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(Edit: Title is incorrect, should read 'Sudden high charge AMPERAGE. Unable to save edits.)
I am looking for any assistance on troubleshooting a recently noticed spike in reported charging amperage. The full Issue details can be found following the set-up details.
Set-up details:
- Battery Bank: Two 220Ah sealed, AGM Full River brand GC2-6V batteries wired in sequence for a 12V, 220Ah bank (bought new, 1 year ago).
- Charge controller (CC): Renogy rebranded Tracer 40amp (bought second hand 1 year ago, previously unused).
- Panels: 4 Renogy branded 100W, wired in two parallel circuits of two panels in sequence 2p2s(?) (bought secondhand 1 years ago, previously unused).
- Batteries feed out into one breaker panel with appropriately sized blade fuses from which the load is distributed.
- CC is monitored by an MT-5 remote monitor (RM) which displays panel V, battery V, input amps, temp and a few other stats. RM Readings tend to corroborate with multimeter readings.
- System is mounted inside a converted sprinter van which is outside and driven constantly, so vibration and temp change may be a factor.
- There is a 40amp DC marine breaker between the panels and the CC and between the CC and the battery bank.
- Load: two LED light circuits, two USB outlets, a fan, a 10amp cigarette outlet into which a DC fridge is plugged.
The issue: The system has been working flawlessly for the past eight months. The most intense load is a Dometic fridge that pulls about 3amps during its cycle. Power has been supplied whenever we need it and the batteries have been charging fully every day.
Previously, with full sun, I usually noticed (reading from the input amps provided by the MT-5 remote monitor) a small spike in amperage, around 3 - 4amps in the morning, then the input settles down to < 1amp for much of the day, as long as there is no load. Two days ago (with no obvious changes in temp, illuminance, or other factors) the charge controller started reporting up to 9 amps charging amperage for an extended period of time.
The battery bank seems to get up to about 13.8V then hold there. The charge controller then increases the amps, but no increase in battery voltage seems to occur. The battery voltage readout is corroborated by a multimeter, i.e. when it reads 13.8 on the MT-5 it reads 13.8 on the multimeter. Individual batteries in the bank have appropriate voltages. Edit: The Volts do eventually go up, it just takes much longer than it used to, even a few days ago.
Attempted troubleshooting.
- Thinking there might be a short in some of the wires I removed all the blade fuses from the fuse box but the high amps remained, which suggests that this is occuring prior to the fuse box.
- I tightened down some connections (mostly on the breakers) and cleaned the plastic case of the batteries. There is not apparent corrosion on the battery terminals, and the terminals bolts seem as tight as possible.
- I hit the breaker to the panels, then the breaker to the batteries, in hopes that this would reset any issues in the CC. No charge was noticed.
- No cable fraying has been noticed, nothing is warm to the touch and all wire terminals seem adequately crimped (i.e. do not separate when pulled.)
I am at a loss as to where the problem might be arising. Tips for other places to check, or any further details that I could provide would be really appreciated.
Thanks,
Sam
I am looking for any assistance on troubleshooting a recently noticed spike in reported charging amperage. The full Issue details can be found following the set-up details.
Set-up details:
- Battery Bank: Two 220Ah sealed, AGM Full River brand GC2-6V batteries wired in sequence for a 12V, 220Ah bank (bought new, 1 year ago).
- Charge controller (CC): Renogy rebranded Tracer 40amp (bought second hand 1 year ago, previously unused).
- Panels: 4 Renogy branded 100W, wired in two parallel circuits of two panels in sequence 2p2s(?) (bought secondhand 1 years ago, previously unused).
- Batteries feed out into one breaker panel with appropriately sized blade fuses from which the load is distributed.
- CC is monitored by an MT-5 remote monitor (RM) which displays panel V, battery V, input amps, temp and a few other stats. RM Readings tend to corroborate with multimeter readings.
- System is mounted inside a converted sprinter van which is outside and driven constantly, so vibration and temp change may be a factor.
- There is a 40amp DC marine breaker between the panels and the CC and between the CC and the battery bank.
- Load: two LED light circuits, two USB outlets, a fan, a 10amp cigarette outlet into which a DC fridge is plugged.
The issue: The system has been working flawlessly for the past eight months. The most intense load is a Dometic fridge that pulls about 3amps during its cycle. Power has been supplied whenever we need it and the batteries have been charging fully every day.
Previously, with full sun, I usually noticed (reading from the input amps provided by the MT-5 remote monitor) a small spike in amperage, around 3 - 4amps in the morning, then the input settles down to < 1amp for much of the day, as long as there is no load. Two days ago (with no obvious changes in temp, illuminance, or other factors) the charge controller started reporting up to 9 amps charging amperage for an extended period of time.
The battery bank seems to get up to about 13.8V then hold there. The charge controller then increases the amps, but no increase in battery voltage seems to occur. The battery voltage readout is corroborated by a multimeter, i.e. when it reads 13.8 on the MT-5 it reads 13.8 on the multimeter. Individual batteries in the bank have appropriate voltages. Edit: The Volts do eventually go up, it just takes much longer than it used to, even a few days ago.
Attempted troubleshooting.
- Thinking there might be a short in some of the wires I removed all the blade fuses from the fuse box but the high amps remained, which suggests that this is occuring prior to the fuse box.
- I tightened down some connections (mostly on the breakers) and cleaned the plastic case of the batteries. There is not apparent corrosion on the battery terminals, and the terminals bolts seem as tight as possible.
- I hit the breaker to the panels, then the breaker to the batteries, in hopes that this would reset any issues in the CC. No charge was noticed.
- No cable fraying has been noticed, nothing is warm to the touch and all wire terminals seem adequately crimped (i.e. do not separate when pulled.)
I am at a loss as to where the problem might be arising. Tips for other places to check, or any further details that I could provide would be really appreciated.
Thanks,
Sam
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