Solar Check settings on Epever solar controller

Boots in Action

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Mar 13, 2017
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Hello there @Grandpa Gunna, although you have come late on the forum, you seem to be up with it technically with your modifications, so keep it up! Thanks for the acknowledgement about connecting Setec load through the LOAD connections on your solar controller. If you read through the posts regarding this modification, you will no doubt see how many disbelievers I had. I even had one of the "TECH HEADS" (a very knowledgeable one too) actually call at my residence whilst on holidays to satisfy himself that there was no "smoke and mirrors" with the connection. Technically, there is no way any discharge can be measured unless load is placed in series through the controller as you found out. In doing that, there are a couple of things that you need to know - mostly all for the better, but one could be a problem.

As the controller has a max charge/discharge of only 30 amps, that figure should not be exceeded. This is unlikely to occur if all the loads are through the Setec distribution system of fuse lines as the max discharge rate through the fuse is/should be 20A, even though each fuse line on my Setec ST-20 Series III has 8 fused outlets. If you were to use heavy electrical loads such as compressor or inverter, that MUST be connected directly to battery terminals by separate fused line. Never through any of the Setec outlets or the solar controller.

Now for the advantages: The Setec has a low voltage cutout which operates if battery voltage drops below 10.00 volts plus/minus 0.5 volts as shown on my diagram. IMO that is far too low and the battery would be stuffed and beyond normal recovery from that low a voltage. LVR is somewhere over 10.5 volts depending on what charging facility is used.

Now that you have the LOAD/s connected through the solar controller, you can set your OWN LVD and LOW Voltage Reconnect (LVR) to suit your use. I have mine set at 11.80 volts (LVD) and 12.20 volts for LVR. That means that if your controller, which is sensing battery voltage all the time, it will disconnect any load/s connected through the controller well before the Setec does anything!!! Anything connected directly to battery terminals as mentioned earlier will be subject to the settings on the Setec, but your solar controller would already have disconnected any loads through it. The attached chart may provide you with good guidance on SOC for your battery/ies.

You will have to find out what type of battery you have - AGM or GEL as the charging voltage is different. See also chart for this. You can then adjust your solar controller settings to the correct voltages for your type of battery. As I have an AGM 120ah, I have the max charge voltage set on my solar controller at 14.6 volts and FLOAT at 13.7 (very close to the recommended figures shown on side of battery. For a GEL battery, which will probably show 14.2 or 14.3 volts max charge and 13.8 or slightly lower for Float, all figures at 25C battery temperature. If you have a remote battery temp sensor (that should be taped to the top of battery as the controller will compensate/adjust charging voltages automatically that way. There is a temp sensor in the controller itself but that could/would be far different to the battery temps. I had to lengthen my remote lead so it was long enough to reach top of battery. You may have to do the same as it appears that your controller under the sink may be a fair distance away from battery/ies and probably in a cooler spot..

The Setec will only charge to 14.0 volts which is well below optimum voltage even for a Gel and far too low for AGMs. So check and set charge/float voltages on your solar controller as they will probably do a far better job of fully charging your battery when off grid. I use my 15A 7 stage "smart" charger at home after any time away, but especially after any time at a caravan park on 240 volts.
I hope you find the above info useful. As you can see, I believe in getting the most out of my equipment and have never been one to accept "near enough is good enough". Pedantic probably.
Please do not hesitate to contact me again as a PM or you can put it on the forum for everybody else to put in their own ideas too. .... Graham
AGM Battery Voltage-Charging_0001.jpg
AGM Battery Voltage-Charging_0001.jpg
Gel SOC Voltage (2).jpg
Gel SOC Voltage (2).jpg
AGM Battery Voltage-Charging_0002.jpg
AGM Battery Voltage-Charging_0002.jpg
 
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Drover

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That about covers it all @Boots in Action , of course if anyone is contemplating running your load through a Controller thats only a 10a job then don't its not up to the job you would want a reasonable regulator thats 25a or more.............SoG is only an indicator when the battery has been idle, no discharge for 30 mins or more , preferably more....and if the solar set up is a good one charging with the Setek becomes superfluous especially with a Epever regulator, just use it as a distribution box with 240 turned off....
 
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Boots in Action

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That about covers it all @Boots in Action , of course if anyone is contemplating running your load through a Controller thats only a 10a job then don't its not up to the job you would want a reasonable regulator thats 25a or more.............SoG is only an indicator when the battery has been idle, no discharge for 30 mins or more , preferably more....and if the solar set up is a good one charging with the Setek becomes superfluous especially with a Epever regulator, just use it as a distribution box with 240 turned off....
You have covered everything I missed @Drover. I agree with every thing you stated. Of course it does not just have to be an Epever controller. Any "good" and proper MPPT controller with enough user adjustable settings will accomplish the same results. What you said about the Setec charging sums it up nicely. I don't know much about the capacities or charging voltages of later BMPro or others. Perhaps they are more suited to the the different type batteries???
 

Drover

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I have an Epever so it must be good and proper.... :p :p

BMPro is an all singing, all dancing jobbie so if you were going to use a better solar reg you would bypass the whole thing or it would have a hissy fit, in fact it would anyway... I'm not a fan of them if one bit dies they whole thing can shut down, found a short in a switch which drained the batteries below the cut out, they needed to be recharged above 12.2 before the BMPro would start charging again, even with the dodgy circuit isolated..... most annoying if you don't carry a seperate charger or are off grid.
 

