Battery charger fan

[pgtips]

Went down to the boat yesterday and found that the waeco battery charger wasn't working which turned out to be a blown fuse. Replaced the fuse and all seems fine but I then realised that the internal cooling fan isn't working.
Having never really paid much attention I don't know if the fan would normally only run when required i.e. when the unit gets hot or whether it should be on all the time??
The unit felt quite hot to the touch when it first came on but after a couple of hours was cooler but I never heard the fan running; I kept checking the unit. I'm not sure if I should be worried about the unit overheating???

 

[William_H]

Presumably they would not fit a fan unless it was needed so trouyble if it is not working as it should. It might be connected to the output but more likely fitted with a temperature sensor. So only turns on when hot.
You might like to disconnect the fan and try running it off the boats 12v supply. If it won't run then that is your answer. They are not expensive to buy from electronics supplier in all sorts of sizes. They do give trouble some times. good luck olewill

 

[vyv_cox]

I don't have the same make of unit but the fan on mine only comes on when the ambient temperature is high. This happens in Greece a few times per year, with the charger down the back end of the quarter berth where there is little air circulation.

 

[pgtips]

The fact that the charger has 'cooling fins' made me wonder if the fan is only there for when things get too hot and I'm guessing the fact that the unit had cooled down would suggest all is fine, but then I begin to wonder why the fuse blew in the first place. Could this be a sign that some thing's not right? Perhaps a Bank Holiday weekend job to open up the charger and see if the fan is working as suggested by olewill.

Thanks for the replies

 

[TonyBuckley]

Presumably they would not fit a fan unless it was needed ...

I seem to remember that Amstrad only fitted fans to their early PCs because people who were used to IBMS PCs didn't believe they were 'real' machines unless they made a noise.

Perhaps this charger manufacturer thinks that if it makes a noise every now and again it is perceived by people as a better charger

 

[Pasarell]

My Waeco 20A charger has a fan but I have never noticed it running or the charger getting hot

 

[NormanS]

My Sterling one has a fan which only comes on if it has been charging at a high rate for a while.

 

[pgtips]

My Waeco 20A charger has a fan but I have never noticed it running or the charger getting hot

When I say hot, I could put my hand on the charger quite comfortably so it wasn't burning hot and it could have been running warmer than normal as the batteries were quite low so the charger would have been working hard. Within a couple of hours it was noticeably cooler though when I guess the charge rate had dropped.

Will keep a close eye on things and see what happens but good to know that fans seem to be there for 'when required' rather than permanent use!

 

[nigelmercier]

Test the fan, replace if duff.