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Subject Topic: Battery/tripping
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Personxplore44
04/2/2018 at 12:30pm
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Just seen a bit on Youtube where it said using a caravan with a battery that is not charged will make the electric on a caravan site trip.

How can this happen?

Baffled, but must be a reason


PersonLlaniDavis
04/2/2018 at 12:38pm
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The site supply will only trip if the load taken by the caravan, including any battery charger, exceeds the stated limit of that supply. I very much doubt that it would happen just because the battery was flat.

Can you provide a link to this video?


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Personkenles
04/2/2018 at 12:46pm
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The battery charger will trip the pitch if the charger is on the way out had this happened to me did not realise the problem was till the next time we went away


PersonGrampian91
04/2/2018 at 2:08pm
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As mentioned above the battery charger will only trip the mains if the charger is faulty.

The mains will probably be upto 16amps (briefly), the battery charger wont draw anywhere near 1amp never mind 16.


PersonColin21
04/2/2018 at 2:18pm
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Yes I agree, the mains will only trip if the battery charger has a serious fault. The only way the battery is connected (indirectly) to the mains is through the charger, so whether or not the battery is flat is irrelevant.

You can't get more "flat" than not having a battery at all, and connecting a caravan with no battery to the EHU won't cause it to trip. Unless the charger/transformer is faulty of course.

-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


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Personjeff juke
04/2/2018 at 5:58pm
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If the load exceeds the amps from the site it will trip as you will be drawing to much power.

-------------
Animals have feelings..

JEFF................


PersonRay Clayton
04/2/2018 at 6:04pm
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Flat Batt will not cause site to trip.
Got that wrong!!!
A medium amp output 12 volt charger would be in the range of 20 to 50 amps or so, and be used for many applications using about 100 amp

A bailey charger / Transformer is 20amp.






Post last edited on 04/02/2018 18:31:07

-------------
Cheers
Ray

Discovery 4 & Bailey Barcelona 4







Persontango55
04/2/2018 at 6:13pm
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The onboard charger is also called a transformer which is so called because it converts 240 volt mains power into 13 volt battery power. Providing that the transformer is operating efficiently there should be no concern of the mains electric tripping out. However, a fully charged leisure battery in good working order will stabilise the current being delivered from the charger/transformer but having a dead flat battery installed is too weak to be able to do this so the transformer goes into overdrive trying to deliver more voltage leading to it becoming overheated. The mains electric would then trip to avoid the transformer catching fire but the battery would have to be in a severe state of low charge for this to happen.


Personsaxo1
04/2/2018 at 6:33pm
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I would have thought that the output side of battery chargers would be protected by fuses or the charger itself to be protected against thermal overload.
saxo1


PersonRay Clayton
04/2/2018 at 6:45pm
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To be honest i would say the same Saxo.
I sometimes have the heating on at 1kw in van, also heater in awning at 2kw, tv on etc.
Then OH will put kettle on and trip.
Well over 3 kw.
Always takes breaker in van out never the site breaker.




-------------
Cheers
Ray

Discovery 4 & Bailey Barcelona 4







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Persontango55
04/2/2018 at 6:46pm
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Quote: Originally posted by saxo1 on 04/2/2018
I would have thought that the output side of battery chargers would be protected by fuses or the charger itself to be protected against thermal overload.
saxo1


Not sure, but when I asked my service engineer about having a flat battery this was the explanation he provided but he went on to say that the battery had to be in a very poor state for this to happen. So, general rule of thumb you are probably right but there again it depends on the state of the battery.


PersonRay Clayton
04/2/2018 at 6:50pm
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Would it also depend on the make, and age of van.
My thinking Tango that a newer van would have better protection?



-------------
Cheers
Ray

Discovery 4 & Bailey Barcelona 4







PersonColin21
04/2/2018 at 6:54pm
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I would have thought that any decent charger would have overload protection built in, both against open circuit and short circuit.

Even charging a completely flat battery the charger would be unlikely to draw more than 3 amps running flat-out.

I doubt whether any caravan battery charger can charge at more than 20 amps, and would imagine that most are much less than that. So, a 12 volt 20 amp charger is giving out 240 watts(in round figures). Allowing for losses within the transformer, rectifier, and other circuitry, let's say that's 360 watts drawn from the mains, The charger would be drawing between 1.5 and 2 amps from the EHU depending on the mains voltage. Hardly enough to trip anything.

-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


Persontango55
04/2/2018 at 6:55pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Ray Clayton on 04/2/2018
Would it also depend on the make, and age of van.
My thinking Tango that a newer van would have better protection?




Not according to my mate with a new Coachman as it clearly states in his handbook that a battery should be in circuit which is the same with my 2004 model. It doesn't state any reason why but they don't have to as long as the manufacturer states in black and white what is required.


PersonColin21
04/2/2018 at 7:29pm
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As I understand it, the main reason for having a battery in circuit is to stabilise the 12 volt supply. This is more to do with protecting things that may be connected to the caravan's 12 volt circuit rather than any concerns about overload. Lots of sensitive 12 volt equipment relies on a stable voltage and freedom from any stray AC ripple that can come from a rectified AC supply, which is what a battery charger gives out. The battery stabilises the voltage and smooths out any AC ripple.

-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


Personnavver
04/2/2018 at 7:49pm
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I would have thought the most likely reason for it to trip would be the RCD element. The site breakers are RCBOs which are a combined MCB and RCD.

Transformers are most likely to do this if faulty.

I would expect modern vans to have electronic chargers.



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