my 10 gauge wire that is maybe 8-10 feet long going to the camper battery.

How is my existing solenoid protected? There is an inline fuse holder between the old solenoid and the camper battery.. this used to always blow the 20 amp fuse. Maybe I will put a 30 amp fuse in here.?

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by elkski

Sorry if I am missing something? I dont want 80 amps going through my 10 gauge wire that is maybe 8-10 feet long going to the camper battery.

How is my existing solenoid protected? There is an inline fuse holder between the old solenoid and the camper battery.. this used to always blow the 20 amp fuse. Maybe I will put a 30 amp fuse in here.?

Try a 30 or 40, 10 gauge will handle it.

[elkski]

well I installed it and used a 30 Amp fuse. But I need to shut off my solar panel and let the camper battery run down as my trimetric didn't show any increase in charge . I'm guessing my truck battery is lower than the camper. Will my trimetric battery controller show this current?