Marlec HRDi controller - battery replacement

[Bristolfashion]

Hi all,

I have a Rutland wind charger & solar panel into a Marlec HRDi controller. One of the two batteries has died. After covering the solar panel and switching the wind generator to "stop" & securing it, can I just hoick the dead battery out and replace it? Does it matter if the dead battery is designated "battery 1" or "battery2"? - the original installation instructions require connecting "battery 2" first - the dead battery is allocated as battery 1, so I'd have thought that was ok in any case.

I can't find any reference to battery replacement anywhere.

(The replacement battery is exactly the same as the dead'un)

Thanks as ever.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Hi all,

I have a Rutland wind charger & solar panel into a Marlec HRDi controller. One of the two batteries has died. After covering the solar panel and switching the wind generator to "stop" & securing it, can I just hoick the dead battery out and replace it? Does it matter if the dead battery is designated "battery 1" or "battery2"? - the original installation instructions require connecting "battery 2" first - the dead battery is allocated as battery 1, so I'd have thought that was ok in any case.

I can't find any reference to battery replacement anywhere.

(The replacement battery is exactly the same as the dead'un)

Thanks as ever.

https://www.marlec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/HRDi-Manual-SM-347C-280121.pdf
Cover the panel, secure the turbine. Use the stop switch to off then change the battery. Think that is what it says!

 

[Moonbeam]

https://www.marlec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/HRDi-Manual-SM-347C-280121.pdf
Cover the panel, secure the turbine. Use the stop switch to off then change the battery. Think that is what it says!

Yes, that's correct. we had the exact same set up on our last boat.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Thanks guys - I'm probably just overthinking it!

 

[Mistroma]

Our HRDi got pretty hot in extended periods of high wind when we lived aboard. Domestic batteries took all the charge and motor start virtually nothing as you'd expect. One MOSFET eventually blew and I'm pretty certain that I found each battery output uses a sep. circuit with a 40A max. MOSFET in each one.

It was just one MOSFET for domestic charging that failed (STP35NF10 Transistor N-MOSFET unipolar 100V) and I bought 4 spares. I think it's now discontinued.

I actually connected both outputs to the domestic battery afterwards and it didn't overheat as total output was shared between both circuits. We anchored a lot and start was always fully charged, domestic batteries took a lot of current as we had little solar in those days.

Not related to OPs question directly but might be worth knowing if he's in a similar situation and doesn't really need to keep the start battery charged. It really only becomes an issue when domestic side regularly gets a deep discharge and there's a lot of wind but it isn't constant.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Our HRDi got pretty hot in extended periods of high wind when we lived aboard. Domestic batteries took all the charge and motor start virtually nothing as you'd expect. One MOSFET eventually blew and I'm pretty certain that I found each battery output uses a sep. circuit with a 40A max. MOSFET in each one.

It was just one MOSFET for domestic charging that failed (STP35NF10 Transistor N-MOSFET unipolar 100V) and I bought 4 spares. I think it's now discontinued.

I actually connected both outputs to the domestic battery afterwards and it didn't overheat as total output was shared between both circuits. We anchored a lot and start was always fully charged, domestic batteries took a lot of current as we had little solar in those days.

Not related to OPs question directly but might be worth knowing if he's in a similar situation and doesn't really need to keep the start battery charged. It really only becomes an issue when domestic side regularly gets a deep discharge and there's a lot of wind but it isn't constant.

Thanks - interesting.

 

[Bristolfashion]

I've now replaced battery 1 - all good

However, I now seem to be getting a better output from the Solar panel - higher W for the same amount of sun(in a bit of a wind shadow here, so not sure if WG performance is similarly improved).

Thoughts are either that the dying "primary" battery (battery 1) was not "accepting" much charge - or I've improved a poor connection somewhere.

Any ideas?

It sure makes replacement easier when you use exactly the same model of battery.

Also, I purchased one of the cheapest Topden battery testers - at only £30 odd, seems a useful piece of kit.