Boots in Action

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I have an Epever so it must be good and proper.... :p :p

BMPro is an all singing, all dancing jobbie so if you were going to use a better solar reg you would bypass the whole thing or it would have a hissy fit, in fact it would anyway... I'm not a fan of them if one bit dies they whole thing can shut down, found a short in a switch which drained the batteries below the cut out, they needed to be recharged above 12.2 before the BMPro would start charging again, even with the dodgy circuit isolated..... most annoying if you don't carry a seperate charger or are off grid.
So much for later technology and "progress" @Drover!!! Would be a big problem for those without any knowledge or only limited knowledge of 12 volt electrics.
 

Grandpa Gunna

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Hi @Boots in Action Thanks for your reply
Yes the 12v and solar are a learning curve for me.
Loads are only standard Setec loads eg lights, couple of 12v oulets etc
I don't have any "heavy" loads other than the Diesel Heater which is connected directly to battery as stated by install instructions, which raises a question as to how to get any load reading whilst running, is it possible to do this some how.
Attached is page from Epever manual re controller charging. I have an AGM 120amp battery and have just selected the AGM settings of the Controller. Do you think I should use custom settings or are their AGM settings ok
 

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Drover

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I have set my battery system up so the battery terminals only have one lot of leads on them and they feed a main battery buss bar where 12v connection for heavy draw, external Anderson and Solar Reg (Epever) are made, I have another buss bar which the Load from Epever connects too and which has all the other 12v supply lines for van, heater and stuff, so everything runs thru the Epever, after testing and seeing what it drew I hooked my diesel heater to this Buss Bar and to date has worked okay, nothing got hot or melted and my Epever is happy with it, mind I didn't do it that way with my old controller though, I have fitted a switch here as well so 12v to the heater can be isolated when travelling as the thing is mounted between my axles and with the cable under the floor even though insulated I thought it prudent to add the switch along with fuses of course. I can't recall the total draw down figures but it wasn't anywhere near to the Epever limits and thats with everything going in the van..................

I have GEL batteries and just left the settings alone they looked good enough for me, I look at things that while away I will be very lucky if there isn't a constant drain on my batteries from somewhere, a phone charging, a STB going and of course the fridge fans run all the time from 2 days before we leave until the day we get back, they will go for a couple of months straight.....
 

Boots in Action

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Mar 13, 2017
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Hi @Boots in Action Thanks for your reply
Yes the 12v and solar are a learning curve for me.
Loads are only standard Setec loads eg lights, couple of 12v oulets etc
I don't have any "heavy" loads other than the Diesel Heater which is connected directly to battery as stated by install instructions, which raises a question as to how to get any load reading whilst running, is it possible to do this some how.
Attached is page from Epever manual re controller charging. I have an AGM 120amp battery and have just selected the AGM settings of the Controller. Do you think I should use custom settings or are their AGM settings ok
Hi @Grandpa Gunna , @Drover has already given his opinion on connecting Diesel Heater through Solar controller without problems. It obviously does not draw too much current, so nothing wrong with that type of connection. You have it installed as per "normal" operation. However, if happy with current hook up, leave as it is. You will NOT know current draw for diesel heater though. But by looking at Epever display, you WILL know voltage drop caused by heater when turned on, so try that and see if that is enough for you. If not, you can always change things at a later time.

I had a good look at the battery settings. "Flooded" is almost the same as "Sealed" so I believe AGM will be that for "Flooded" which is what I have set on my MPPT controller. "Equalisation"charging voltage is a slightly higher voltage applied for a period to bring all cells to the same voltage/state of charge.

IMHO (pedantic as it is!), I would change the following:

Charging Limit Voltage - 15.0v - change to 14.8 volts.
Over voltage Reconnect Voltage - 15.0v - change to 14.8 volts (to be the same as max charge voltage)
Low voltage reconnect 12.6v - change to 12.2 volts.
Low voltage disconnect 11.1v - change to 11.8 volts.
Discharging limit voltage 10.6 volts - change to 11.8 volts.
Equalisation Duration 120 minutes - change to 60 minutes.
Under Voltage Warning Reconnect Voltage - 12.2v - change to 12.0 volts (to be midway between LVD - 11.8v - and LVR 12.2 volts)

Other settings I would leave as they are. The most important ones are the charge voltages, float voltages, LVD and LVR and Discharge voltage limit. The settings for warnings must be within the modified settings of course. Just a little fine tuning really, up to you to change if you wish and easy to change too (and back again if you wish!) See settings listed on side of an AGM. Have a look at your own for more details.
 

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Drover

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I thought sealed was an AGM and Flooded was a normal battery like a calcium ????? My Epever Parameters show a flooded Boost Charge at 14.6v while Sealed at 14.4......

I did look at changing some of the parameters on mine, reading your post @Boots in Action made me have another look but while I thought I should change a couple of them, keeping to the rules made my head spin at the time so I trusted their settings, batteries haven't melted yet so maybe one day I will.....but some do need a tweak...

Its a pain pushing the little buttons in sequence, why dont they have knobs, knobs are good.:D